t u t o r i a l
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Crop your base- in this case I'm using Agito from Air Gear- and shift it about until you're satisfied. The original, un-edited and un-resized picture can also be viewd here. |
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This is where you adjust the picture to make it stand out. In this case I pushed up the contrast by 15 and lowered the brightness by 5. This step depends more on the quality of the original picture than anything else; keep in mind that the greater the contrast, the less tones will show through and the lines tend to get more jagged. When you're done, set the layer to multiply. |
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Create a new layer under your base layer and start coloring. I like to start with hair, but it's really up to you. Some people are more comfortable working skin-first or clothes-first or even background-first. |
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There are several ways of coloring, ranging from coloring completely within the lines to coloring outside the lines and then erasing the mess when you're done (which is the method used for this tutorial). What you should use depends on what you're more comfortable with, since the end result is pretty much the same either way. |
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When you finish one layer, create a new layer under that layer and start coloring the next part of the picture. I find that for 100 x 100 icons an 8 pixel brush is usually good for the main areas, with a 2 pixel eraser to work on the edges. It's highly advisable to use a new layer for each new part/color you start on, as this makes it easier to erase or edit things should you make a mistake. |
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Backgrounds or not? It's really up to you- this is by far the easiest step in the tutorial, just use the paint bucket tool on the background layer. Or if you'd rather not touch that layer, create a new layer under all your other layers and use the paint bucket tool on that. Simple, no? This step is also optional, actually- it depends on the character or the kind of icon you're trying to make. |
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Create a new layer on top of all the layers and fill that with a dark blue color. I used #0B122B in this case. Set the layer to Exclusion. What this does is to add a tint to the picture that can rang from peach-like to more yellow tones. The best shade depends a great deal on the colors used. |
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The lines look a bit faint, so to darken them quickly, duplicate the base layer and bring it to the top. It should still be set to multiply- if it isn't, set it to multiply- and this should darken all the lines and tones in the picture. This is the end of the coloring process. |
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There are several ways to add gradients, tones and shading to pictures- I picked what is possibly the easiest, which is to use a pre-made texture. In this case I utilized this one made by sanami. Create a new layer just under the top layer (the base picture set to multiply) and set it Soft Light, which should give you this effect. |
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The last step is possibly the simplest- taking this texture from enflowered, place it over the picture and set it to Soft Light. After that, add text as needed. And that's pretty much it! |
other icons made using this method:
