Tutorial 03 // Joe Trohman of FOB
I told you another one was coming soon. :) A semi-beginner friendly tutorial featuring Joseph from Fall Out Boy {yay}. Go from this to the following icon in 13 steps using PS7.
So this time we get to share the love with Joe. :] I personally like the effect and I've used it multiple times recently, so I'm being kind and sharing. xD
01; Crop and resize your image down to 100x100. I used Auto Contrast, Auto Color, and Auto Levels after sizing it down because the colors were a little strange... {PS7 shortcuts = Ctrl+B, Ctrl+L, Ctrl+Shift+L or under Image>Adjustments>Auto Contrast, etc.}. This gives us our base:
02; Duplicate your base and set it to Screen at an opacity high enough to make your icon look normal~ish. You might not have to do this step, depending on your original picture. :) {My Screen layer's set to 55%.}
03; Now we're going to play the color layer game. xD I like my color layers, what else can I say? First is a dark blue {my color = #000818}layer set to Exclusion at 100% {play around with the opacities for different effects}.
04; Create another new layer. Fill it with a light cyan blue {#94FFFF} and set the layer to Color Burn at a lower opacity to bring out the green-blues in your icon {mine's at 25%}.
05; In yet another new layer, fill it with a yellowy tan color {similar to #E7DECE} and set it to Multiply. Adjust the opacity to darken your icon a considerable amount {mine = 50%}.
06; Create a new layer. This time we're actually not using a color. :D Stamp visible {easy PS7 shortcut = Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E} on the new layer and MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE NEW LAYER SELECTED WHEN YOU DO THIS. Otherwise it definitely doesn't come out right... o_o Sharpen the layer {Filter>Sharpen>Sharpen}. Set this layer to Soft Light around 60-75% opacity {my layer = 64%}.
07; Create again a new layer. I selected a color from my icon's background {a greenish color: #3BA97A} and set this layer to Soft Light at a low opacity {20%} because I wanted my image a little greener. It also lightens it slightly without blinding you with some other strange and/or discoloring effect. This layer is of course totally optional and it would probably work well if you have a certain color {even in different shades} prominent in your icon that you want to subtly enhance.
There's not that much of a difference really...I just enjoy being extremely anal with my graphic work. x_x
08; Merge your layers {Shortcut = Ctrl+Shift+E}. Duplicate your merged layer and use Gaussian Blur {Filter>Blue>Gaussian Blur}. Don't overly blur your icon, but do use a slight blur. My radius was 1px. Set this blurred layer to Screen at an opacity just enough to lighten your image and give it a slight dreamy/blurred look {my layer = 25%}.
09; If you're like me and like everything to be organized to the least amount of layers possibly, you can merge the two layers in your palette. You don't have to though. Now I want to mainly spotlight Joe in this icon and the plain background is bothering me. So I take this lovely little line texture/gradient/brush/whatever you want to call it and paste it in a new layer over Joe set to Multiply. {I can't remember who made this...They're at least credited in my userinfo..x_x}
10; I don't want poor Joe obstructed...he is the main focus of my icon after all. I lower the opacity of the Multiply layer and use a mask to uncover Joe. In PS7, you can create a layer mask by clicking the second button from the left on the bottom of you layer palette...it looks like a grey rectangle with a white circle in it. Use your brush tool with about a 9 to 13px soft edged brush and color over Joe with your brush color on black. This will make the lines invisible over Joe! *gasp* I know, it's amazing. I <3 masks. They're extremely useful in many situations. *nods* Anyway, I like the lower opacity lines over my background, so I leave it down at 25% opacity, but the opacity if completely flexible. You can try different blending modes too. Or you can just skip this step if you don't want to cover your background. X)
11; Now it's time to make the icon look spiffy by adding our text. My first text layer says: "oh the. I write humanity" on a new layer. When I left the humanity" layer straight horizontal, it cut into Joe's head...which was not ok with me. So I rotated it slightly. I did the same with the "oh the layer, only the opposite direction. {My text for "oh the is Georgia 10pt with anti-aliasing on Sharp ; for humanity" it's the same except size 12pt, both in white [#FFFFFF].} I thought my text looked a little rough {I usually do...-.-} so I duplicated both layers and Gaussian blurred them with a radius of 1px and set them to Soft Light 100% over the regular text layers. Ah, much better to me. :]
12; The empty space underneath the text looked...too empty in my opinion. I decided to bring out a brush { by ...I don't remember. If you do, please let me know so I can credit them!} and stamp it in white {#FFFFFF} set to Screen at 50%.
by ...I don't remember. If you do, please let me know so I can credit them!} and stamp it in white {#FFFFFF} set to Screen at 50%.13; For the final touch I'm going to add a border. I don't want a regular, boring, straight line border. So I became adventurous. I grabbed my default PS soft edge brush at 5px and zoom in to about 450%. I carefully hover my brush about halfway off the edge of my icon slight outside the edge I'm going to draw on, press down the Shift key, and draw a straight line down the edge of my icon. Repeat for each of the three remaining edges and *voila!* you have a cool little soft edged border... I lowered the layer opacity to about 64% because I didn't want it so blantantly white. Leaving us with our final outcome.
I would love to see what you guys come up with using this.. Remember this is a guide: change it up a little bit to make it your own. :] If you have any questions/comments, I'd love to hear them as well. I'm also taking suggestions for any future tutorials if you have anythin specific you want.
I would love to see what you guys come up with using this.. Remember this is a guide: change it up a little bit to make it your own. :] If you have any questions/comments, I'd love to hear them as well. I'm also taking suggestions for any future tutorials if you have anythin specific you want.
