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Well, first I started with this base (I love Jared Rushton). |
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Naturally it looks all dark and ugly because I’ve reduced it in size from a screen cap to 100x100. I sharpened three times (this is a contrasty icon, there will be no softening or blurring in this tutorial). |
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Then I duplicated the layer and set it to Screen at 100% opacity. |
Next up, I did a "Copy Merged" (Edit > Copy Merged) and pasted it on top. Feel free to merge what you have, I just always try to keep separate layers because sometimes I come back to an icon after a few months and wonder how I got that nice effect.
Desaturate your new layer. Adjust > Hue/Saturation/Lightness with these settings:
Edit: Master
Hue: 0
Saturation: -100
Lightness: 0
(or click this link to see what you’re supposed to be looking at). |
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Now, set that layer to Hard Light at 100% opacity. Ooooh, contrasty.
Merge everything now. (Or do a merge visible and paste the new layer on top, if you have the same kind of “How did I do that?” mentality as me. This picture is now your base layer. |
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Next up, paste this texture on top (it’s by disappearicons at LJ and it’s one of my favourites, I use it again and again and again. I fear change. Set it to Multiply at 100% opacity.
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And this is what you get. Way too dark. |
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Duplicate your base layer and paste it on top. Set it to Soft Light at 100% opacity.
Merge everything again, and duplicate what you have twice. |
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Desaturate the first one and set it to Screen at 100% opacity. |
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Set the second one to Screen at 45% opacity (this one is not desaturated). |
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Finally, I added a one pixel border on all sides, colour #432623 set to Hard Light at 67% opacity.
You’re done!
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