Icon Tutorial
This is my first tutorial. I finally decided to make one, too, since I learned a lot from all the other tutorials on gimp_tutorial.

We're going from to .

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I try to explain the steps, but don't expect something about colour theory or anything like that.

Step 1: Get your base. I usually start with a big square and scale it down to 100x100. I started with this:


Step 2: Copy your base twice. Set the first copy to overlay and the second one to screen. Lower the opacity of the screen layer, I lowered mine to 39,2. The overlay layer adds a little more colour to the image and the screen lights everything a bit.


Step 3: Create a new layer and fill it with a dark blue. I used #040c36 . Duplicate the layer twice. Set them to screen, screen and subtract. This step is basically the Gimp equivalent to the exclusion layer.


Step 4: Create a new layer and fill it with a light blue: I used #ceefe8.Set the layer to dodge.burn This mutes the slight pink hue, that comes sometimes with the exclusion layer.


Step 5: Create another layer and fill it with red. I used#ff0000. Set to screen and lower the opacity, my opacity is 22,7. I use steps 3,4 and 5 quite often and they work good with light images.


Step 6: Now copy all visible layers and paste them on a new layer. To save a few clicks I use this Copy Visible and Paste - Script by fencepost from deviantart.


Step 7: Copy your base, drag it over the copied layer. Set the mode to overlay and play around with the opacity. Mine is set to 35,3. Again overlay adds a little more colour to the image.


Step 8: Create a new layer and fill it with a light grey. I used#c3bebe. Set the mode to soft light and lower the opacity. I lowered mine to 57,6. The light grey lightens the image.


Step 9: Create a new layer and fill it with a light pink. I used #f5caf9. Set the mode to overlay and like before play around with the opacity. Mine is set to 31,8. I think that the light pink softens the image.


Step 9: Copy all layers except for the light pink and paste them as a new layer. Change the mode to dodge burn and again lower the opacity. I set mine to 27,8.


Step 10: And finally sharpen your image, but don't over do it. (Or leave out step 9. Copy or flatten your image and then sharpen.)


Here the icon without step 9 :



Some other examples:


You don't have follow each step, leave them out if you like, change the blending modes or opacities, because each image you work with is different.

Is it good? Bad? Have some questions?

EDIT: Sorry for mix up of dodge and burn. Some day I hope I will have learnt to use the dictionary.