Cadaver - Icon Tutorials

Program: Photoshop CS3
Number of steps: A = 8, B = 6
Difficulty: Easy
PSD: Yes

I use Photoshop CS3 and I thank cath from caths_arts for her German-English PS translation list.

Oh dear, I wrote this tutorial months ago but never published it. Here we go:

A few days ago I found shalowater’s LJ and the beautiful textures she created. I hadn’t done any more dimensional icons for a while but all the lovely textures inspired me to look through my L&O: CI – Cadaver caps. I found two wonderful pictures of Alex and made two new icons.


A)



Step 1:
Take your cap, crop the part you want to include in the icon and do everything else like sharpening or lightening. [In the most cases I add a new fill layer in white and set it to soft light. Then I duplicate the base and set it in soft light on top. Merge all three layers together and sharpen it.]



Step 2:
Open texture1 and set it to Hard Light - opacity 100%. I like the darkening of the frame and corners but didn’t want to change Alex too much. Take the eraser tool to reduce the texture over Alex’s face.



Step 3:
Take texture2 and add it to your icon. Set it to Pin Light - opacity 100%. Again erase the texture over Alex’s face.



Step 4:
Like I told you, I found a lot of wonderful textures and wanted to use them all. Take texture3 and set it to Linear Dodge - opacity 100%. Erase the dots which bug your icon subject.



Step 5:
Add this violet changing texture4 and set it to Color - opacity 100%. I really like the cap coloration (love the green) but with the monochromation the icon and Alex’s expression get more powerful.



Step 6:
Put one more texture5 to your icon and set it to Screen - opacity 50%. Again erase the area over Alex’s head.



Step 7:
To give the icon a bit more contrast: new layer --> New Adjustment Layer --> Brightness/Contrast: Contrast: +30

Step 8:
To finish the icon duplicate the base and add it at top of your layer stack. Set your icon to Soft Light - opacity 40% and also go to Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur: 2,0.



PSD A

B)



Step 1:
Take your cap, crop the part you want to include in the icon and do everything else like sharpening or lightening. [In the most cases I add a new fill layer in white and set it to soft light. Then I duplicate the base and set it in soft light on top. Merge all three layers together and sharpen it.]



Step 2:
I really like icons with not plain edges. Open texture6 and blow it to width: 211, high: 222. Set it to Hard Light - opacity 100% and moving over your icon subject until you like the result.



Step 3:
Take texture7 and add it to your icon. Set it to Screen - opacity 100%. I didn’t want Alex’s face covered with the text, so move it a bit to the left side.



Step 4:
Open texture8 and set it to Pin Light - opacity 100%. Not to disturb the balance of the text move also the cross a bit to the left side until it centers the text. Use the Smudge tool and extend the right line of the cross to the end of your icon.



Step 5:
Open texture9 and change the dimensions to width: 123, high: 122. Set it to Overlay- opacity 100%. Move the texture over the icon that the face is in the circle plus the ring follows the curve of Alex’s hair.

Step 6:
To finish the icon duplicate the base and add it at top of your layer stack. Set your icon to Soft Light - opacity 50%.



PSD B

Have Fun and Good Luck! I would love to see your results. Please credit havers when using my tutorials.