Icon tutorial for PS CS (works with other versions too)
We'll be going from this to this 
in easy 20 steps. (could've been less, but I like to go into details ;))
1. Create a new 100x100 image and make the background white.
2. Press D on your keyboard to get the default foreground and background colors (aka black and white)
3. Pick up a brush (Make sure you downloaded some nice grunge and swirl brushes from somewhere ;)) and place it randomly on the white area (use black as your brush color)
4. Create a new layer and choose another brush. Black is still your brush color.
5. Create another layer and choose another brush. You know you like the color black ^_^ *hint hint*
6. The image is getting darker. So, create another layer. Choose a new brush but this time, choose white to be your brush color.
7. New layer, new brush and back to black!
8. Another new layer, another brush and still black.
9. One more new layer (LAST ONE! I promise!) another brush, and choose white for the color.
The whole idea of this is to only use black and white as your colors. And the different brushes gives your image a nice random look. Just make sure you have a nice combination of black and white. Do not make the difference of amount of one color more than the other. You don't have to follow the steps above. Just use black and white when and where you see it fit.
The brush part is over. Now we're going to put a render to this image. (For those who don't know, a render is a part of a picture)
10. Open a picture of your choice. Crop it to 100x100. I chose this:
After cropping:
11. Select the render (Ctrl+A) and paste it (Ctrl+V) on the brushed image (the one you created!!).
12. Desaturate the render (Ctrl+Shift+U) which will make it turn into black and white.
13. Sharpen your render. Go to Filter >> Sharpen >> Sharpen (you can sharpen your render as many times as you want. But for the pic I used, I only sharpened once)
Now we must blend the render in. (why was that whole brush stuff for? ;))
14. Choose the lasso tool
and choose the following settings for it:
15. Select your whole image by clicking and dragging the lasso tool from outside the image. It will make a round shaped selection on the render.
16. Click on the Vector Mask button. (located at the bottom of the layer palette)
17. Put in a text (optional) and create some effects on it (not getting into it now. Although, if I get enough requests, I might make a tutorial out of it)
COLOR TIME! I use color balance to do it because I can alter the balance as I see fit
18. Click on the 'Create New Filter Adjustment Layer' button and add a 'Color Balance' layer. (it's on the layer palette)
19. Now choose these settings (remember, you can alter the balance as you like)
And now we have this:
It looks like it's ready, but for me, it's not ^_^
20. Create another 'Color Balance' layer (same as step 18), but this time choose this settings:
All the other settings were left on 0.
Save.
And voila! you have a new icon :)
Here are examples of some of the icons I made using this technique.
And you can see more of that here.
in easy 20 steps. (could've been less, but I like to go into details ;))1. Create a new 100x100 image and make the background white.
2. Press D on your keyboard to get the default foreground and background colors (aka black and white)
3. Pick up a brush (Make sure you downloaded some nice grunge and swirl brushes from somewhere ;)) and place it randomly on the white area (use black as your brush color)
4. Create a new layer and choose another brush. Black is still your brush color.
5. Create another layer and choose another brush. You know you like the color black ^_^ *hint hint*
6. The image is getting darker. So, create another layer. Choose a new brush but this time, choose white to be your brush color.
7. New layer, new brush and back to black!
8. Another new layer, another brush and still black.
9. One more new layer (LAST ONE! I promise!) another brush, and choose white for the color.
The whole idea of this is to only use black and white as your colors. And the different brushes gives your image a nice random look. Just make sure you have a nice combination of black and white. Do not make the difference of amount of one color more than the other. You don't have to follow the steps above. Just use black and white when and where you see it fit.
The brush part is over. Now we're going to put a render to this image. (For those who don't know, a render is a part of a picture)
10. Open a picture of your choice. Crop it to 100x100. I chose this:
After cropping:
11. Select the render (Ctrl+A) and paste it (Ctrl+V) on the brushed image (the one you created!!).
12. Desaturate the render (Ctrl+Shift+U) which will make it turn into black and white.
13. Sharpen your render. Go to Filter >> Sharpen >> Sharpen (you can sharpen your render as many times as you want. But for the pic I used, I only sharpened once)
Now we must blend the render in. (why was that whole brush stuff for? ;))
14. Choose the lasso tool
and choose the following settings for it:15. Select your whole image by clicking and dragging the lasso tool from outside the image. It will make a round shaped selection on the render.
16. Click on the Vector Mask button. (located at the bottom of the layer palette)
17. Put in a text (optional) and create some effects on it (not getting into it now. Although, if I get enough requests, I might make a tutorial out of it)
COLOR TIME! I use color balance to do it because I can alter the balance as I see fit
18. Click on the 'Create New Filter Adjustment Layer' button and add a 'Color Balance' layer. (it's on the layer palette)
19. Now choose these settings (remember, you can alter the balance as you like)
And now we have this:
It looks like it's ready, but for me, it's not ^_^
20. Create another 'Color Balance' layer (same as step 18), but this time choose this settings:
All the other settings were left on 0.
Save.
And voila! you have a new icon :)
Here are examples of some of the icons I made using this technique.
And you can see more of that here.