Tutorial #18: Q&A
The Q&A I was supposed to do months ago is finally here! I'm really sorry for the delay. I did a Q&A a long time ago, it is here if you're interested.
All my apologizes for the mistakes and words I probably created.
wandererjulia asked:
1. How do you choose your caps?
I download zip files when I can because I like to browse the files in my computer instead of galleries. Then, I choose caps according to the emotion they express. I love very emotional caps. I also choose them according to how gorgeous they are and/or the symbolism they have for the movie/show.
2. How do you work with the coloring? I mean, you see a particular cap and you know exactly what colors want to achieve or you just play with layers?
I rarely know which coloring I will use because I work a lot with the cap. (teamwork forever!). I know if I want a black and white or a coloured cap though. I simply play around with the settings and see what the cap let me do and how we can manage to have an agreement between what it wants and what I want. It is very diplomatic (with a bit of bitching at times too).
fouroux asked:
How do you colour really washed out caps / caps that seem to already force a certain colour upon you? I know you answered a similar question here, but if a cap's colouring is, for example, only red tones - how do you get some variety in there?
If I think the red fits the emotion of the icon, I leave it and try to enhance it to make it well balanced. So I use a color balance layer or/and some light blurbs. The exposure tool can be very useful for creating contrasts.
If I don't like the red, I try a color balance layer and the channel mixer first. If none work, I go for "auto-color" but I'm relucant to use it because I think it contrasts the icons too much.
The other option is that if I see the cap, the inspiration goes for a black and white so no trouble with the cap at all.
I really rarely goes against the colors of a cap. I make them pimp and contrast the pics but if a cap is blue, I will let it blue.
When the picture is dull, I always use a vibrance tool. It helps a lot to create colors. Well not "create" but pimp them. Then I use color balances and channel mixers to work on the colors I discovered.
marcasite asked:
You do a lot of close crops, especially on male subjects. How do you get the icon so smooth and composed without getting over sharpened?
"especially on male subjects" XD yep, I'm weak when it comes to hotties :p.
The first key is the quality of the cap. You have to use at least HD caps. Blu-ray are the best. Then, when you choose your cap, try to find one where the camera focused from the shoulders to the hair. For example this is a perfect cap. It is flawless:no grain, a soft light. Perfect. And it is because it is coming from a blu-ray. Now on the normal HD version, this one is awesome. This one is a bad one. It is an HD picture though but it is not good enough. The quality is good enough to make an icon but not good enough for a close crop.
Then, the last step is the sharpeness. I always sharpen an icon when I'm done. BUT, once it is sharpened, I go to edit -> fade sharpen and I fade it so that the icon won't be oversharpened and not blurry either.
itsayuri asked:
1) What tools do you use when sharpening icons?
I use the sharpening tool in Photoshop:
Filter -> sharpen -> sharpen
As I said above, then I go to edit -> fade sharpen
2) How do you manage to achieve such beautiful contrast/shadow in your icons? I know your technique probably differs from image to image, but what method do you find most effective?
First of all, thank you! ♥
Now the most effective technique I found is the following:
- First, use the brightness/contrast tool to brighten your cap and not the screen layer technique.
- Then, use the vibrance tool to pimp the colors of the cap. Be careful to not exagerate though (unless it is the result you want)
- After that, use a color balance to well balance the icon. It helps to introduce new colors sometimes and also to pimp the main colors of the icon.
- Then, I usually open a new layer and create some light blurbs that are always followed by a soft layer of the base. ALWAYS.
- Then sometimes a little new vibrance tool but very soft and a soft brightness/contrast layer.
- Final touch: you merge, sharpen and fade the sharpening.
This is how I usually do, in 7 steps. Who said iconing was hard? IT IS NOT.
If you have more questions or if I was unclear or if you want to chat or whatever crosses your mind, COMMENT! I'd be happy :D