155 | Last Tutorial
This is a tutorial for a Reign icon asked for by partitioning for Ask the Maker 6.0
I use CS5, so depending on which program you use, some things may not be transferable. I am going to refer to things the way that I know them so if you don't know what I am talking about or how to get to the tool I am using, please feel free to ask.
I actually went into this icon kind of knowing where I wanted to go, which is rare for me.
1. First we start out with this screencap: Mary, Queen of Scots
2. I make a pretty standard center crop of the cap because I want to focus on the yellows around her and a center crop allows for me to incorporate the yellows I am going to want on both sides. I use an auto contrast layer to give contrast and light.
>>>
3. Now I use the preset copper Gradient Map (I like this gradient map a lot) twice to bring some copper tones into the icon.
- The first layer is set to Soft Light at 41% opacity
- The second layer is set the same but is just set on Reverse
4. Next I want to add more yellow to the icon so I create a Photo Filter layer using a bright yellow color (f9e31d) at 45%
5. I want to give her a little light so I use a Gradient Fill layer using a white color set on Soft Light at 42% opacity at a -51.34 angle
6. Now I want to get all the yellow out of her face so I use a Black and White Gradient Map with 25% opacity
7. Now I want to focus on the yellow of the icon. I use a bright yellow (eecc0b) and a soft round brust to paint around the sides of her hair. I use two painted layers both set on Soft Light
8. Of course her face now looks really pale and washed out next to such a bright yellow. So I am going to paint over her face only with a tan color (937b63). I do this twice, the first painted layer is set to Soft Light and the second is also set to Soft Light but has an opacity of 63%.
9. Next is another painted layer. I want the white of her top to pop out more so I use a soft round brush to paint over it with white, which is set on Soft Light at 52% opacity.
10. Overall the icon lacks contrast so I add a Black & White Gradient Map on Reverse, set to Soft Light with 59% opacity.
11. Now I want things brightened up a bit so I add a Curves layer.
12. I like the brightness that created around her but her face is now too bright for me so I paint over it using a soft round brush with a darker
reddish/brown (5e3834) color set on Soft Light at 34% opacity (to darken) then I paint over it again with a light purple (c1a6be) set on the same settings (to lighten).
13. Now I am going to use a light texture to create some light. I use this texture
by vetica set to Screen with 42% opacity, which will lighten the icon and give it light at the top. I then duplicate that layer and use a black and white gradient to change it to black and white and set it to Soft Light, which will create some shadows at the bottom of the icon and keep some of the light at the top.
14. Then I use a High Pass layer set with a 1.1 Radius and on Soft Light to sharpen the icon. I erase the outsides of her hair and parts of her face that are too sharp.
15. I want the yellows a little more vibrant so I add a Vibrance layer using a Vibrance of +60
16. Now I get a little nitpicky and decide that her eye makeup, eyebrows and necklace are too light so I use a brown to paint over those. I set the eye makeup on Soft Light with 56% opacity and the necklace is set to Multiply.
17. Because I am never satisfied with the light of an icon and this one now looks too bright for me I use a Curves layer to darken it.
18. Now her face is too yellow for me so I add a black and white Gradient Map with 10% opacity to take some of the yellow out.
19. The icon is now too dark so I add a Curves layer.
20. I want a little brighter so I a Brightness/Contrast layer with a Brightness of +7 and Contrast of +5
21. Now I want more light on the left corner so I add a Gradient Fill layer with a brownish/yellow color (725706) set on a -48.01 angle with 10% opacity.
22. Almost done, I promise! I want a little more white light incorporated intot he icon so I add a white Color Fill layer set to Soft Light at 25% opacity.
23. Last step!! I want to darken up the darker bits so I add a Selective Color layer with these settings:
- Whites: Black -39
- Blacks: Black +17
Wow, that all seemed way over complicated but we finally made it to the end! Hope it made some sort of sense and thanks for asking for the tutorial. =)
I use CS5, so depending on which program you use, some things may not be transferable. I am going to refer to things the way that I know them so if you don't know what I am talking about or how to get to the tool I am using, please feel free to ask.
I actually went into this icon kind of knowing where I wanted to go, which is rare for me.
1. First we start out with this screencap: Mary, Queen of Scots
2. I make a pretty standard center crop of the cap because I want to focus on the yellows around her and a center crop allows for me to incorporate the yellows I am going to want on both sides. I use an auto contrast layer to give contrast and light.
>>>
3. Now I use the preset copper Gradient Map (I like this gradient map a lot) twice to bring some copper tones into the icon.
- The first layer is set to Soft Light at 41% opacity
- The second layer is set the same but is just set on Reverse
4. Next I want to add more yellow to the icon so I create a Photo Filter layer using a bright yellow color (f9e31d) at 45%
5. I want to give her a little light so I use a Gradient Fill layer using a white color set on Soft Light at 42% opacity at a -51.34 angle
6. Now I want to get all the yellow out of her face so I use a Black and White Gradient Map with 25% opacity
7. Now I want to focus on the yellow of the icon. I use a bright yellow (eecc0b) and a soft round brust to paint around the sides of her hair. I use two painted layers both set on Soft Light
8. Of course her face now looks really pale and washed out next to such a bright yellow. So I am going to paint over her face only with a tan color (937b63). I do this twice, the first painted layer is set to Soft Light and the second is also set to Soft Light but has an opacity of 63%.
9. Next is another painted layer. I want the white of her top to pop out more so I use a soft round brush to paint over it with white, which is set on Soft Light at 52% opacity.
10. Overall the icon lacks contrast so I add a Black & White Gradient Map on Reverse, set to Soft Light with 59% opacity.
11. Now I want things brightened up a bit so I add a Curves layer.
12. I like the brightness that created around her but her face is now too bright for me so I paint over it using a soft round brush with a darker
reddish/brown (5e3834) color set on Soft Light at 34% opacity (to darken) then I paint over it again with a light purple (c1a6be) set on the same settings (to lighten).
13. Now I am going to use a light texture to create some light. I use this texture
by vetica set to Screen with 42% opacity, which will lighten the icon and give it light at the top. I then duplicate that layer and use a black and white gradient to change it to black and white and set it to Soft Light, which will create some shadows at the bottom of the icon and keep some of the light at the top.
14. Then I use a High Pass layer set with a 1.1 Radius and on Soft Light to sharpen the icon. I erase the outsides of her hair and parts of her face that are too sharp.
15. I want the yellows a little more vibrant so I add a Vibrance layer using a Vibrance of +60
16. Now I get a little nitpicky and decide that her eye makeup, eyebrows and necklace are too light so I use a brown to paint over those. I set the eye makeup on Soft Light with 56% opacity and the necklace is set to Multiply.
17. Because I am never satisfied with the light of an icon and this one now looks too bright for me I use a Curves layer to darken it.
18. Now her face is too yellow for me so I add a black and white Gradient Map with 10% opacity to take some of the yellow out.
19. The icon is now too dark so I add a Curves layer.
20. I want a little brighter so I a Brightness/Contrast layer with a Brightness of +7 and Contrast of +5
21. Now I want more light on the left corner so I add a Gradient Fill layer with a brownish/yellow color (725706) set on a -48.01 angle with 10% opacity.
22. Almost done, I promise! I want a little more white light incorporated intot he icon so I add a white Color Fill layer set to Soft Light at 25% opacity.
23. Last step!! I want to darken up the darker bits so I add a Selective Color layer with these settings:
- Whites: Black -39
- Blacks: Black +17
Wow, that all seemed way over complicated but we finally made it to the end! Hope it made some sort of sense and thanks for asking for the tutorial. =)