timetobegin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timetobegin) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
oh_crime2013-08-31 02:32 pm
timetobegin) wrote in oh_crime2013-08-31 02:32 pm
Entry tags:
tutorial; derek icon
I posted this for smallbatchicons .psd fest but then i realised it hadn't started yet, so i'm posting it here anyway. GO CHECK OUT smallbatchicons
- done in photoshop CS5 i think
- should be translatable in most steps.
I am posting this because its like, one of the few .psds i already have saved, but i might post something else soon because this icon is kinda old.
>>>> 
>>>> 
1. I took the base cap, cropped it to 100x100. I actually normally work in 200x200 now but it depends on what i wanna do sometimes. I duplicated it five times, the first 4 layers i set to screen which lightens it a lot, and the last one i set to soft light to give it back some of the contrast it lost with the screen layers.
I then added a vibrance layer to up the colours a little bit. Not all versions of photoshop have vibrance, so i don't think its the end of the world if you leave that step out, but you could try adding some saturation/another soft light later if you wanted and fiddle with the opacity.
>>>> 
Alright, now my problem with this cap was that it was too blue, so i painted on some layers over his face with various colours.
#bfb3af was the first layer and it sort of brightened his face and then added a little colour. 100% opacity, set to soft light.
#5d3017 was the second layer, and it added the browns/yellows to his face. 33% opacity and then set to soft light.
I don't know why i duplicated this layer instead of changing the opacity to 66%, but i'm pretty sure its because this third colour layer is blurred a little, so another 33% opacity set to softlight, but blurred.
>>>> 
I added another Vibrance layer, so that made it a little brighter/vibrant, but i wasn't happy with the colours either.
I added another layer drawn over his face only, with #e0ae66 to make it even more not-blue. :D its at 100% opacity and set to soft light.
>>>> 
NEXT UP, i stamped the layer (aka merged all the layers so far, and made a new layer. in photoshop this is ctrl+shift+alt+E.)
I set this layer to soft light, 100%. Then i did that again. It makes everything pop more, but if you don't like icons very vibrant you can try just doing this once/lowering the opacity.
>>>> 
Now i'm pretty happy with his face atm (i'm always happy with his face, tbh) but i added some blue colour to the sides where i wanted it to be blue. I painted on a layer over the blue parts and set that to soft light. 100%.
I also added another colour layers so new fill layer and then set to soft light.
#954035 set to 42% opacity, this added some reds to the icon. I could have done this in a few ways, like adding selective colour, a variance layer but apparently i was in the mood to use actual colours in my colouring. There is a yellow layer in the psd but its not actually doing anything. lol sorry.
>>>> 
OK final few steps! I quite my blacks to be black and everything to be quite high in contrast. This isn't to everyone's taste so this tutorial isn't for everyone.
I added a brightness & contrast layer brightness +13, contrast +28 but then i set it to 17% opacity so i don't know why i used those settings. I generally set layers too high and then play around with the opacity to get what i want.
I then added a new layer and drew over that yellow spot on derek's neck with some blue. It was too yellow for me and i set it to 52% on soft light. Basically you can reduce colours you don't want with the opposite colour on the colour wheel and then set to soft light. Its not the technique i always use, but it works well on spot-colouring like this.
I added a selective colouring layer with blacks +10. like i said, the high blacks is something i like so its not for everyone.
>>>> 
Finally, i added a new layer and drew on some little white blobs to make it...more white blobby. idek. it kinda softens it up and makes it look more interesting? You can use white blobs to draw attention to things as well, or away from things.
I stamped the layer, and then used...diffuse glow which i no longer have on photoshop and set it to 37% opacity this is a completely optional layer though and brightens up the light areas without taking away from the dark.
If you don't like it so vibrant, add a gradient map of black and white on opacity 30-45%
it'll desaturate it a lot.
DONE. (or you could add text/textures)
DOWNLOAD THE PSD.
smallbatchicons .psd fest but then i realised it hadn't started yet, so i'm posting it here anyway. GO CHECK OUT smallbatchicons- done in photoshop CS5 i think
- should be translatable in most steps.
I am posting this because its like, one of the few .psds i already have saved, but i might post something else soon because this icon is kinda old.
>>>> >>>> 1. I took the base cap, cropped it to 100x100. I actually normally work in 200x200 now but it depends on what i wanna do sometimes. I duplicated it five times, the first 4 layers i set to screen which lightens it a lot, and the last one i set to soft light to give it back some of the contrast it lost with the screen layers.
I then added a vibrance layer to up the colours a little bit. Not all versions of photoshop have vibrance, so i don't think its the end of the world if you leave that step out, but you could try adding some saturation/another soft light later if you wanted and fiddle with the opacity.
>>>> Alright, now my problem with this cap was that it was too blue, so i painted on some layers over his face with various colours.
#bfb3af was the first layer and it sort of brightened his face and then added a little colour. 100% opacity, set to soft light.
#5d3017 was the second layer, and it added the browns/yellows to his face. 33% opacity and then set to soft light.
I don't know why i duplicated this layer instead of changing the opacity to 66%, but i'm pretty sure its because this third colour layer is blurred a little, so another 33% opacity set to softlight, but blurred.
>>>> I added another Vibrance layer, so that made it a little brighter/vibrant, but i wasn't happy with the colours either.
I added another layer drawn over his face only, with #e0ae66 to make it even more not-blue. :D its at 100% opacity and set to soft light.
>>>> NEXT UP, i stamped the layer (aka merged all the layers so far, and made a new layer. in photoshop this is ctrl+shift+alt+E.)
I set this layer to soft light, 100%. Then i did that again. It makes everything pop more, but if you don't like icons very vibrant you can try just doing this once/lowering the opacity.
>>>> Now i'm pretty happy with his face atm (i'm always happy with his face, tbh) but i added some blue colour to the sides where i wanted it to be blue. I painted on a layer over the blue parts and set that to soft light. 100%.
I also added another colour layers so new fill layer and then set to soft light.
#954035 set to 42% opacity, this added some reds to the icon. I could have done this in a few ways, like adding selective colour, a variance layer but apparently i was in the mood to use actual colours in my colouring. There is a yellow layer in the psd but its not actually doing anything. lol sorry.
>>>> OK final few steps! I quite my blacks to be black and everything to be quite high in contrast. This isn't to everyone's taste so this tutorial isn't for everyone.
I added a brightness & contrast layer brightness +13, contrast +28 but then i set it to 17% opacity so i don't know why i used those settings. I generally set layers too high and then play around with the opacity to get what i want.
I then added a new layer and drew over that yellow spot on derek's neck with some blue. It was too yellow for me and i set it to 52% on soft light. Basically you can reduce colours you don't want with the opposite colour on the colour wheel and then set to soft light. Its not the technique i always use, but it works well on spot-colouring like this.
I added a selective colouring layer with blacks +10. like i said, the high blacks is something i like so its not for everyone.
>>>> Finally, i added a new layer and drew on some little white blobs to make it...more white blobby. idek. it kinda softens it up and makes it look more interesting? You can use white blobs to draw attention to things as well, or away from things.
I stamped the layer, and then used...diffuse glow which i no longer have on photoshop and set it to 37% opacity this is a completely optional layer though and brightens up the light areas without taking away from the dark.
If you don't like it so vibrant, add a gradient map of black and white on opacity 30-45%
it'll desaturate it a lot.
DONE. (or you could add text/textures)
DOWNLOAD THE PSD.
no subject
I generally set layers too high and then play around with the opacity to get what i want.
lol I do this too. EVERYTHING TO THE MAX just kidding opacity at 7%.
no subject
yessssssss and sometimes i'm like WELL IS IT GOING TO BE 7% OR 8%. SIGH
no subject
no subject
no subject
This is an awesome start. I like your technique of painting colors in layers. Do you use a mouse when you do that? Do you have a pen?
no subject
i do have a pen, but mostly i just use the trackpad because i have a laptop. i'm actually not so capable with a mouse
no subject
I should upgrade one day.no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I used the techniques you talked about in this post, plus a texture and some blurring/smudging.
no subject
no subject
I'm really glad it turned out well.