Duke Icon Tutorial
Going from this: 
to this:
in Photoshop 7.
A Little Background
This is an image of the character Murtagh from the movie Eragon, I know. Yet he resembles a roleplay character of mine, hence I used a picture of him with my character's name on it - just wanted to get rid of the confusion there if it existed :) Now, on to the tutorial:
Step 1
Find an image and crop into a 100 pixel x 100 pixel base like so, creating Layer 1, the background layer.
*
Step 2
Duplicate the background layer to make Layer 2. Sharpen that layer.
*
Step 3
Duplicate Layer 2. Darken the red of the lips a little on Layer 3 - otherwise the lips will appear skin color when the icon is finished.
*
Step 4
Duplicate Layer 3. I edited his mouth a little on Layer 4 to change the expression slightly, though this is an optional step.
*
Step 5
Put a copy of Layer 1 (the original base) atop of all other layers to make it Layer 5, and set it to 46% Overlay.
*
Step 6
Create a new layer atop all the others filled with the color #F7EDC1, set to 100% Multiply.
*
Step 7
Create a new layer on top filled with #DFE8F8 set to 100% Color Burn.
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Step 8
Create a new layer on top filled with #FEE8CE set to 100% Color Burn.
*
Step 9
Create a new layer on top with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Multiply.
*
Step 10
Duplicate Layer 1 to make a new layer and place that atop all the other layers, setting it to 100% Soft Light.
*
Step 11
Create a new layer on top with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Saturation.
*
Step 12
Create a new layer on top with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Multiply.
*
Step 13
Duplicate Layer 1 again to create a new layer atop all the others, setting it to 46% Soft Light. Afterward, erase everything on that layer but the figure himself (i.e., the area to the left). This is so he will become a little brighter, but his background won't be altered.
*
Step 14
Create a new layer atop all others with just a 1 pixel wide border of the color #0C0700 around the edge.
*
Step 15
The character's last name was written in a new layer here, Devlin. The font is Kleptocracy: size 18, sharp, and #BAA548 in color. That text layer is set to 71% opacity. In the Layer Styles for that layer, I added a drop shadow: black, 45% Multiply, 117 degree angle, 1 distance, 0 spread, 1 size.
*
Step 16
Added a brush in the color #8F7F37 (not sure where this brush came from, but any small, flowy brush can be substituted in). I added some tiny text beneath that in the same color. In the Layer Styles for this layer, I added a drop shadow that is the same as the above shadow with the following changes: only %39 Multiply this time, and using a double ring contour this time as opposed to the default.
*
Step 17
Create a new top layer with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Soft Light.
*
Step 18
Create a new top layer with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 62% Overlay.
*
Step 19
In a new top layer, brush in the color #38A6B7 just over the figure, setting the layer to 100% Soft Light.
*
Step 20
Create a new top layer filled with the color #623402, setting the Layer to 41% Multiply.
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Step 21
Flatten all layers.
*
Step 22
Use the Auto Contrast adjustment on that flattened image.
*
Step 23
In the Hue/Saturation adjustment section, edit the Yellows Saturation to -46.
All done! :)
to this:
in Photoshop 7.
A Little Background
This is an image of the character Murtagh from the movie Eragon, I know. Yet he resembles a roleplay character of mine, hence I used a picture of him with my character's name on it - just wanted to get rid of the confusion there if it existed :) Now, on to the tutorial:
Step 1
Find an image and crop into a 100 pixel x 100 pixel base like so, creating Layer 1, the background layer.
*
Step 2
Duplicate the background layer to make Layer 2. Sharpen that layer.
*
Step 3
Duplicate Layer 2. Darken the red of the lips a little on Layer 3 - otherwise the lips will appear skin color when the icon is finished.
*
Step 4
Duplicate Layer 3. I edited his mouth a little on Layer 4 to change the expression slightly, though this is an optional step.
*
Step 5
Put a copy of Layer 1 (the original base) atop of all other layers to make it Layer 5, and set it to 46% Overlay.
*
Step 6
Create a new layer atop all the others filled with the color #F7EDC1, set to 100% Multiply.
*
Step 7
Create a new layer on top filled with #DFE8F8 set to 100% Color Burn.
*
Step 8
Create a new layer on top filled with #FEE8CE set to 100% Color Burn.
*
Step 9
Create a new layer on top with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Multiply.
*
Step 10
Duplicate Layer 1 to make a new layer and place that atop all the other layers, setting it to 100% Soft Light.
*
Step 11
Create a new layer on top with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Saturation.
*
Step 12
Create a new layer on top with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Multiply.
*
Step 13
Duplicate Layer 1 again to create a new layer atop all the others, setting it to 46% Soft Light. Afterward, erase everything on that layer but the figure himself (i.e., the area to the left). This is so he will become a little brighter, but his background won't be altered.
*
Step 14
Create a new layer atop all others with just a 1 pixel wide border of the color #0C0700 around the edge.
*
Step 15
The character's last name was written in a new layer here, Devlin. The font is Kleptocracy: size 18, sharp, and #BAA548 in color. That text layer is set to 71% opacity. In the Layer Styles for that layer, I added a drop shadow: black, 45% Multiply, 117 degree angle, 1 distance, 0 spread, 1 size.
*
Step 16
Added a brush in the color #8F7F37 (not sure where this brush came from, but any small, flowy brush can be substituted in). I added some tiny text beneath that in the same color. In the Layer Styles for this layer, I added a drop shadow that is the same as the above shadow with the following changes: only %39 Multiply this time, and using a double ring contour this time as opposed to the default.
*
Step 17
Create a new top layer with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 100% Soft Light.
*
Step 18
Create a new top layer with this texture by colorfilter, setting it to 62% Overlay.
*
Step 19
In a new top layer, brush in the color #38A6B7 just over the figure, setting the layer to 100% Soft Light.
*
Step 20
Create a new top layer filled with the color #623402, setting the Layer to 41% Multiply.
*
Step 21
Flatten all layers.
*
Step 22
Use the Auto Contrast adjustment on that flattened image.
*
Step 23
In the Hue/Saturation adjustment section, edit the Yellows Saturation to -46.
All done! :)