02: Icon Tutorial - Colouring
Go from this: 
to this:
NOTE: This tutorial serves as a guide. It will not work for all pictures and icons, so you'll have to adjust/delete/add settings to get the desired effect that you want. Yes there are tutorials similar to this one out here, but I've had a few requests to do my own, so here we are. :) This tutorial also makes use of the 'Curves' feature Photoshop has. If you are unfamiliar with curves then this may be a bit difficult for you.
This tutorial was made with Photoshop CS2, but I'm sure it can be very easily applied in PS 7 and lower. I'm not sure how it would translate in PSP, I haven't used it for ages.
01.
Create your base (I'm assuming you all know how to do this).
02.
Duplicate your base > filter > sharpen. Then go to edit > fade sharpen > set it to 50%.
03.
Duplicate your sharpened base and set it to screen (you may need more than one screen layer).
04.
Now we get to set to use our handy dandy curves feature.
Make a new curves adjustment layer and then put these settings all in the RGB Channel:
Click anywhere in the box
Input: 8
Output: 1
Click anywhere again
Input: 35
Output: 82
Click anywhere again
Input: 62
Output: 142
Click anywhere again
Input: 89
Output: 190
Click anywhere again
Input: 165
Output: 239
Click anywhere again
Input: 225
Output: 249
05.
Duplicate your base layer and drag it up top. Set that to soft light.
06.
Duplicate your soft light layer > desaturate > set to screen > opacity 25%
07.
create a new layer > fill with #b5e4e5 > set to colour burn > opacity 40%
08.
create another new layer > fill with #e6c9bb > set to colour burn > opacity 20%
09.
duplicate your base layer and drag it to the top > hue/saturation > set saturation to -60 > set base to screen > opacity 30%
10.
if you want a more brighter and 'clearer' look create a new layer > fill with #ffffff > set to soft light > opacity 20%. see how the icon is a bit grainy/pixelated, especially on his face and background? If you want to keep this look then leave it, otherwise keep reading.
11.
make sure the top layer is selected, then press SHIFT + CTRL + ALT + E. Select your blur tool and make sure the strength is set to 50%. Select a small round brush (I used a 5px brush) and then zoom in on your base so you can see specific areas better. Go over the areas you want to smooth out with your blur tool, but not too much. We just want to get rid of the really grainy areas. If your whole icon is grainy then I would suggest going to filter > blur.
And that's it! Add any text or other effects that you may want on your icon. I haven't written a tutorial in ages, so I hope I made it clear enough. :)
RESOURCES || MEMORIES || ABOUT
to this:
NOTE: This tutorial serves as a guide. It will not work for all pictures and icons, so you'll have to adjust/delete/add settings to get the desired effect that you want. Yes there are tutorials similar to this one out here, but I've had a few requests to do my own, so here we are. :) This tutorial also makes use of the 'Curves' feature Photoshop has. If you are unfamiliar with curves then this may be a bit difficult for you.
This tutorial was made with Photoshop CS2, but I'm sure it can be very easily applied in PS 7 and lower. I'm not sure how it would translate in PSP, I haven't used it for ages.
01.
Create your base (I'm assuming you all know how to do this).
02.
Duplicate your base > filter > sharpen. Then go to edit > fade sharpen > set it to 50%.
03.
Duplicate your sharpened base and set it to screen (you may need more than one screen layer).
04.
Now we get to set to use our handy dandy curves feature.
Make a new curves adjustment layer and then put these settings all in the RGB Channel:
Click anywhere in the box
Input: 8
Output: 1
Click anywhere again
Input: 35
Output: 82
Click anywhere again
Input: 62
Output: 142
Click anywhere again
Input: 89
Output: 190
Click anywhere again
Input: 165
Output: 239
Click anywhere again
Input: 225
Output: 249
05.
Duplicate your base layer and drag it up top. Set that to soft light.
06.
Duplicate your soft light layer > desaturate > set to screen > opacity 25%
07.
create a new layer > fill with #b5e4e5 > set to colour burn > opacity 40%
08.
create another new layer > fill with #e6c9bb > set to colour burn > opacity 20%
09.
duplicate your base layer and drag it to the top > hue/saturation > set saturation to -60 > set base to screen > opacity 30%
10.
if you want a more brighter and 'clearer' look create a new layer > fill with #ffffff > set to soft light > opacity 20%. see how the icon is a bit grainy/pixelated, especially on his face and background? If you want to keep this look then leave it, otherwise keep reading.
11.
make sure the top layer is selected, then press SHIFT + CTRL + ALT + E. Select your blur tool and make sure the strength is set to 50%. Select a small round brush (I used a 5px brush) and then zoom in on your base so you can see specific areas better. Go over the areas you want to smooth out with your blur tool, but not too much. We just want to get rid of the really grainy areas. If your whole icon is grainy then I would suggest going to filter > blur.
And that's it! Add any text or other effects that you may want on your icon. I haven't written a tutorial in ages, so I hope I made it clear enough. :)
RESOURCES || MEMORIES || ABOUT