1. Obligatory First Post, Obligatory "Rules"

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting an icon journal for the longest time, which is rather silly because I'll probably post once a month at most but there it is. Or, rather, here it is.

I guess here is a good place to discuss things like rules. *sigh* I hate them.

Let's see...

1. I only post from my LJ Scrapbook. If you can figure out how to hotlink to them, it isn't my problem. I still think it's rude but it isn't something I can control.

2. Credit is nice and I think it's a service to fellow fans who want to track down a maker but frankly, I can't be bothered to hunt you down if you don't. I don't trawl your userpics to make certain you've credited me. I'm not the Icon Police and I'm not your parent. "Improperly" crediting me or plain old forgetting to just isn't a major sin worth getting my panties in a wad over.

3. Which brings me to my only rule: don't steal. You didn't make it so please don't say you did.

4. I love comments. Adore them. I'll try to answer all comments.

~~**~~

I make every effort to credit those whose hard work makes it possible for me to play around with Photoshop. Here are my resources:

Photoshop Resources (brushes, gradients, textures, etc.)
Screen Cap Resources
Pictoral Index of Memorable Tutorials (Image Intensive)

If you want to know where I got something in particular, it's probably faster to ask me. I'm happy to help in any way I can so don't be shy. :) Lots of wonderful people on LJ have helped me and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to return the favor.

Want to browse icons by subject rather than by the date I posted them? They're here in my Scrapbook.

Comments

[dark-x-huntress.livejournal.com]

I've been an admirer of your work for quite some time. I hope you don't mind me asking but I've just gotten Photoshop and I'm trying to develop my own style of coloring but I'd love to read tutorials/psds on how other icon makers work with Stargate and Buffy the Vampire Slayer images. I love the more "natural and bright" coloring you give those images and I was wondering how you got it? Specifically in these icons:





Thank you so much and again, I really love your work.

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

There's hardly anything more flattering than being asked how I made an icon. :D PLEASE feel free to ask me anytime you want to know; sharing information is sexy!

I'm working on entries for likethegun_lims and tallying the sg1_lims votes tonight but I'll try to devote some time to this tomorrow and see what I can come up with. It has been a while since I made these icons but I should still have the *.psd files.

[dark-x-huntress.livejournal.com]

That's fine, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

I'm quite happy to do it. I know what I do because other people have been generous with their time in answering my questions. If I know anything that can be of use, I'm more than happy to share.

[dark-x-huntress.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way, I try my best to explain things especially when I was using Paintshop. Right now with Photoshop I'm back to asking for help rather than giving it. But when someone asks me where I got a photo, texture or even to post a psd of my icons then I'm more than happy to do so. Plus I love to see what they make with my psds.

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Oy, I'd forgotten how long it takes me to write a "tutorial." Anyhow, I completed one over the weekend. I started with the oldest icon of the four you asked about. Tut is here:

http://community.livejournal.com/isapiens/13018.html

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Sorry that it was taken me so long to get back to your request. I've been thinking about how best to handle the other three icons you asked about because they're all made in essentially the same way:

1. Prepare base. Adjust lighting.
2. Add a yellow soft light layer.
3. Manipulate color so that you warm the reds/yellows (use selective coloring to add red/magenta/yellow to reds and yellows) and to cool the neutrals (add cyan/green/blue to neutrals),
3. Manipulate a little further using color balance to differentiate shadows/midtone/highlight coloring.
4. Adjust saturation and subtract some of the yellows.
5. Fiddle with lighting/contrast.

This was a really popular technique for several years. Every tutorial was "add yellow on soft yellow, slap on 3-5 selective coloring layers, call it done." I KNOW that I made these using various tutorials but one has been deleted and I can't find the other. I feel it would be wrong to write a tutorial for public use that is, essentially, somebody else's process. However, you want to know how I did it and I'm happy to show you.

Would you be able to use the *.psd files? I can upload them for you if that's sufficient. If you would feel more comfortable with an explanation of what I did, then I'll put one together for you. Just let me know what would be most useful. :D

ETA: I forgot to add that I don't use this method any more because I think it tends to compromise image quality with the soft light layer and the saturation layer. I think it's possible to get crisper images using other methods but I made icons for years using essentially this formula and got lots of comments about how crisp everything was so I might be full of it.

[dark-x-huntress.livejournal.com]

I could use .PSD files just fine, I'm pretty self sufficient when figuring things out and I experiment with .PSDs.

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

I've uploaded the files for you here:
http://www.mishtopia.com/PSDs/

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

[dark-x-huntress.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much, I really appreciate it!

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

But of course! Happy to help! :)