I haven't reviewed the videos, but - sure, why not.
Ga'nen
Just here to add to the tutorials. Here is my very own tutorial.
Making a simple Avatar
Requires basic knowledge of photoshop functions and tools.
Spoiler:
Start off with your image, I chose a Malak picture and that's how it looks unaltered and unchanged.
Spoiler:
Crop your image in however way you feel appropriate. I tend to crop at angles because you never want to have your subject in the center. That's just the Rule of thirds at work. For a better explanation, wikipedia that. Then just make sure the image is at 200x250.
Spoiler:
Duplicate layer and set the blending mode to overlay.
Spoiler:
Go to Filters > Others > High Pass
I set mine at .3 but generally it depends on how crisp you want your image to look. This is a new technique I learned for sharpening images that works better than actually using the sharpen feature. It gives you a bit more control with it.
Spoiler:
Now go to Select > Select All
then Edit > Copy Merged
then Edit > Paste
Spoiler:
I then make a new layer (you can do that by clicking the 2 button from the right on the layer's palette) and I filled it entirely with white and set the layer to saturation.
Spoiler:
Now go to Layer > New Adjustment Layers > Selective Color
I always go to the drop down menu and go to black and play with the Black settings on the bottom. I also do the same for Neutrals and White also located on the drop down menu. This gives you a better black and white photo (for those of you who like that) because it adds more contrast between the blacks, greys, and whites.
Spoiler:
I then duplicate the layer that should be called Layer 1 and then move it to the top. I then set it's blending mode to soft light. It adds a desaturated look to it that I like.
Now you can choose to end it here but I'd go a bit further.
Spoiler:
Now I make a new layer on top and go to my brushes and pick a nice round brush size 13 and go over the lightsaber with red. Set the blending mode to soft light to give the blade a bit more of a reddish look that was lost when we saturated the image.
Spoiler:
/spoiler]
Make another layer again and this time with your rectangular marquee tool draw a box over Malak's eyes just enough to go out a bit beyond his face. I filled it with red and set it to soft light as well.
[spoiler]
Now go to Filters > Blur > Motion Blur
I set the settings at 257 to make it look like it wasn't so rectangular shaped. Now you can duplicate that same layer and set that one to soft light as well to add in a bit more red that was lost when you did the motion blur.
Spoiler:
Now this is what you'd have at the end assuming you follow this word for word with a slight variation at the New adjustments part.
Spoiler:
this is with some small things added to give it a darker feel but with a bit of color too.
Now this, in no way, is the correct way to do anything but just an insight as to how I do things. This isn't a complete tutorial on all of the things I do or know how to do but I think it's a simple way to make a good icon.
Rive Caedo
I'm not sure if I agree with the High Pass making things look better, but otherwise a nice tutorial on color manipulation.
That is interesting that you use a motion blur to get that line effect. I figured you just used a color to transparent gradient.
Ga'nen
The thing with high pass though is that if you shrink the image down it will remain the same. Unlike if you sharpen at a higher size and size down it will become a bit blurry in the process. This just saves me two sharpens.
As for the motion blur vs. gradient, I guess it just depends on how much you want to be red and how much you want it to fade. My intentions were to make it fade more. I've never used a gradient like that though I suppose you could do it that way and get the same affect.
ETA: I think what I might do next is make a tutorial on fixing up images for use. In other words, making an image ready to go through the photoshop process. Because not every picture on the internet is high quality, unfortunately.
/spoiler]
