Rosalie Icon Colouring Tutorial

1. I cropped my image.

2. I copied the original layer and cleaned it up a bit.


3. Zoom in. Using the Elliptical Marquee tool, I select the areas around her irises. (Select the first eye, then holding down the shift key, select the second one.) Hit Control + C to copy. Add a new layer. Hit Control + V to paste.


4. Go Image > Adjustments > Variations. Add as much yellow and red as you want until you have an amber colour you're happy with. Click OK.

5. Add a Layer Mask (Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal All > OK) to the Amber Eyes layer. Select the Layer Mask. Using a tiny brush, "erase" the parts you don't want to be yellow with black. If you go too far, you can "add" it back by "painting" back over the black with white. The other way you can do it, is by flood-filling the layer mask with black and just using white on the parts of the mask that you want to show up on your icon. Make sure you leave her pupils and the whites of her eyes the original colour. Don't go too crazy here, you just want to add a subtle hint of amber. If it's too bright, turn down the opacity a bit.

6. Add a new blank layer. Go Control + Alt + Shift + E. This merges all the layers without flattening the image. Set the newly merged layer to Screen at 70%.

You now have two options!! The quick route (step 7) or the long way (go to step 8):

7. For the quick version, save and open the Rosalie Tutorial Set .psd file, select the set and drag it over to your image. Skip to step 15.

8. Add a new blank layer. Fill with #E1D19F. Set to Multiply at 36%

9. Add a Selective Colouring Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Colour... > OK). Do the following and click OK when you've adjusted all three colours.



10. Add another Selective Colouring Layer:


11. Add a Colour Balance Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Colour Balance... > OK):

12. Add a Selective Colouring Layer:


13. Add a Hue/Saturation Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation... > OK) and up the Saturation by +16:

14. Add a Curves Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves... > OK). On the Red Channel, put two points on the line: 1. Input = 209, Output = 173; 2. Input = 143, Output = 106. See example:

Add the following to the other channels, and then click OK:


15. Add a Hue/Saturation Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation... > OK):


Now add a Layer Mask to the Hue/Saturation Layer (Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide All > OK). Select the mask. Using a small soft brush, carefully - using white - "paint" over her skin ONLY.

16. Add a new blank layer. Go Control + Alt + Shift + E to merge the layers. Go Image > Adjustment > Brightness/Contrast. Up the contrast by +15. Use the Smudge tool to smooth out her skin once again; don't over do it!

17. Add a Hue/Saturation Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation... > OK):


18. Now, I didn't think that her eyes were light enough, so I went back to the Amber eyes layer, copied it, and dragged it to the top. I still didn't find them striking enough, so I went Image > Adjustments > Variations and clicked: Lighter, More Yellow, More Yellow, Lighter and OK. Much Better!

And there you have it! I hope you liked this and that it made sense. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them! Also, I'd love to see what you come up with :D

Let me know if the YouSendIT file link expires; I'll be happy to renew it for your downloading pleasure.