029; ask the maker 2016 tutorials.
I haven't filled all of last year's requests but I'm going to do that along with this year's requests for tutorials. Coming up is a guide on black and white icons as well as a coloring or tips and tricks thing for Once Upon a Time icons. I'm not sure what exactly it's going to be yet.
Anyway, the following two tutorials were requested by adriftingsea. I hope you'll enjoy and find them helpful.
STEP ONE.
original image
I made this icon for a 20in20 challenge. For this particular icon, I wanted to improve my use of text. The first step was to place the screencap on a 100x100px canvas and remove the background. I usually do that by using a layer mask and just painting over the parts I want gone with a black round brush. Towards the edges of the person or object I want "cut out", I use a smaller brush. I think layer masks are such a great way to erase background but if you make a mistake, it doesn't really matter because you can always just paint the erased part back in. (Does that make sense?)
Anyway, then I added a new color fill layer below the screencap and filled it with a light grey (#a7abb1).
STEP TWO.
Afterwards I added the text on two separate layers. The font I used for both words ('happy' and 'ending') is Bombshell Pro at 30pt. I warped both text layers and set them to squeeze at +50%.
Then I dragged the 'happy' layer below the screencap and changed the setting of the 'ending' layer to soft light.
STEP THREE.
I felt that the icon still looked too boring and dull, so I added this texture by raiindust and set it to pin light at 100%. Then I added a curves layer (output: 107, input: 95; output: 219, input: 200) to brighten up the icon.
STEP FOUR.
Finally, I added a black and white gradient map. Usually, I also add a levels layer to balance the contrast but in this case, I was happy with the black and white the way it was.
AND THIS IS THE FINAL RESULT:
STEP ONE.
original image
I made this icon for a Supernatural battle that I hosted a while ago and since someone put Jo's name on the list of characters that we'd icon, I was looking for a good screencap to use. I think this is the one from her death scene which I think is a really, really sad but also beautiful scene.
Once I placed the image on a 100x100px canvas and moved it around a bit to find the best crop, I added a few layers to brighten the image. The first one was a curves layer (output: 130, input: 100; output: 186, input: 162). Then I copy&merged the base and the curves layer and set it to screen at 26% opacity. To add some more contrast, I copy&merged the three layers and set the new copy to soft light at 61%.
STEP TWO.
The icon was still too dark, so I added another curves layer (output: 163, input: 113). Afterwards, I added these two textures (one, two). Unfortunately, I don't know who made them. If it was you or you happen to know who made them, please let me know and I'll credit. Anyway, I set the first texture to screen at 94% opacity and the second one to screen at 29% opacity. Depending on your icon, you should play around with the settings.
STEP THREE.
In this next step, I decided to change the lighting and the shadows a bit to make the icon look less flat. At first, I added a black and white gradient map and set it to soft light at 100%. Then I added a color fill layer (#241d19) and set it to screen at 49% opacity. Then I added this texture that I think I have from another tutorial or a PSD but unfortunately, I don't know who made it. I set it to soft light at 62%.
STEP FOUR.
I still wasn't happy with the coloring, so I added another color fill layer (#c5a596) and set it to soft light at 23%. Again, depending on your screencap, you might want to play around with the mode and the opacity as well as the color in general. To bring out the colors just a little bit more, I added a vibrance layer and just pushed the vibrance slide to the left at about +16.
STEP FIVE.
To add more contrast and change the shadows a bit, I added this texture. I think you could also achieve this effect with a gradient fill layer.
STEP SIX.
Now, on to the final steps: I copy&merged all the layers again and used topaz to smoothen the skin. I'm afraid I can't remember the exact settings I used but I usually keep the strength, threshold and accent low, so that it's barely even noticeable. Then I copy&merged everything again and used smart sharpen. Again, I don't remember the exact settings but with smart sharpen I usually play around until I like the result. I sometimes erase or mask parts of the icon to get rid of parts that are oversharpened. The very final step to this icon is a levels layer with the following settings: 3; 1,00; 255.
AND THIS IS THE FINAL RESULT:
If you have any questions about either one of the tutorials, don't be shy. Ask away in the comments and I promise I'll answer as soon as possible or explain again (I'm going to be a teacher, so I should get used to this).
Also, if you want to request more tutorials or a guide or just ask something icon- or non-icon-related, go to my thread over at ask the maker and I'll be happy to write it all down for you.
ask the maker 2016 - my thread
Anyway, the following two tutorials were requested by adriftingsea. I hope you'll enjoy and find them helpful.
STEP ONE.
original image
I made this icon for a 20in20 challenge. For this particular icon, I wanted to improve my use of text. The first step was to place the screencap on a 100x100px canvas and remove the background. I usually do that by using a layer mask and just painting over the parts I want gone with a black round brush. Towards the edges of the person or object I want "cut out", I use a smaller brush. I think layer masks are such a great way to erase background but if you make a mistake, it doesn't really matter because you can always just paint the erased part back in. (Does that make sense?)
Anyway, then I added a new color fill layer below the screencap and filled it with a light grey (#a7abb1).
STEP TWO.
Afterwards I added the text on two separate layers. The font I used for both words ('happy' and 'ending') is Bombshell Pro at 30pt. I warped both text layers and set them to squeeze at +50%.
Then I dragged the 'happy' layer below the screencap and changed the setting of the 'ending' layer to soft light.
STEP THREE.
I felt that the icon still looked too boring and dull, so I added this texture by raiindust and set it to pin light at 100%. Then I added a curves layer (output: 107, input: 95; output: 219, input: 200) to brighten up the icon.
STEP FOUR.
Finally, I added a black and white gradient map. Usually, I also add a levels layer to balance the contrast but in this case, I was happy with the black and white the way it was.
AND THIS IS THE FINAL RESULT:
STEP ONE.
original image
I made this icon for a Supernatural battle that I hosted a while ago and since someone put Jo's name on the list of characters that we'd icon, I was looking for a good screencap to use. I think this is the one from her death scene which I think is a really, really sad but also beautiful scene.
Once I placed the image on a 100x100px canvas and moved it around a bit to find the best crop, I added a few layers to brighten the image. The first one was a curves layer (output: 130, input: 100; output: 186, input: 162). Then I copy&merged the base and the curves layer and set it to screen at 26% opacity. To add some more contrast, I copy&merged the three layers and set the new copy to soft light at 61%.
STEP TWO.
The icon was still too dark, so I added another curves layer (output: 163, input: 113). Afterwards, I added these two textures (one, two). Unfortunately, I don't know who made them. If it was you or you happen to know who made them, please let me know and I'll credit. Anyway, I set the first texture to screen at 94% opacity and the second one to screen at 29% opacity. Depending on your icon, you should play around with the settings.
STEP THREE.
In this next step, I decided to change the lighting and the shadows a bit to make the icon look less flat. At first, I added a black and white gradient map and set it to soft light at 100%. Then I added a color fill layer (#241d19) and set it to screen at 49% opacity. Then I added this texture that I think I have from another tutorial or a PSD but unfortunately, I don't know who made it. I set it to soft light at 62%.
STEP FOUR.
I still wasn't happy with the coloring, so I added another color fill layer (#c5a596) and set it to soft light at 23%. Again, depending on your screencap, you might want to play around with the mode and the opacity as well as the color in general. To bring out the colors just a little bit more, I added a vibrance layer and just pushed the vibrance slide to the left at about +16.
STEP FIVE.
To add more contrast and change the shadows a bit, I added this texture. I think you could also achieve this effect with a gradient fill layer.
STEP SIX.
Now, on to the final steps: I copy&merged all the layers again and used topaz to smoothen the skin. I'm afraid I can't remember the exact settings I used but I usually keep the strength, threshold and accent low, so that it's barely even noticeable. Then I copy&merged everything again and used smart sharpen. Again, I don't remember the exact settings but with smart sharpen I usually play around until I like the result. I sometimes erase or mask parts of the icon to get rid of parts that are oversharpened. The very final step to this icon is a levels layer with the following settings: 3; 1,00; 255.
AND THIS IS THE FINAL RESULT:
If you have any questions about either one of the tutorials, don't be shy. Ask away in the comments and I promise I'll answer as soon as possible or explain again (I'm going to be a teacher, so I should get used to this).
Also, if you want to request more tutorials or a guide or just ask something icon- or non-icon-related, go to my thread over at ask the maker and I'll be happy to write it all down for you.
ask the maker 2016 - my thread