[Tutorial #19] Complex Gradient

[aurora_amethyst]

From this: and this: to this:

Requested by chocolatefrogs

For this icon, I actually had the subjects already pasted into the icon and hid them so I could see the background, but for this tutorial I pasted them in later.

Also, I'm apologizing in advanced for not knowing some of the makers for the textures used in this icon. Normally, I can easily find the maker, but I was struggling to find who made some of the textures. I will update this post if I find the makers for the textures marked as ?.

First, I added a layer of 9788d6 as the background. I think I may actually have picked this color later in process after I had added the textures over it. I like to use the color fill layer because you can easily change the background color anytime in the process versus using an empty layer and using the paint bucket or the brush tool to add color.



The next several layers are to build up the complex background. I started by adding this texture by ? (I'll update this post with the maker's info if I ever find it) and set it to screen, 60% opacity.



For the next part, I knew I wanted to add some color. I added a color fill layer of 03efed, inverted the layer mask, and either used a brush I downloaded or or pasted a texture into the layer mask. The bar on the right was created by moving the layer mask over. The layer was set to normal, 100% opacity.



I also knew that I wanted to add a bit of sparkle so I added this texture by ? and set it to screen, 100% opacity.



Next, I knew I wanted to add some pinks to the background. I added a color fill layer of ff7dd6 and pasted this texture by innocent_lexys into the layer mask. I also rotated the texture by 90 degrees and flipped it horizontally. The layer was set to soft light, 100% opacity.



More pink! I added a color fill layer of f4b2dc and pasted a texture by ? (sorry, no image of the actual texture) into the layer mask. The layer was set to normal, 100% opacity.



Last layer of pink! I felt like the background still needed something, preferably something geometric. I added a color fill layer of ead0dd and pasted and resized this texture by LITTL3DR3AMS (click on the image for the larger size). The layer was set to normal, 100% opacity.



Now to add my first subject from orangx's photopack. My subject was already cut out so I just resized it and pasted it into the icon.



I knew I wanted to use a gradient for the coloring so I added the Ultraviolet gradient map from the Noise Sample preset in Photoshop. But I only wanted the coloring on my subject so I pressed alt while clicking between the gradient map layer and my subject layer to clip the gradient map to my subject. If you don't want to clip the layer, you can always use the layer mask to mask out everything but the subject. The layer was set to normal, 100% opacity.



Because I was making a complex icon, I knew I wanted to add another subject to the icon (also from orangx's photopack). Again, the subject was already cut out so I just resized it and pasted into the icon.



Now to color the new subject! All four of the gradient maps were clipped to the new subject, but, again, if you want, you can just use a layer mask.

First, I wanted to add a little coolness and shine to my subject hair. The first gradient map is from this gradient set by Evey-V. It goes from light blue to purple to pink, but I selected it to be reversed. I then set the layer to soft light, 12% opacity.



Next, I wanted to brighten my subject. The second gradient map is also from the same set as the previous gradient map. It goes from periwinkle to sage green to light blue to carmine pink (I looked that one up, lol!). I set this layer to soft light, 100% opacity.



My subject looks brighter, and now, I can see the strands of hair. But I wanted to make the tones a little warmer and matte-like. The third gradient map is a gold and hot pink gradient map [e6b224 (0%) to ae0052 (100%)]. I set this layer to normal, 12% opacity.



Last of the clipped gradient maps! I just wanted to bright my subject's hair a bit more. The fourth gradient map is a cream to pink gradient map [ffe1d0 (0%) to f08191 (100%)]. I set this to soft light, 20% opacity.



I used a couple more gradient maps, but these ones will use layer masks instead.

I added another cream to pink gradient map [ffe1d0 (0%) to f08191 (100%)] but masked out everything except my subject's face because I wanted to brighten her face. I set this to soft light, 40% opacity.



I wanted to go for a more colorful look on my second subject. I added a light blue to dark periwinkle gradient map [93c1d8 (0%) to 7a8bd1 (100%)] but masked out everything except my subject's hair. I set this layer to color, 100% opacity.



But a lot of the detail in the hair was not as visible as I wanted. To combat this, I duplicated the 2nd subject/base, erased everything but the hair, and set it to screen, 100% opacity.



Now the hair is brighter, but the blue isn't as vibrant. So I added another gradient map from 93c6ff (0%) to 85a8ea (100%) and set it to multiply, 100% opacity. I also masked out everything but the hair and set the gradient to reverse.



I duplicated the previous gradient map and set it to soft light, 100% opacity, to make my subject's hair more vibrant.



Now to work on my subject's shirt since it was a boring shade of pink. I wanted to make the shirt a little more vibrant and obvious. First, I added this texture by evenstarss and resized it. For some reason, the color is slightly different from what I have in the icon, so I'm not sure if I changed the color or if it might have been another texture. I masked out everything except for my subject's shirt and set the layer to hard light, 100% opacity.



But (I don't know what made me do this) I suddenly decided that I wanted my subject's shirt to more purple-y. I added this texture by lookslikerain, masked out everything except my subject's shirt, and set it to normal, 60% opacity.



Of course, I just had to add some color to my subject's hair! So I painted some strands of lavender, sky blue, and pastel teal and set the layers to hard light, 100% opacity.



The left corner looked kind of meh so I added a color fill layer of ade9dd and either used a brush I download or or pasted a texture into the layer mask. I set the layer to normal, 100% opacity.



But the icon didn't look "matte" enough so I added a black and white gradient map (or really a white and black gradient map reversed) and set it to soft light, 30% opacity.



Now for some more texture work. The icon still looked a little bare, and I knew I wanted to add some stars. I love using stars! I added this texture by tinny, masked out the part covering my 1st subject's face, and set it to screen, 100% opacity.



But the stars weren't showing up very well. First, I added a levels layer with the following settings and set it to normal, 100% opacity: RGB: Input: 0, 1.0, 255, Output: 0, 255; Red: Input: 13, 1.0, 222, Output: 0, 255; Green: Input: 18, 1.0, 183, Output: 0, 255; Blue: Input: 19, 1.0, 88, Output: 0, 255. I clipped the layer to the star texture.(The texture you see here is to show you how the levels layer affected the star texture)



I also added a black and white gradient and clipped it as well.



I added another star texture by tinny and followed the same process (Original texture. Texture with parts masked out. Masked out texture with level layer clipped. Masked out texture with levels layer and black and white gradient map clipped. Masked out texture set on screen, 100% opacity, with levels layer and black and white gradient map clipped).



Lastly, I sharpened my icon. I copy-merged and pasted the layer into the icon (CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+E or CTRL+SHIFT+CMD+E). Then I used the following settings for the paint daubs filter (Filter>Filter Gallery>Artistic>Paint Daubs): Brush Size: 1, Sharpness 1. I set the layer to normal, 60% opacity.



Voila!

There you have it!

.psd

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!