Icon Tutorial

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Program: Paint Shop Pro 9



1:
The original image is too dark, so duplicate the base layer twice. Set the top most one to screen and 100% and the second duplicate layer to multiply at 100%. Most coloring will darken the image, so you want to have a bright base to work off of.

2: ;
Nick's skin tone looks too red for my taste. To fix this, create a raster layer directly above the background layer. Fill it with #c57c3b, and then set it to dodge at 100%.

3: ;
Create another raster layer directly above the one you just made. Fill it with #c00000 and set it to exclusion at 80%. This takes away the yellow and red tones and gives us a cooler coloring.

4:
Above all the layers, create a color balance layer. Input the values 10, 0, -10 for midtones, leaving the box for preserving luminance checked. Leave it at normal at 100%. This step adds more depth to the coloring.

5:
Merge all the layers, or copy it as a merged image and paste it as a new one. The latter method is my preferred one because it's easier to make changes if you change your mind about the coloring or something. Duplicate the new single layer. Sharpen the background layer. Then set the duplicate layer to normal at 35%. A common mistake people make is oversharpening. To avoid this, save sharpening as one of your last steps. Different images require different levels of sharpening. You can't adjust the amount the sharpen tool sharpens, but you can control it by using the previously explained method.

6:
For the very last step, adjust the color/brightness (shift+B) of the top layer. Change the brightness by -7 and the contrast by 4. This final touch adds more depth to the coloring. We're done! Quite simple, isn't it?