Winner's Tutorial, Challenge #92, by Nagashiwa

[nagashiwa]

How to go from this: to this

This icon is made on a PC and with Photoshop cS3



First step.
The color of the flower does seems a little bit dull so we will make a new level layer
go to: layer - new adjustment layer - Levels
set
black: 87
grey: 1,82
white: 209


and you get this



The background of the flower does look a little bit to blue.
and the flower can use a little bit more red.
so go to: layer - New Fill layer - solid color
set the opacity on 40%
and use the color #7c2929
and you get this:

Now the color doesn't look that great. we miss some light effect.
So I was thinking about the dublicate the first layer of the rough image. and put the layer up the level and solid color layer like this

Now go to:FILTER - pixelate Mosaic
And set your settings on: Cell size: 9 square


and we should do one step more because only pixelate or motion blur won't give the right effect!
Now go to: FILTER - BLUR - MOTION BLUR
en set your settings on: Angle -58 - Distance171


and set the layer on "OVERLAY" 100%
Now we got a soft sun light effect!



and you did finish the icon!~~

LAYERS:



Questions are always welcome!~~

Comments

[pensnest]

I love the way you used the motion blur for an overlay—I heartily approve of icons which use themselves as source material for effects like this. Good job.

[turlough]

I really like this, very simple but effective. *bookmarks*

[nagashiwa]

thank you^^