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The Lost Boys - Pale but Contrasty Images - Tutorial by thestalkycop
From this: to this: or this:

This tutorial assumes you are comfortable with making new layers and changing their properties (to screen or exclusion, for example).

I started by cropping my cap from The Lost Boys to 100x100. I sharpened it twice but did nothing to clean it up or brighten it up.

I duplicated the layer, desaturated it and set it to Soft Light at 100% opacity.
This is how you desaturate:
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).

I duplicated the original base again (the colour one, not the desaturated one) and set it to Screen at 100% opacity.

I duplicated the layer again and set it to Screen at 100% opacity, this layer was desaturated.
If that seems a bit confusing, your layers should look like this:
Desaturated, Screen
Colour, Screen
Desaturated, Soft Light
Base

Now, I merged everything and used the soften brush on the skin to smooth things out a bit.
I also blurred out the background just a little.

Next I made a new layer and flooded it with a deep blue (#000040) set to Exclusion.

I made another new layer and flooded it with this gradient (you can either copy and paste the one to the side, or make it yourself: #181C39 to #6F2E2A).
I set this layer to Saturation (Legacy), again set to 90%.

This is the result. Merge.

Adding Text

I added text ("All is right") in black, font Harting at 8pt, set to Burn.
You can barely read it, but that's fine, we'll get to that.

Use the Magic Wand tool and click anywhere on the icon away from the text (but on the text layer) and you should get the "marching ants" look.

Invert the selection (Selections > Invert)
Then expand the selection by 1 pixel (Selections > Modify > Expand).

Create a new layer and flood fill the selection with white. Select None (Selections > Select None)

Drag the white layer below the text.
Set it to 54% opacity
Use a Gaussian Blur of 2.00 (Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur > 2.00)

The text is still not quite readable, so I duplicated the text layer, once again, set it to Burn at 100% opacity.

I made a border by making a new layer, and selecting all (Ctrl + A), then contracting the selection by 1 pixel (Selections > Modify > Contract) then inverting (Selections > Invert) then flood-filling with black set to Burn at 58% opacity.
You're done! Go you.

Icon Tutorials by thestalkycop

main site

	I started by cropping my cap from The Lost Boys to 100x100. I sharpened it twice but did nothing to clean it up or brighten it up.
	I duplicated the layer, desaturated it and set it to Soft Light at 100% opacity. This is how you desaturate: 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).
	I duplicated the original base again (the colour one, not the desaturated one) and set it to Screen at 100% opacity.
	I duplicated the layer again and set it to Screen at 100% opacity, this layer was desaturated. If that seems a bit confusing, your layers should look like this: Desaturated, Screen Colour, Screen Desaturated, Soft Light Base
	Now, I merged everything and used the soften brush on the skin to smooth things out a bit. I also blurred out the background just a little.
	Next I made a new layer and flooded it with a deep blue (#000040) set to Exclusion.
	I made another new layer and flooded it with this gradient (you can either copy and paste the one to the side, or make it yourself: #181C39 to #6F2E2A). I set this layer to Saturation (Legacy), again set to 90%.
	This is the result. Merge.
Adding Text
	I added text ("All is right") in black, font Harting at 8pt, set to Burn. You can barely read it, but that's fine, we'll get to that.
	Use the Magic Wand tool and click anywhere on the icon away from the text (but on the text layer) and you should get the "marching ants" look.
	Invert the selection (Selections > Invert) Then expand the selection by 1 pixel (Selections > Modify > Expand).
	Create a new layer and flood fill the selection with white. Select None (Selections > Select None)
	Drag the white layer below the text. Set it to 54% opacity Use a Gaussian Blur of 2.00 (Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur > 2.00)
	The text is still not quite readable, so I duplicated the text layer, once again, set it to Burn at 100% opacity.
	I made a border by making a new layer, and selecting all (Ctrl + A), then contracting the selection by 1 pixel (Selections > Modify > Contract) then inverting (Selections > Invert) then flood-filling with black set to Burn at 58% opacity. You're done! Go you.