First Tutorial!
A simple tutorial for PSP8 on how to enhance your dull bases.
This is my frist tutorial, so I hope you are all forgiving
to
Step 1: Choose any picture. Then resize 100x100 or whatever resolution you want... you know the drill. Just get a base!
Step 2: You may want to overlook this step if your base is as clear as mine. But if it's blurry, Sharpen once! But only if it's blurry, because we'll cover this step later.
Step 3: Duplicate your base three times. Set the first duplicated layer to multiply, the second to softlight, the third to screen.
Now it's going to end up like this. It may be a little too orange for you. To fix this, select the layer you screened and go to Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Hue/Saturation/Lightness. Keep everything on 0 settings except for Saturation. Make it -40. Done, and it should be alot less orange tinted.
But if you found the base a little too bright, lower the opacity on your screened layer (I did mine to 75%). And tada. Then I got this!
Now once you've done either of these, or left it blank, sharpen the base once like I did. If it's too grainy, undo.
It's not really necessary to do it on this because because it's already
quite clear, but you can if you wish. It's really all about personal
preferance.
Step 4: Next, Merge all the layers down. Then create a New Layer. Find a peachy color on your pallette (I used #F2DEAE) and Flood-Fill it on the new layer. Then set it to Multiply. Take the opacity down to 15 (ish). It will give the base a little more depth.
Of course it's hardly noticable, but you'll see it later. So next, merge down
Step 5: Now, go to Adjust > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. My settings are LIKE THIS. Press okay and do this two times because you won't see the difference if you only do it once.
Step 6: Okay nowgo to your Soften Brush (I think this is Blur in PS?) and zoom in to about 450. Go over the base but only soften the areas that are visible grainy (These are always consistent spaces like the cheeks, chin, forehead, the bridge of the nose and between the eyebrows and eyes).
Make sure to not go over any creases or sharp lines like the edges of
the lips or very-shadowy areas like the upper-neck. An easy tip to
remember it constantly lift your brush so that if you make an error on
an area, you don't have to undo a large area that you've already
softened.
Optional Step: Then at this point, I wasn't really pleased with the color. So again I created a New Layer, filled it with #F2DEAE and set it to Multiply. I then played with the opacity until it was just right. (I set it to 35 this time)
Step 7: Switch to the Burn Tool. These are my settings.
Simply go around the edges of the eyes to give them more color and
depth. If you want you can also go over the eyesbrows, lips or
cheekbones. All of which I did. This tool is also a great way to
enhance any makeup that the person in your base is wearing.
Optional Step: After this, I went to Adjust > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask again. You may not like it, but a base with this sort of dusty/peachy color, it looks suiting.
At this point, zoom out. If you like the looks of your base so far,
keep going. If not, press undo as long as you want and then re-do the
steps, editing them to your liking
Step 8: Next, make a new layer.
But if the person in your base has very dark colored eyes, skip this
and go to Step because it won't work haha.
Choose a very low density brown green or blue. For Angelina's grey/green eyes I chose #819773.
Zoom in. With your paint brush on 1px, go over the areas of the iris that aren't black or white (the areas where you can make out a little color or the areas that should have color).
Make sure to not go too far from the center or the eyes will look semi-posessed haha.
Zoom out and set the layer to Softlight.
You should notice the difference, but if not AND you want the iris to show even more, Duplicate the
layer. Then take the paint brush again and go over the same area where
you colored the green (or whatever color you used) except with the
color #C0C0C0. I got this.
For the most part this should make the eyes stand out alot more but of
course it varies with the quality of the eye in the picture. Try doing
different variations of this last step to see if you can get it how you
wish. An easy thing to try is instead of setting the layer to Softlight, go Hardlight.
Step 9: Merge all. Look over your base. If there's areas where you want it to be more Softened, Burned, etc, fix it now. At this step I will sometimes Unsharp Mask the base again if it's still looking a little bit dull.
Step 10: Make a New Layer and create a thin 100x100 black or navy border. Set it to Softlight or Overlay if you want a different effect from the normal bland-border.
Then, YOU'RE FINISHED!
I use these 10 steps for all of my bases... some other examples are my Default Icon and these....
TO
and
Comments, feedback or constructive critism on this tutorial is greatly appreciated <333
This is my frist tutorial, so I hope you are all forgiving
to Step 1: Choose any picture. Then resize 100x100 or whatever resolution you want... you know the drill. Just get a base!
Step 2: You may want to overlook this step if your base is as clear as mine. But if it's blurry, Sharpen once! But only if it's blurry, because we'll cover this step later.
Step 3: Duplicate your base three times. Set the first duplicated layer to multiply, the second to softlight, the third to screen.
Now it's going to end up like this. It may be a little too orange for you. To fix this, select the layer you screened and go to Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Hue/Saturation/Lightness. Keep everything on 0 settings except for Saturation. Make it -40. Done, and it should be alot less orange tinted.
But if you found the base a little too bright, lower the opacity on your screened layer (I did mine to 75%). And tada. Then I got this!
Now once you've done either of these, or left it blank, sharpen the base once like I did. If it's too grainy, undo.
It's not really necessary to do it on this because because it's already
quite clear, but you can if you wish. It's really all about personal
preferance.
Step 4: Next, Merge all the layers down. Then create a New Layer. Find a peachy color on your pallette (I used #F2DEAE) and Flood-Fill it on the new layer. Then set it to Multiply. Take the opacity down to 15 (ish). It will give the base a little more depth.
Of course it's hardly noticable, but you'll see it later. So next, merge down
Step 5: Now, go to Adjust > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. My settings are LIKE THIS. Press okay and do this two times because you won't see the difference if you only do it once.
Step 6: Okay nowgo to your Soften Brush (I think this is Blur in PS?) and zoom in to about 450. Go over the base but only soften the areas that are visible grainy (These are always consistent spaces like the cheeks, chin, forehead, the bridge of the nose and between the eyebrows and eyes).
Make sure to not go over any creases or sharp lines like the edges of
the lips or very-shadowy areas like the upper-neck. An easy tip to
remember it constantly lift your brush so that if you make an error on
an area, you don't have to undo a large area that you've already
softened.
Optional Step: Then at this point, I wasn't really pleased with the color. So again I created a New Layer, filled it with #F2DEAE and set it to Multiply. I then played with the opacity until it was just right. (I set it to 35 this time)
Step 7: Switch to the Burn Tool. These are my settings.
Simply go around the edges of the eyes to give them more color and
depth. If you want you can also go over the eyesbrows, lips or
cheekbones. All of which I did. This tool is also a great way to
enhance any makeup that the person in your base is wearing.
Optional Step: After this, I went to Adjust > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask again. You may not like it, but a base with this sort of dusty/peachy color, it looks suiting.
At this point, zoom out. If you like the looks of your base so far,
keep going. If not, press undo as long as you want and then re-do the
steps, editing them to your liking
Step 8: Next, make a new layer.
But if the person in your base has very dark colored eyes, skip this
and go to Step because it won't work haha.
Choose a very low density brown green or blue. For Angelina's grey/green eyes I chose #819773.
Zoom in. With your paint brush on 1px, go over the areas of the iris that aren't black or white (the areas where you can make out a little color or the areas that should have color).
Make sure to not go too far from the center or the eyes will look semi-posessed haha.
Zoom out and set the layer to Softlight.
You should notice the difference, but if not AND you want the iris to show even more, Duplicate the
layer. Then take the paint brush again and go over the same area where
you colored the green (or whatever color you used) except with the
color #C0C0C0. I got this.
For the most part this should make the eyes stand out alot more but of
course it varies with the quality of the eye in the picture. Try doing
different variations of this last step to see if you can get it how you
wish. An easy thing to try is instead of setting the layer to Softlight, go Hardlight.
Step 9: Merge all. Look over your base. If there's areas where you want it to be more Softened, Burned, etc, fix it now. At this step I will sometimes Unsharp Mask the base again if it's still looking a little bit dull.
Step 10: Make a New Layer and create a thin 100x100 black or navy border. Set it to Softlight or Overlay if you want a different effect from the normal bland-border.
Then, YOU'RE FINISHED!
I use these 10 steps for all of my bases... some other examples are my Default Icon and these....
TO and Comments, feedback or constructive critism on this tutorial is greatly appreciated <333