Tutorial: PSP7 - Constrasty, Light and Dark (Jared Rushton)
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I’m using Paint Shop Pro 7, but this is fairly simple and will probably translate well.
Well, first I started with the above base (I love Jared Rushton).
Naturally it looks all dark and ugly because I’ve reduced it in size from a screen cap to 100x100. I sharpened three times (this is a contrasty icon, there will be no softening or blurring in this tutorial).
Then I duplicated the layer and set it to Screen at 100% opacity.

Next up, I did a "Copy Merged" (Edit > Copy Merged) and pasted it on top. Feel free to merge what you have, I just always try to keep separate layers because sometimes I come back to an icon after a few months and wonder how I got that nice effect.
Desaturate your new layer. Adjust > Hue/Saturation/Lightness with these settings:
Edit: Master
Hue: 0
Saturation: -100
Lightness: 0
(or click this link to see what you’re supposed to be looking at).
Now, set that layer to Hard Light at 100% opacity. Ooooh, contrasty.

Merge everything now. (Or do a merge visible and paste the new layer on top, if you have the same kind of “How did I do that?” mentality as me. The above picture is now your base layer.
Next up, paste this texture on top (it’s by
disappearicons and it’s one of my favourites, I use it again and again and again. I fear change. Set it to Multiply at 100% opacity.
And this is what you get. Way too dark.
Duplicate your base layer and paste it on top. Set it to Soft Light at 100% opacity.
Merge everything again, and duplicate what you have twice.
Desaturate the first one and set it to Screen at 100% opacity.
Set the second one to Screen at 45% opacity (this one is not desaturated).
Finally, I added a one pixel border on all sides, colour #432623 set to Hard Light at 67% opacity.
You’re done!
Just a side note, I know I’m the only person in the world who knows who Jared Rushton is, but even so, this icon is not up for grabs, so please don’t take it.
I’m using Paint Shop Pro 7, but this is fairly simple and will probably translate well.
Well, first I started with the above base (I love Jared Rushton).
Naturally it looks all dark and ugly because I’ve reduced it in size from a screen cap to 100x100. I sharpened three times (this is a contrasty icon, there will be no softening or blurring in this tutorial).
Then I duplicated the layer and set it to Screen at 100% opacity.
Next up, I did a "Copy Merged" (Edit > Copy Merged) and pasted it on top. Feel free to merge what you have, I just always try to keep separate layers because sometimes I come back to an icon after a few months and wonder how I got that nice effect.
Desaturate your new layer. Adjust > Hue/Saturation/Lightness with these settings:
Edit: Master
Hue: 0
Saturation: -100
Lightness: 0
(or click this link to see what you’re supposed to be looking at).
Now, set that layer to Hard Light at 100% opacity. Ooooh, contrasty.
Merge everything now. (Or do a merge visible and paste the new layer on top, if you have the same kind of “How did I do that?” mentality as me. The above picture is now your base layer.
Merge everything again, and duplicate what you have twice.
You’re done!
Just a side note, I know I’m the only person in the world who knows who Jared Rushton is, but even so, this icon is not up for grabs, so please don’t take it.
