PS Elements 2 icon tutorial
This is my first tutorial on here, go easy on me. :) This is rather step-heavy, so don't be afraid to comment and tell me you have no idea what's going on. I used Photoshop Elements 2, but I'm sure it's easily translate-able to other versions of PS.
Go from this to
. Warning, this isn't for beginners. It's 19 steps.
Step 1: First, I cropped the picture to 100x55 using the crop tool, making sure that her face was off to one side.
Step 2: Next, I applied this this gradient and set it to Hard Light at 33%.
Step 3: That doesn't look very exciting, does it? Next, I applied this brush (made by me, no stealing) in color #FF0066, then set it to Linear Dodge at 100%.
Step 4: Then, I applied this brush (also made by me, don't steal it) in color #3A7BFF, and set it to Color Dodge at 100%.
Step 5: Next, I applied this brush to the left of her face (hey, guess what, also made by me (no stealing)) in #637BAD, and set it to Linear Dodge at 46%.
Step 6: Then I applied this brush (made by me, no stealing) in #FFAE00, then set it to Linear Dodge at 56%.
Step 7: Finally, I applied this brush (made by me, no stealing) to the left of her in white, then set it to Overlay at 50%.
Step 8: She looks a little washed out by the color. So duplicate the base and drag it to the top. Set it to Soft Light at 100%. Then, duplicate that layer (creating another layer at Soft Light at 100%) and change the opacity to 50%. That's better.
There, that's lovely.
Step 9: Now save that. Once you've done that, go to Layer > Flatten Image. Then go to Layer > New > Background From Layer. Then, go to Image > Resize > Canvas Size. Set the canvas size to 100x100 pixels.
Step 10: Hey, we've got all this empty space. What's up with that? Duplicate the base layer (which is probably named Layer 0). Now, take the base layer, and stretch it out to fit the canvas using the Move Tool. Yeah, that looks pretty ugly.
Step 11: Apply Motion Blur (Layers > Blur > Motion Blur) in whichever direction you please and 25 pixels to the base layer. Now repeat that step, but make the direction about ten degrees different.
Step 12: Then, apply Gaussian Blur (Layers > Blur > Gaussian Blur) at about 4.5 pixels. We don't want it to be too blurry. For the second-to-last blurry time, apply Motion Blur in any direction you please at 40 pixels.
Step 13: Yep, that's still pretty ugly. Go to Layers > Pixelate > Crystallize and set the Cell Size anywhere between 15 and 30. I don't remember what the original icon is at, but for this tutorial I set it at 22.
Step 14: Apply Gaussian Blur at 4.5 pixels to the crystallized layer. Then apply Crystallize at the same settings you did before.
Step 15: Duplicate the crystallized layer about four times. Set the different layers to combinations of Screen/Pin Light/Vivid Light (mostly Screen) until it looks lighter but not completely washed out. For this tutorial (with the base layer set at normal), I set three of the layers at Screen and a final one on top at Vivid Light. Merge the different crystallized layers.
Step 16: Go into Enhance > Adjust Brightness/Contrast > Brightness/Contrast. Lower the contrast and up the brightness until the darker shades of pink are less rich (so it's faded, mostly).
Step 17: Use the rectangle tool to make a rectangle. For this tutorial, I used #FEECFF. Simplfy the rectangle layer (Layer > Simplify) and then flood fill the triangle with the same color you used, to make the edges clean.
Step 18: Use the Type Tool and type "glinda" (without the quotes, obviously) in Carpenter ICG at 24 pt. Position it over the rectangle. If needed, use the Move Tool to adjust the rectangle's size.
Step 19: Merge the text onto the rectangle, then rotate the rectangletext -15 degrees. Position it as you please.
The end! Wasn't that fun? I also made this icon, following this method:
(no stealing!)
This tutorial is way customizable - you can change the canvas size/image size/brushes/colors/text/background textures to your heart's desire.
Go from this to
. Warning, this isn't for beginners. It's 19 steps.Step 1: First, I cropped the picture to 100x55 using the crop tool, making sure that her face was off to one side.
Step 2: Next, I applied this this gradient and set it to Hard Light at 33%.
Step 3: That doesn't look very exciting, does it? Next, I applied this brush (made by me, no stealing) in color #FF0066, then set it to Linear Dodge at 100%.
Step 4: Then, I applied this brush (also made by me, don't steal it) in color #3A7BFF, and set it to Color Dodge at 100%.
Step 5: Next, I applied this brush to the left of her face (hey, guess what, also made by me (no stealing)) in #637BAD, and set it to Linear Dodge at 46%.
Step 6: Then I applied this brush (made by me, no stealing) in #FFAE00, then set it to Linear Dodge at 56%.
Step 7: Finally, I applied this brush (made by me, no stealing) to the left of her in white, then set it to Overlay at 50%.
Step 8: She looks a little washed out by the color. So duplicate the base and drag it to the top. Set it to Soft Light at 100%. Then, duplicate that layer (creating another layer at Soft Light at 100%) and change the opacity to 50%. That's better.
There, that's lovely.
Step 9: Now save that. Once you've done that, go to Layer > Flatten Image. Then go to Layer > New > Background From Layer. Then, go to Image > Resize > Canvas Size. Set the canvas size to 100x100 pixels.
Step 10: Hey, we've got all this empty space. What's up with that? Duplicate the base layer (which is probably named Layer 0). Now, take the base layer, and stretch it out to fit the canvas using the Move Tool. Yeah, that looks pretty ugly.
Step 11: Apply Motion Blur (Layers > Blur > Motion Blur) in whichever direction you please and 25 pixels to the base layer. Now repeat that step, but make the direction about ten degrees different.
Step 12: Then, apply Gaussian Blur (Layers > Blur > Gaussian Blur) at about 4.5 pixels. We don't want it to be too blurry. For the second-to-last blurry time, apply Motion Blur in any direction you please at 40 pixels.
Step 13: Yep, that's still pretty ugly. Go to Layers > Pixelate > Crystallize and set the Cell Size anywhere between 15 and 30. I don't remember what the original icon is at, but for this tutorial I set it at 22.
Step 14: Apply Gaussian Blur at 4.5 pixels to the crystallized layer. Then apply Crystallize at the same settings you did before.
Step 15: Duplicate the crystallized layer about four times. Set the different layers to combinations of Screen/Pin Light/Vivid Light (mostly Screen) until it looks lighter but not completely washed out. For this tutorial (with the base layer set at normal), I set three of the layers at Screen and a final one on top at Vivid Light. Merge the different crystallized layers.
Step 16: Go into Enhance > Adjust Brightness/Contrast > Brightness/Contrast. Lower the contrast and up the brightness until the darker shades of pink are less rich (so it's faded, mostly).
Step 17: Use the rectangle tool to make a rectangle. For this tutorial, I used #FEECFF. Simplfy the rectangle layer (Layer > Simplify) and then flood fill the triangle with the same color you used, to make the edges clean.
Step 18: Use the Type Tool and type "glinda" (without the quotes, obviously) in Carpenter ICG at 24 pt. Position it over the rectangle. If needed, use the Move Tool to adjust the rectangle's size.
Step 19: Merge the text onto the rectangle, then rotate the rectangletext -15 degrees. Position it as you please.
The end! Wasn't that fun? I also made this icon, following this method:
(no stealing!)This tutorial is way customizable - you can change the canvas size/image size/brushes/colors/text/background textures to your heart's desire.