Tutorial: Tips for the Outline Effect
Okay, I was asked to do a tutorial for the outline effect, as seen in the below icons, particularly the first:
1)
2) 
3) 
Now, I haven't made a tutorial before, but I have explained to someone via AIM how I do this, so without further adieu, an explanation:
**I use PhotoShop 7.0, but I imagine these tips are translatable to other programs**
1) The first thing you want to do is make sure the subject you're outlining is clear and crisp. People with whispy hair do NOT outline well, and sometimes, you have to make sure a person's forehead isn't TOO flat, or there's enough room between a person's lips.
2) Once you have your icon sized and colored the way you want, zoom in enough to where you can really see what you're doing, but NOT so much that the subject is all pixelated.
3) Choose a color from your icon, something that'll either stand out or will stand out when you use blend modes. Sometimes it's hard to tell what'll work well, and I've had better luck sticking to black and white.
4) Choose the brush tool, and make sure your brushes are set to the default set the program came with. This way, you have lots and lots of little round dots to play with, some blurry, some not.
5) I always gravitate toward the size 3 pixel brush, though depending on how much you want the subject to stand out, or how big or small the graphic is, you may want to choose something larger or smaller.
6) And now, the fun part: create a new layer over the subject and start outlining (you use your mouse for this, or if you have one, a drawing tablet). Pay attention to detail, the curve of the subject, cause that's what makes the icon stand out. If you'll notice in my examples, icon #1 emphasizes her glasses and braids, and icon #3 emphasizes the spiked look of Vartan's hair.
7) Don't do this in one stroke, so to speak. Focus on a part, outline it, and then go back and do it again if you want the line to be darker or thicker. This way, doing parts at a time, if you mess up later on, you don't have to start all over.
8) Try to keep the stroke as close to your subject as possible, without covering the subject too much. The trick, here, is to separate your subject from the background.
9) Once you're happy with the results (you may want to go back and forth to the normal view to a magnified view to see how things are turning out), you're ready to add whatever other effects you want. A favorite effect of mine is seen in icon #1, where the border looks like it's running behind the subject. Actually, I just use the line tool as far as I want, or if I'm using an actual border brush, just erase the sections I don't need. This also goes for textures and whatnot.
10) Have fun, but remember this effect will not work for every subject. Sometimes, really small details get in the way, and if you cover them with the line, you'll lose the look of your subject. Just play around until you're happy with it, but if it doesn't work, try playing with a different cap.
If anyone has any questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. :) Thanks for putting up with me!
1)
2) 3) Now, I haven't made a tutorial before, but I have explained to someone via AIM how I do this, so without further adieu, an explanation:
**I use PhotoShop 7.0, but I imagine these tips are translatable to other programs**
1) The first thing you want to do is make sure the subject you're outlining is clear and crisp. People with whispy hair do NOT outline well, and sometimes, you have to make sure a person's forehead isn't TOO flat, or there's enough room between a person's lips.
2) Once you have your icon sized and colored the way you want, zoom in enough to where you can really see what you're doing, but NOT so much that the subject is all pixelated.
3) Choose a color from your icon, something that'll either stand out or will stand out when you use blend modes. Sometimes it's hard to tell what'll work well, and I've had better luck sticking to black and white.
4) Choose the brush tool, and make sure your brushes are set to the default set the program came with. This way, you have lots and lots of little round dots to play with, some blurry, some not.
5) I always gravitate toward the size 3 pixel brush, though depending on how much you want the subject to stand out, or how big or small the graphic is, you may want to choose something larger or smaller.
6) And now, the fun part: create a new layer over the subject and start outlining (you use your mouse for this, or if you have one, a drawing tablet). Pay attention to detail, the curve of the subject, cause that's what makes the icon stand out. If you'll notice in my examples, icon #1 emphasizes her glasses and braids, and icon #3 emphasizes the spiked look of Vartan's hair.
7) Don't do this in one stroke, so to speak. Focus on a part, outline it, and then go back and do it again if you want the line to be darker or thicker. This way, doing parts at a time, if you mess up later on, you don't have to start all over.
8) Try to keep the stroke as close to your subject as possible, without covering the subject too much. The trick, here, is to separate your subject from the background.
9) Once you're happy with the results (you may want to go back and forth to the normal view to a magnified view to see how things are turning out), you're ready to add whatever other effects you want. A favorite effect of mine is seen in icon #1, where the border looks like it's running behind the subject. Actually, I just use the line tool as far as I want, or if I'm using an actual border brush, just erase the sections I don't need. This also goes for textures and whatnot.
10) Have fun, but remember this effect will not work for every subject. Sometimes, really small details get in the way, and if you cover them with the line, you'll lose the look of your subject. Just play around until you're happy with it, but if it doesn't work, try playing with a different cap.
If anyone has any questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. :) Thanks for putting up with me!