PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS/TUTORIALS

Here,I would describe and show you many techniques I use in layout making.You do NOT have to give me any credits for making any graphics or layouts. However, if you do, I would really appreciate. Here, you will not FIND tutorials made by people, only tutorials made by me.Therefore, redistributing these tutorials are not allowed. If you really need to, please ask me for permission. Any comments or suggestions for the tutorials are welcomed. :]

Applying Textures on MS Paint

Thank you everyone for the previous support. Here is another tutorial for MS paint that will assure and GUARANTEE the improvements of your MS paint layouts.

Final Result:

To make a banner similar to this, you need:

+Paint
+Internet Explorer
+This Page to Be Opened
+One Main [big] image.
+At least one similar texture.

Now that you have everything need, you are ready.

Step 1: The Main Image:
[REMEMBER, click on the images on this tutorial to open a new screen for a BIGGER VIEW!!!]I am sure that many of you would like to create a layout that could even become better than some Photoshop-made layouts! Textures are very important to a layout in my opinion, and is essential to all of my latest layouts. So, why not add textures to layouts made by MS Paint? Here is yet, another Paint tutorial for all of those who lacks any image editting program.

So, you right click on the image, and click copy. Go to the Start menu, Accessories, and then Paint. Click on the Paint program. Put your cursor over the bottom right corner of the canvas and click+hold.

Tighten the canvas size and make it really small by holding it and dragging it to the top-left corner.

Release, and now paste your image by holding Ctrl and pressing V.

When you paste it, it should automatically be on the Marquee tool.

Step 2: Blending Texture:
Now it's time to find a texture! Rummage around through sites and find an available texture that you'd like to use on the layout/image. Be sure to give CREDITS. I will not be held responsible if you were careless enough to steal textures from your providers. Now, I'll use one of mines, Vibrant Lights:

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/1787/vibrantlightsei6.jpg

Right-click on the image and select "Copy". Go to your Start Menu, Accessories, and then click on Paint. Now you should have two Paint windows open. On your newly opened Paint Window. Hold Ctrl+V to paste the texture.

Repeat the process of opening a third Paint Program. Now, on your last paint window [which is the only empty one now.], On the top, click on Images, and then select Attributes. A new window should pop up for the Attributes the bottom of the window, there's a choice between "Color" and "Black and White". Select "Black and White" followed by [OK]. When the message comes up about how you can't undo the action you've chosen, click on [Yes]. On the bottom of your screen, the color selection should have changed into the pattern selection:

Choose a pattern from your pattern selection. On this occasion, the WHITER the pattern, the more the texture will blend into the image. Be careful in choosing our pattern. Also, if you'd like, you can select more patterns by double-clicking on any of the colors. You will open a menu called "Edit Colors". Click on any of the blank white slots on Custom Colors. Then proceed with "Define Custom Colors >>" and select a color on the color selection. You may also change the saturation as my cursor shows you the area.

When you're done, click on "Add to Custom Colors" and then click on "OK". Although at first it appeared as if you're selecting a color, since you're in black and white mode, you're actually making a pattern. Note that you may not see the preview to whatever color you're selecting to turn into a pattern. Whenever you have finished chosing a pattern click on the Paint Bucket Tool . Use the Paint Bucket Tool on anywhere on the canvas. I chose the pattern pointed by my cursor.

After dumping paint on the entire canvas, hold Ctrl and press "A". This should select the whole canvas. Afterwards, hold Ctrl and press "C". This is the equivalent of copying the image.

Quickly switch back with the other paint window with your desired texture. Wait!!! Before pasting the pattern onto the texture, make sure that you click on the Marquee Tool. And make sure on the options for blending is the same as the picture shown below:

But you're not done yet, just a little more. Be sure that the secondary selected color on your Texture Paint window is Black.

This is what my canvas on the second Paint Program now looks like. Left click on a location outside of the marquee. This should unselect the image. Now hover over the image and hold Ctrl+A. Then Hold Ctrl+C to copy the whole canvas. The reason why deselecting it first is important, is that if we immediately right-click, it would not copy the texture; only the pattern. We're almost there!!!

Step 3: Blending the Texture into the Main Image.
Back to your original image on the first opened Paint Program, select the Marquee Tool . Remember to select the color transparancy option.

As for your colors, be sure that the secondary color on the first MS Paint Window is white.

It is time to paste! Hold Ctrl+V.

It's almost done. Of course, the pattern is a little too small for the image. Since we can't naturally blend from opacity to opacity, it's best to just cut off the rest of the image that does not contain the texture and image. You can do this by easily putting your cursor on the bottom-right point until your cursor appears diagonal. Then drag it to the right size.

Basically, you're done! You can customize the image into a sig, icon, or even a layout.

Final Results:
Banner:

Another result from the image... a layout:

-Angel Wings, Ancient Whisper, Cindy

RULES

-Angel Wings, Ancient Whisper, Aeris

PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS/TUTORIALS

Here,I would describe and show you many techniques I use in layout making.You do NOT have to give me any credits for making any graphics or layouts. However, if you do, I would really appreciate. Here, you will not FIND tutorials made by people, only tutorials made by me.Therefore, redistributing these tutorials are not allowed. If you really need to, please ask me for permission. Any comments or suggestions for the tutorials are welcomed. :]

Blending Layout Tutorial for Paint

I would like to thank EVERYONE that left a comment for that paint tutorial. I didn't realize that many people lack paint, so I'll continue to make paint tutorials since I don't see much paint tutorials around. =D This is a tutorial for people who'd love to blend pictures in paint, to make a layout, or to make graphics. It works, but not as well as other graphics program. You cannot blend images like on one side, you have to blend the whole thing. And that is a downfall.So, here's everything:

Final Result:


To make a [paint] layout, you need:

+Paint Paint
+Internet Explorer
+This Page to Be Opened
+One Main [big] image.
+At least one similar image to the main image.

Now that you have everything need, you are ready.

Step 1: The Main Image:
[REMEMBER, click on the images on this tutorial to open a new screen for a BIGGER VIEW!!!]For this blending tutorial, I'll use images of Rinoa. Because I know everyone hates loves Rinoa so much, and she's obviously not a biznatch like most people thinks she is. do not think she is. Well, I know everyone dislikes likes Rinoa, but she's my favorite character. =D On forth...Main Images has to be bigger than the rest.

So, you right click on the image, and click copy. Go to the Start menu, Accessories, and then Paint. Click on the Paint program. On the top menu, click on Image, and then select on Attributes. Or you can hold CTRL on your keyboard and press "E".On Units, check on Pixels. On Colors, it should be checked on Colors. For Width, type in 750. For Height, type in 700. Click Okay.

Paste your image by holding Ctrl and pressing V.

When you paste it, it should automatically be on the Marquee tool. You can drag the image around. I'll stick to the top left like how it was when I pasted it.

Step 2: Secondary Images:
Go through the whole process of selecting an image again. This time, it should be smaller than the main image. I have chosen two pictures:

and

I'll call them secondary pictures. Go through the process of opening two more paint windows. Yes, two more! After you open two, you should have three now. One with the main image, and two that are empty. First, copy your first image. Mine is Rinoa hugging Squall. So I right-click and copy.

Then, you paste it on your second paint window! It should be the second one you've open, and it should be empty.

Step 3: Blending Process:
Now, on your last paint window [which is the only empty one now.], On the top, click on Images, and then select Attributes. A new window should pop up for the Attributes the bottom of the window, there's a choice between "Color" and "Black and White". Select "Black and White" followed by [OK]. When the message comes up about how you can't undo the action you've chosen, click on [Yes]. On the bottom of your screen, the color selection should have changed into the pattern selection:

Next, click on the Rectangle Tool, and select the third option for the tool.

Choose a pattern on your pattern selection. But be aware, the WHITER the pattern, the more your image will blend into the main image. I don't want the image to blend in that much, so I'll chose the seventh one on the first row. [Note: The pattern I choose will cause the image to become blue-er.]Manipulate and make a rectangle that is LARGER than your secondary picture [the one that is located on your second paint window.]

Use the Marquee tool , and construct a rectangle around the pattern you've just made. Right-click and click on "Copy."

Revert back to your second paint window, with your secondary image [small image of Rinoa]. On that paint window, select that Marquee tool . On the options for the tool, click on the bottom option..

And on the Color selection, select Black as the secondary color. You can do this by Right-clicking on the white color on the selection.

It doesn't matter what the first color is. Right-click anywhere on the canvas, and choose "Paste". Drag the pattern over the image. This is what it should look like. [pattern could vary the appearance].

Left click on a location outside of the marquee. This should unselect the image. Use the Marquee tool, and make a rectangle around the image. Right-click and copy. [you cannot directly right click and copy after pasting the pattern. You must unselect the image and THEN copy. So follow the instructions carefully]

Skim back to your first paint window [containing your main image]. Make sure the secondary color is on WHITE.

It doesn't matter what the first color is. Using the Marquee tool, right-click and select paste. Make sure that you're on the bottom option with the Marquee.

WHOOSH!! The image should blend right in! 

However, the pattern is still visible. =[ But you can always choose a different pattern to see how well it blends. =D Aside from using the rectangle tool, you can also use the Ellipse tool too to make the pattern.  However, make the circle SMALLER than the image. Then repeat with the same step as this. Then you'll have a circular blend. ^_^ I'll skip the part of blending the second picture I chose, but here's the result by using the Ellipse tool:

When you're blending in a second image, you can close both paint windows down[ not the one with the main picture], and open two in place. Or, you can make sure that your secondary color is on White, and click Ctrl+A to select all, and right-click, and click Clear Selection. Then you can start off new! [that was not a run-on sentence!]

Step 3 and 1/2:
I've decided to add this. To make a circular blend, you repeat the same steps. When you make your circular pattern, make it SMALLER than the image.

Compare:

When you're copying your pattern, make sure while using your Marquee tool, make the rectangle BIGGER than the image!

See that? Then you copy it. When you paste it on your second paint window, make sure the secondary color is black again.

Drag it around, and here's the result of what it looks like after you paste the pattern on your secondary image.

That's not a very nice image... oh yeah, anyway.... Click on anywhere outside of the marquee, and then copy it and paste it on the main image. Tada!!! A circular blend! =D [this is a short section added after I've completed the original since I suppose some people could have difficulties doing circular blend alone.]

That's my final result in the blending.

Step 4: Transforming Into A Layout:
From here on, you can use the other Paint Layout Tutorial to finish up the image. Or you can continue with what I'll be doing to this image. ^_^

Nothing much. Basically, you can close both of the paint windows [not the one with your main image of course.] Using the Paint bucket tool , fill in the empty space with a background color. Any would do, just make sure it's matching. [yes I'm getting undescriptive at the second xD]. I selected Black from the color selection.

I'll go ahead and make a Gray border around the main image. Using the line tool , make vertical lines from right edge of the layout and down all the way. To make straight lines, remember, hold the Shift key!! You can choose the thickness of the line too, don't forget. I've decided to make multiple grayscaled lines. I'll also make horizontal lines going through the top to CONNECT with the vertical lines.

Using one of the technique on the last layout tutorial for paint, I'll use the airbrush tool , and sprayed a border around the blended images. It's best to use the your background color for the airbrush border. I chose Black, because that's my background color. You can use any brush size, you want, but I chose the largest size:

Also, using my airbrush tool, I sprayed on the bottom of the main-image, so it looks like it's slowly fading away. Again, I used my background color, and the largest brush size for the airbrush.

And then, I use the pattern blending technique! If you don't know what that is, check out my last paint tutorial, and follow Step 4 of the tutorial.

CLICK!

Here are the results:

Yay! Now to add text. Click on the Text Tool , and make a rectangular marquee for the text wherever you want on the Main Image. Make sure you click on the bottom option for the tool.

With the cursor inside the marquee, right click and check Text Toolbar. A toolbar should pop up and you should be able to edit your font size, font, or make it bold, italic or underline! =D Select your color for the font by the same way you usually select your color for your brushing.

If you don't like the colors on the color selection, you can always double click on one of the colors to bring up the "Editting Colors" window. Below "Custom Colors", click on any of the white boxes, and click on the "Define Custom Colors >>" button.

Another window becomes attach, and you can start making your own color. Basically, on the large color grid, you can click on a color you want to use. On the right side, there's a Saturation Meter [I call it that]. You can make your color brighter or darker.

After you're finish, click on the "Add to Custom Color" Button. And click "OK" to the window. You can now use the color! =D I wrote the title on my blended images. It says "By your Side" with the font: Violation. [downloaded]

I've basically done everything! The design on this layout is basically with the modules to the right of the line, and the blog on the left of the line. After adding a few lines and words [plus credits], this is my final result:

Pretty! =D

When you're done, click on "File", and click "Save As...".

On "Save as Type:", click on JPEG. Name your file name, and add background to the end of the name. Hit Save. I named it Rinoa.

Step 5: Repeating Background:
Using the marquee tool,, create a marquee on the bottom half of the layout where everything looks the same horizontally and vertically throughout.

Right-click and click on Copy. Open a new Paint program.

On your new paint program, click on Images at the top, then on Attributes. Change the Width to 1, and the Height to 1. Make sure that the Units are set to Pixels. Click okay. The Canvas should be barely visible right now. No worries! Hold Ctrl and press V for a paste.

Now, the whole canvas should be wrapped around the background, so there shouldn't be any white spots!

Now you're finish. Click on File, Save As... and on the "Save as type:", select JPEG. Name your file name, and add background to the end of the name. Hit Save.

Go to imageshack.us, click on browse, and upload both of your files.

CONGRATS! You've just made your first layout on Paint! =D

Step 6: Coding Problems:
[Copy and Pasted from the Other Tutorial]. Like the other tutorial, there shouldn't be any coding problems. Go to my other layout tutorial, and start on the coding section. The only problem is probably the "Cropping" part. But you'll do fine. Just guess on the number of pixels for the Height and Width. That's what I did when I first started making layouts. I didn't use the crop tool. Like for the header's height, or for the module's width, just guess and input numbers. Easy.

ALSO!!! If you see the original Xanga modules sticking out, be sure to delete unnecessary words in the codings for the layouts. Like "Place your background color here". Just delete those extra words, and the modules will be gone! =]

This tutorial took me 3 and a half hours. It was easier because I didn't have to explain much, and I didn't have to take the time to take screenshots of the Paint icons. Because I already had them from the last tutorial. =D I also reused some screenshots too, and some of the instructions. I hope everyone likes this tutorial, and very special thanks to FinalRest who apparently asked me for some help with the coding and I thought to myself: I should make another paint tutorial. [Yeah I'm that random.] But I've also wrote how to fix it at the end too. ^_^ Good luck to all that tries. And the blending may not be as good as photoshop or other graphics program, but it's still called blending. =D

Final Results:
Banner:
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/3010/rinoajh3.jpg

Background:
CLICK!

And if you didn't notice on my screenshots, [LOL] over the course of time, I listened to...

Utada Hikaru
Sum41
Coldplay
Gackt
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Killers

Just something noticable. xD I listened to them repeatedly because I was too lazy to switch... >.>

-Angel Wings, Ancient Whisper, Aeris

PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS/TUTORIALS

Here,I would describe and show you many techniques I use in layout making.You do NOT have to give me any credits for making any graphics or layouts. However, if you do, I would really appreciate. Here, you will not FIND tutorials made by people, only tutorials made by me.Therefore, redistributing these tutorials are not allowed. If you really need to, please ask me for permission. Any comments or suggestions for the tutorials are welcomed. :]

Layout Tutorial for Paint

Oh, how low can you go? No, it's not impossible to make a layout with paint. It really isn't. So gather up all you people who lacks Photoshop or Imageready [or just didn't get them off of limewire... psstt psstt... j/k] Nah, I didn't get it from the internet. My friend gave me the CD. Yes, very nice. xD Otherwise, I would be photoshop-less, and I know how it feels: horrible. So now, I will show you how to make layouts with Paint. I will not provide the instructions on how to code. Just only how to make the banner. Check the other layout tutorial if you want to know how to code.

Final Result:


To make a [paint] layout, you need:

+Paint [oh lord, don't tell me you DON'T HAVE PAINT!!! *shakes you*
+Internet Explorer
+This Page to Be Opened
+Images of your Choice

Now that you have everything need, you are ready.

Step 1: The Image:
[REMEMBER, click on the images on this tutorial to open a new screen for a BIGGER VIEW!!!]I feel like Balthier today. So I choose this image:

So, you right click on the image, and select "Copy Image [firefox]" or "Copy". Go to the Start menu, Accessories, and then Paint. Click on the Paint program. On the top menu, click on Image, and then click on Attributes. Or just click [Ctrl+E]. On Units, check on Pixels. On Colors, it should be checked on Colors. For Width, type in 750. For Height, type in 700. Click Okay.

Step 2: The Background:
Now, since your layout will be made in paint, it's best to make it like a collage or scrapbook kind of layout. Paint program has no LAYERS. So whatever you're doing, make sure you do it RIGHT. The edit undo button [Ctrl+Z] works only a few times, and whatever you've done is history. It's good to save frequently whenever you've done something perfectly. But don't save it when you've done something wrong. Just load it up. =D

Anyway, for the background, use a color that commonly appeared on the image, or a matching color. If your image has many colors, stick with a black or white background. I'll use a color that's on Balthier. Select the Eye Dropper tool and click on the color you want for the background color. Or you can just use default color from the color selection. I chose a color from his sleeves.

Now, I shall use the Bucket tool or as they call it: Fill With Color. Click on the white background to dump paint. This is what it looks like on my screen now.

It looks bad because of the white border, no? That's because the paint bucket tool only dumps and replace one certain color. But don't worry, we'll fix that up. If your image doesn't have a white border, then that's great!!! You can skip the part of the tutorial with the grundge and stuff. ^_^

Step 3: Faking the Grunge or Cut Out:
Yes, the next step is to fake a grunge--- or a cut out! Since the border of the image has these ugly pixels, why not make it look attractive? Unless you'll willingly go through the trouble of using your pencil tool and coloring over those ugly pixels, let's make it look professional. Select the Eye Dropper Tool. and click on the pixels surrounding the image. Mine is white, so I'll just use white.

Now carefully, select the Brush Tool. On the bottom in which you can select the shape of your brush, select one of the diagonal brush. I chose the smallest one slanting down to the left.

Draw an outline on the image, but make it bigger and wide, not a real outline actually. Draw an outline of the cutout, let me show you what I mean.

See how it's an outline? Don't DUMP the color of the outline inside. Instead, use the brush you've chosen to do the outline and color in. Do not color every space though. Just go zigzag and color most spaces, but leave a few pixels untouched.

I colored in and left a lot of pixels floating around. It's true, it doesn't look as good as the Photoshop effect, but hey, at least you have something since you got paint. xD

With the same brush tool, draw some splattering specks outside with the same color. You can also use the pencil tool. At first it looks bad, but I'll show you what to do next.

Using the eye dropping tool, , click on the background to get the color, don't use the same color you've just used. Click back on Brush if you weren't using it, and use the smallest Circular brush.

Go over the white marks you just did OUTSIDE of the image. Again, do it diagonally or vertically, but make sure you leave some scraps of marks left, don't go over the whole thing. You can also use the second to biggest circle brush.

When you're done, slightly go over the outline with that brush. Make sure you don't hurt your image, just the pixelly outline. This is my result:

You can repeat the same thing, but with different colors. I chose a grayish color, and I drew specks and erased them. I also used the airbrush tool, and did a little spraying.

I airbrushed it a little bit with a greenish color around the scribbles [but not on the picture]. Using the line tool , you can draw lines vertically or horizontally. Hold Shift key to make it go straight.

By using the line tool , draw Horizontally some lines, for your Title or name. Make multiples of lines one underneath the other.Remember to hold the "Shift Key" for straight lines.

Afterwards, click on the Text tool. With the tool, make a wide rectangular figure on the top-left corner of your lines.

 Right-click inside the square Marquee and select Text Toolbar. If you have never done this before, you can now change your text font, size, and color! You could also make it bold, italic, or underline. It's simple. =D Select your color for the font by the same way you usually select your color for your brushing.

Following, write your title. It could be a cool name for the layout, or just the character's name. On this Paint layout, I wrote Balthier. With double spacing in between letters, white, and underlined.

Step 4: Patterning on Paint:
Open a new Paint program. [please do, you can't do this part without opening another file.]. Once you make your canvas [to any size], click on Image at the top and select Attributes on the drop-down menu. [Or hold Ctrl+E] When the window pops up with the canvas editing, on the bottom of the window, there's a choice between "Color" and "Black and White". Select "Black and White" followed by [OK].

The message: "Converting to black and white cannot be undone. This action affects the current file and may cause some loss of color information. Do you want to continue?" should pop-up. Click okay [nothing lost since this is a new paint window]. Immediately on the bottom of your paint program, the color selections should have changed dramatically into patterns.

Awesome huh? Now you can use patterns. I'd go ahead and click on the Ellipse tool , and set it to the bottom option.

On your Color [but now pattern] Selection, click on a pattern you like.

I chose the bottom row, and the third to the last. [not shown above though]

Back to your canvas, hold the Shift Key and produce a perfect circle. It could be big, but not too big. I'll make it medium size. This is what it should look like:

Click on the Marquee tool, make a marquee around the circle, and right-click. On the drop down, click on "Copy".

Switch back to your layout window, and click on the Marquee tool . On the two options for the Marquee tool, select the bottom one.

For your color selection on your layout window, make sure the bottom/second color is white.

It doesn't matter if the top one is white or not. Finally, right-click and Paste. Wow!!! It's a TRANSPARENT SCREEN!!! Yes it is! It's a fully transparent patterned screen. You can drag it anywhere you want.

If you want different patterned screen, repeat this step, except when it is time to select your pattern, click on a different pattern. You can place as much patterns as you want. However, I'd stay for 1-3.

You may also use a Rectangle tool , a Rounded Rectangle tool , or a Polygon tool to create shapes for the patterns. Always remember to select the last option for that tool.

The flaw to this technique is that you can't change the colors of the patterns. But that's okay. =D It still looks great on Paint. My final result of this step:

Step 6: Blog and Modules:
Easiest step, just click on the Rounded Rectangle tool, or the Rectangle tool, and make a rectangle on the bottom of the layout. On the option for the tool, click on the first option. [actually you may use ANY option. I chose the second for some odd reason. xD

If you chose the second option for the Rounded/Rectangle tool. [the border, and the fill in]. LEFT CLICK on any color on the Color selection for the BORDER color. RIGHT CLICK on any color on the Color selection for the FILL IN COLOR.

I'll use the top border of the Rounded Rectangle to cover up the missing part of Balthier. You can also change the Thickness of the Rounded/Rectangle's border, by click on the line tool , and choosing any of the thickness option.

Whenever you draw the modules or blog, make sure you let the rectangle's bottom border NOT APPEAR on the bottom of the screen.

You can tell that I'm not making any modules, I'm just making a blog. If you're making modules, just do the same thing. The border for the rectangle was a Left-click on brown while using my Eyedropper tool. The fill for the rectangle was a Right-click on a greenish gray using my Eyedropper tool as well. Basically, you're almost done! You can write your credits somewhere on the layout, add some more shapes, or words. I'm going to write someting on the blog area, and play around for a bit.

Step 6: Repeating Background:
Another rather easy step, is the repeating background. Using the marquee tool,, create a marquee on the bottom half of the layout where everything looks the same horizontally and vertically. There should be lines only  going VERTICALLY.

Right-click and click on Copy. Open a new Paint program. [by this time, you can close the other one with the patterns you've used. ]

On your new paint program, click on Images at the top, then on Attributes. Change the Width to 1, and the Height to 1. Make sure that the Units are set to Pixels. Click okay. The Canvas should be barely visible right now. No worries! Hold Ctrl and press V for a paste.

Now, the whole canvas should be wrapped around the background, so there shouldn't be any white spots!

Now you're finish. Click on File, Save As... and on the "Save as type:", select JPEG. Name your file name, and add background to the end of the name. Hit Save.

Back on your Layout window, click on File>Save As, and on Save as type, select JPEG. Name your file, and hit Save.

Go to imageshack.us, click on browse, and upload both of your files.

CONGRATS! You've just made your first layout on Paint! =D

Step 7: Coding Problems:
There shouldn't be any coding problems. Go to my other layout tutorial, and start on the coding section. The only problem is probably the "Cropping" part. But you'll do fine. Just guess on the number of pixels for the Height and Width. That's what I did when I first started making layouts. I didn't use the crop tool. Like for the header's height, or for the module's width, just guess and input numbers. Easy.

This whole tutorial took me Five painful hours, because of the screenshots and instructions. I hope you like this tutorial! When I first got my computer, I loved Paint to death. I really did. All I did all day was draw in Paint. Yes, I had no life. Hahahaha... now I understand for those who cannot get Photoshop, or Paint Shop Pro. I feel for them, and I felt the need to make this tutorial for those in need. =D

Final Results:
Banner:
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/4453/balthierrh1.jpg

Background:
CLICK!

I hope you love this tutorial, for it should have taught you many new things about Paint. Paint could be love. ^_^ Love you all! =D Thanks for supporting me.

-Angel Wings, Ancient Whisper, Aeris

PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS/TUTORIALS

Icon Tutorial #2

From this:

to

In order to follow this tutorial, you need:

+Photoshop
+This Page to Be Opened
+An Image of your Choice
+Brushes [Optional]
+Textures
+Gradients

Now that you have everything need, you are ready.

Step 1: The Image:
Browse through the internet and find a picture that you would like transform into an icon. The picture can be bright or dark, and it could be at any size BUT NOT under 100x100 [unless you're making a tiny icon]. The picture I prefer to use for this tutorial is this:

Right click on the image, and click on Copy. If the image was specifically designed by someone in a graphics site, please give credits to them. Click on your Photoshop icon to open up Photoshop. Go to file, and new. Usually, the Canvas size will automatically fit to the exact size of the image you copied. If not, make it exactly the size of your picture. You can find that out by right-clicking on the picture on the web-page, and go to properties. It should have something like 200x300 or something like that. Copy the width's Px [pixels] and paste it on to Canvas size. Repeat the same for the Height. After you finished with the canvas size, click 'Okay'. Paste the image on the canvas. Quick paste can be done by holding Ctrl and pressing "V". Crop the image with the crop tool. Hold Shift, and make a square on the area in which you want your icon to focus on. I choose to focus the icon on Ashe's face and hand.

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/843/tutorialcq9.jpg

Right-click inside the the box, and click on "Crop".On the top of your screen, there should be File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select etc. Click on Image, and near the bottom of the drop-down menu, click on "Image Size". Change the Width and the Height of the Image to 100px. Make sure that it is set on pixels.

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/8666/tutorial0wi.jpg

Then, click "Okay". Now, your icon should be 100x100.

Step 2: Texture Blend:
This is where it gets different from the other tutorial. Instead of Gradient blending first, you can texture blend. A texture is a natural image with no specific characters from any media, and have a feel to it. For example, you can visit here to see some textures I've created myself. You can also create your own texture. But when you do, it's best not to use other people's brushes, and stay with Filtering, or natural brushes that originally came from your Photoshop. For this icon, I will use my fifth texture on the Texture page, which is this:

Proceed back the canvas, and hold Ctrl and press "V", which is equivalent to right-clicking and Paste. So far, you should have Two Layers. The one on the bottom is your picture, and the one on top is the texture. On the layer blending dropdown right below the word "Layers"... , click on the arrow pointing down, and select a blending mode. My favorite ones for icons is Screen, Pin Light, Overlay, Soft Light, Darken, and Lighten. For now, I'll just pick Pin Light because I love the effect it does on the icon.

Although this already looks good, I prefer to add another texture. Of course, you can always add as much texture as you want to an icon. As long as...

+You give the person that made the texture credits in the end.
+It doesn't come out too funky.

Wondering how to credit those that you borrowed textures from? Usually in Livejournal.com, on the beginning of their icon count, or at the end, they will list a bunch of different referrals for texture. On real domain sites, you can go to the credits section, and they should list every single site they went to that provided the image, brush, font, or texture. Another thing that people do, is designing a little pop-up indicating where the icon is from when you hover over it for about five seconds. However, this is all usually for Livejournal-ers.

Wow, I guess I got off the subject--- the second texture I'll be using for the icon is the sixth one on my texture list.

On this texture, I tried all of the Layer Blending styles. . After some experiments, I have come to the conclusion to use "Vivid Light" as the Layer blend. This is the result after having two textures on the icon.

In case if you're curious, these are my layers so far:

Step 3: Brush Designs:
Similar to the other tutorial, you can add brush design to the icon! But unlike the other tutorial, the icon was scaled down first so using textures won't be such a huge pain. [especially my textures] The result of this, is that you won't be able to brush much. As you should know though, brushing doesn't really make an icon good. It's the design and the color that matters. I usually don't use brushes on icons like these, so I will leave it alone. But if you're heading in a different direction, feel free to add more brushing. Just ONE THING. ALWAYS remember to give credit for the brushes. [unless it is a default one.] Also, remember to make a new Layer before you brush. This will prevent any loss of the image when you want to get rid of the brushing you did. The arrow here will show you where to click to get a new layer.

Click on it for a new layer. For this icon I'm making, I decide to avoid brushing on my icon. Instead, with my brush tool, I drew an "X". Remember, if you can't find the brush tool on your Tools, right-click on Pencil, and select Brush.

Here is the "X" I drew:

I would recommend that whenever you do brushing, always use the eyedropper tool and click on an area of the image to get a specific color. Use that color to brush. Especially if you use a random color like green while the rest of the icon is reddish, it would make the icon look silly. So don't use random brushes for brushing. The most used color when it comes to icons would have to be the color white, in my opinion. I love using that too. Also, remember to credit the brushes if used on the icon. If you want to save the hassle of crediting, just use default brushes like I do. Finish up the brushing, or if you didn't brush, that is still fine. As long as the icon doesn't appear very plain, it can do.

Step 4: Text:
Finally, let's add some text. Like I've stated before, it's best not to use techy small fonts like 04b08, Rendensek, or Silkscreen for the icon. Using default fonts would look nicer, or you can always use other fonts. Cursive fonts usually don't show up well. However, it doesn't really matter whether the text is readable or not. In my opinion, as long as the icon looks very nice, it should be fine. Click on your Text Tool Button  and click on whereever you want to type your icon's quotes. Some of my favorite fonts includes Arial, Arial Black, Georgia, Verdana, Garamound, or Times New Roman. As for cursive fonts, I love Carpenter. After you choose, set the font's size to around 8-10pt. I have an odd urge to use Tahoma as the font. So these are my settings:

Tahoma, Regular, 10pt, None, Align Left, Color #87767E.

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8808/tutorialwo4.jpg

I wrote "f a n t a s y" with space inbetween each letter. And below that, I used Georgia to write "F I N A L". I set that font to 12pt, and smooth. Excluding those two difference, every setting is the same as the setting for the word: "f a n t a s y".

Final Step: Border and Hosting:
The final step to this almost completed icon is to add a border. As you may have thought, this is optional. My obsession with icons is to always add a border, so let's add one. Change your Brush tool back to a Pencil tool by right-clicking on the Brush and selecting Pencil . Select any color for the rims of your icon. I'll use white for this icon because... well I love white borders. Make a new layer, and outline the whole image with the pencil at 1px. If you can't draw it correctly, using the Zoom Tool as a utility to everything easier. Holding SHIFT helps you draw a straight line, too, so don't forget about that.

LAYERS:

ICON:

Ahh... doesn't that look cool? Does it look better than my first tutorial? I hope so, because this is a slightly more advance tutorial due to the blending of textures. Your icon, on the other hand, may not look like this at all. But don't fret, you probably chose a different texture and image--- that's probably the reason for the differences between our icons. You can host your icon at Imageshack. Click on File, then select "Save As..."

On the drop down menu, choose:

JPEG [*.JPG; *.JPEG; *.JPE]

Name your icon an unique name, and when you're done, click on the Save button. You can host your icons on Photobucket.com or Imageshack.us. Most Livejournal users have a tendency to select Photobucket because of the ability to arrange your images specifically into different categories. However, Imageshack.us has unlimited Bandwidth--- as long as you sign up. I always host everything in Imageshack.us, so I suggest you to do the same.=D

You can have the icon if you wish too. ^_^ I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial..This is just a more advance tutorial, but we're not all the way to where the pros are at. ^_^

-Angel Wings, Ancient Whisper, Aeris