Full Tutorial

Tutorial for this icon using PS7:


Well first we start out with this cap which is from this week's challenge at frosted_pie

Used the crop tool, set at 100x100


Then, after cropping an image I ALWAYS do this, which i learned from ddmeister: Go to Filter>>Sharpen>>Unsharp Mask. For a 100x100 image, the settings should really be these numbers: Amount 100%, Radius .05, Threshold 3. You don't want to go any higher than that. I find this works lots better than Filter>>Sharpen>>Sharpen, which can sometimes make things look funny.

Of course this is too dark, so I used a technique that I believe I learned from dtissagirl. Duplicate the base layer 2 times. Desaturate the middle layer (Image>>Adjustments>>Desaturate)


Then change the blending mode on that layer to screen


Then change the top layer to Screen as well

Sometimes when I do that, the image ends up being too gray for my liking. If that happens then I go to the Desaturated layer and lower the opacity, allowing more color to show through.

Okay, done with the base.

Made a new layer and used this gradient on Linear Gradient setting. This is a gradient from crumblingwalls


Changed the blend mode to Screen and lowered the opacity to 84%


now i decided that I wanted some texture but i opted not to use brushes at this point. I derived a method I learned from kryssibug. First I made a new layer and filled it with a dark grey color (#534C4C).


then I went to Filter>>Texture>>Mosaic Tiles. I put the settings at something I was happy with. I wanted more tiles and less grout filling, so my settings were like this: tile size-8, grout width-1, lighten grout-5.


Then to Filter>>Blur>>Motion Blur. I set the angle to be similar to the direction that pretty Sark was looking, so the angle is 32. And because I wanted to be able to see a bit of the grout lines, I set the distance fairly low, at 14. Do whatever looks good to you.


Then changed the blend to Overlay and lowered the opacity to 69%


I decided I didn't want the texture to be quite that obvious, so i moved the blur layer below the gradient


then I used this brush from ruinme and put it in the bottom corner. I did it in #FFFFFF and clicked several times until it was as bright as i wanted it to be.


But then I wanted it to be at an angle so I went to Edit>>Transform>>Rotate. Then I moved it until it looked like this


I wanted another crop of Sarkie-poo in the polaroid shot so i opened the orignal cap again, set the crop tool to 60x50 and cropped part of his face. I did the same lightening techniques as I did to the first cap (2 duplicate layers, desaturate, etc). Then I flattened the image (Layer>>Flatten Image), ctrl A, ctrl C, and then went to the icon and hit ctrl-v


Yes i know the picture is too big and in the wrong place. Fear not!
The first thing I did was go to Edit>>Transform>>Rotate, just like I did with the polaroid brush, and set the picture at the same angle.


Then I went to Edit>>Transform>>Scale. Now hold down the Shift key and move the edges of the picture so that it fit in the polaroid picture.


Now move the crop so that it is below the brush layer, that way it will look like a picture. Use the move tool to get it in the right area. I also decided that I wanted the cropped picture to have the gradient effect, so i moved the picture below that as well. (but not below the textured blurred layer)


I was just about done, but i figured, hey why not put on a fun border thingy. So I used this brush by dark_soul_lost in the same grey color as before. I set the layer to Hard Light and lowered the opacity to 72%



Whee!!

hope this was helpful/interesting since it was my first tut, don't copy my icon, feel free to take and use this one though, blah blah fishcakes.