Full Icon Tutorial: Photoshop
This tutorial will show you how to make this icon:
This is for intermediate photoshop users, it assume you know how to crop, resize, change blend modes and what the tool names are. It was created using Photoshop CS, but can easily be done in Photoshop 6 and 7. With some tweaking it can be applied to PSP as well I believe.
We start out with this image which I took, but you can get lots of Buffy Screen caps from Freeze Frame Network. I cropped it using the Rectangular Marquee Tool set to Style: Fixed Size: 400x400 pixels. I then resized it to 100x100 pixels.
We now have this:
This is too dark to work with so I duplicate the layer twice and set both duplicates to Screen. Then I Merge Visible.
I then Duplicate the layer again, set it to Soft Light. This is WAY too colorful for my tastes, so I desaturate the Soft Light Layer.
This is too blurry, so I select my bottom layer (the one set on Normal), and Sharpen. Now Willow's skin is a little grainy, I don't like this. Zoom in about 500%. Using the Blue Tool with a Soft Round Brush at 13 Pixels and Opacity at 50% carefully go over her skin. DO NOT go over her eyebrows, eyes, lips, or nostrals. Stick to the skin.
Next I Create a New Layer and set the Layer's opacity at 50%. Then I used a Texture Brush by
milk in #ECCEBA (I eyedropped this color from the highlight on the bridge of her nose).
Because this is covering her face I take the Eraser Tool with a 100 pixel, Soft, Round Brush set at 50% Opacity and erase the brush from her face.
I then Create a New Layer set at Screen, 50% Opacity. I apply Another Texture Brush bymilk at #CEA182 (I eyedropped this color from the base of her nose).
This is covering up too much of her face and is too sold, so I apply a Blur filter to the brush, and using the Eraser at 100 px, Round Soft Brush at 50% Opacity I erase around her face.
Next I Create a New Layer and apply a Thick Border Brush (also bymilk I believe, I'm loving her stuff.) in #6C3C26, this was eyedropped from her hair.
I then set the border to Soft Light
Now for Text! I picked the line "Dust in her eyes", which is a modified line from the play The Curious Savage. I used Georgia in all caps, Size 7, anti-alias: Sharp (Strong will also work). The color is eyedropped from her lips and is #EEDEDC. Then Flatten Image, and You're Done!
Any questions?
If you use this tutorial PLEASE do not just recreate the above icon. Use a different base and different text. I'd recommend playing around with different brushes too, just so we don't get twenty identical icons.
This is for intermediate photoshop users, it assume you know how to crop, resize, change blend modes and what the tool names are. It was created using Photoshop CS, but can easily be done in Photoshop 6 and 7. With some tweaking it can be applied to PSP as well I believe.
We start out with this image which I took, but you can get lots of Buffy Screen caps from Freeze Frame Network. I cropped it using the Rectangular Marquee Tool set to Style: Fixed Size: 400x400 pixels. I then resized it to 100x100 pixels.
We now have this:
This is too dark to work with so I duplicate the layer twice and set both duplicates to Screen. Then I Merge Visible.
I then Duplicate the layer again, set it to Soft Light. This is WAY too colorful for my tastes, so I desaturate the Soft Light Layer.
This is too blurry, so I select my bottom layer (the one set on Normal), and Sharpen. Now Willow's skin is a little grainy, I don't like this. Zoom in about 500%. Using the Blue Tool with a Soft Round Brush at 13 Pixels and Opacity at 50% carefully go over her skin. DO NOT go over her eyebrows, eyes, lips, or nostrals. Stick to the skin.
Next I Create a New Layer and set the Layer's opacity at 50%. Then I used a Texture Brush by
milk in #ECCEBA (I eyedropped this color from the highlight on the bridge of her nose). Because this is covering her face I take the Eraser Tool with a 100 pixel, Soft, Round Brush set at 50% Opacity and erase the brush from her face.
I then Create a New Layer set at Screen, 50% Opacity. I apply Another Texture Brush by
milk at #CEA182 (I eyedropped this color from the base of her nose).This is covering up too much of her face and is too sold, so I apply a Blur filter to the brush, and using the Eraser at 100 px, Round Soft Brush at 50% Opacity I erase around her face.
Next I Create a New Layer and apply a Thick Border Brush (also by
milk I believe, I'm loving her stuff.) in #6C3C26, this was eyedropped from her hair. I then set the border to Soft Light
Now for Text! I picked the line "Dust in her eyes", which is a modified line from the play The Curious Savage. I used Georgia in all caps, Size 7, anti-alias: Sharp (Strong will also work). The color is eyedropped from her lips and is #EEDEDC. Then Flatten Image, and You're Done!
Any questions?
If you use this tutorial PLEASE do not just recreate the above icon. Use a different base and different text. I'd recommend playing around with different brushes too, just so we don't get twenty identical icons.