A non-photoshop method. I use 3 apps to make this: either meitu or polarr, the remove.bg website, and finally pocket procreate.
How I went from this picture to an icon :
I’ve just checked, and pocket procreate costs $4.99 / £4.99 for a one time purchase. However, I believe that all the procreate steps can either be replicated using the free PicsArt app or the free photoshop app to some extent. PicsArt tutorial here.
First, find a picture that you want to use. Either find screencaps (e.g. from the movie-screencaps website) from the film/tv show, or you can use promotional pictures/stills from the show/film. Search character name + filter your google search to HD pictures, and most of them will come up.
Optional step: If the quality is bad, use the app Remini to fix the quality. But also, when it’s your icon, the picture is tiny, so it doesn’t really matter (but these same tips can be used for graphics and edits, so I thought to mention)
Use the polarr or meitu app to edit the contrast and brightness of the photo. You can do this later on procreate, but personally, I only use the curves tool for final adjustments. You can use any free photo editor. All we want to do here is brighten the photo and potentially fix any tones.
This is all up to personal preference. If you want it to have a warmer, cooler tone, it’s up to you. Meitu app: here are the settings I used for the photo + 100 contrast, +43 brightness, + 10 shadow, +9 temperature -4 tone, +50 sharpen
Go on remove.bg and upload this now edited picture, and it will automatically remove the background. (It lowers quality- so for graphics on procreate, use the soft airbrush as an eraser to remove the background manually.)
Procreate basics:
Open procreate > click + button > make dimensions 500 px x 500 px (basically a square)
Here are the basic features you need to know for the tutorial. I’ve tried to make it as simple as possible but I’m sure a YouTube tutorial can fill in gaps wherever it’s not clear.
On the side the two circle buttons: the top one is to adjust the size of your brush. The bottom is to adjust the opacity.
To get up the actions, adjustment etc bar click modify.
Now to make the icon itself:
Click: [1] paintbrush button> select hard airbrush brush> done. [2] Then click colour wheel button> select a bright colour (I used pink)> then done. [3] Now adjust the size of the brush and fill the whole square with that base colour.
Repeat step 2 but select a lighter colour (e.g. light pink). Now draw a stripe across the square. It should like the example above.
Then click: modify > adjustments > blur > Gaussian blur. This will make a gradient for your icon. Mine is up 63% it will vary based on preference.
Alternatively: use one of my gradient textures
Click layers button > press + to add a new layer
Click modify> actions > insert photo and insert the image that saved previously without a background.
Once that’s added. Click modify> arrow button > now adjust the sizing (MAKE SURE YOU CLICK THE UNIFORM BUTTON OTHERWISE IT WILL MESS UP DIMENSIONS)
You can basically be done here if you want but if you want to change the colours continue onwards (at this point I don’t know how much can be done on those other apps this is procreate specific)
How to colour on Procreate:
Click paintbrush> select soft airbrush tool> adjust sizing of the brush as we are about to start drawing over the part of the photo we went to colour.
I use the same colour as the darker background colour (press and hold to get the the same colour again)
Create a new layer. Always create new layers in my opinion makes things easier if you mess up.
With that new layer. Click on it and change it from normal to colour. (Do this by clicking the N button)
Now basically draw over any parts you want to change the colour to. Here I wanted to make all the red outfit pink. Then use the eraser brush (soft airbrush) to fix where you messed up.
Suddenly decide you want to change your mind about the pink and want green instead? No problem.
Duplicate the layer by going into: layers> swipe left> duplicate. Now you have two layers of the pink colouring in case you want to change your mind. Make one of them invisible by clicking the square ticked box.
Now click done to return to the icon. Click modify> adjustments> colour adjustments > hue, saturation, brightness> then basically on the rainbow adjustment thing move it side to side until it’s the colour you want.
Repeat these steps if you want to colour the hair, eyes etc. It’s all the same principle: colour layer, select colour you want to change it to,use soft airbrush to paint over and erase any mistakes.
At this point you can be done. Or to make your icon more fancy here is where you can add textures.
Here are two textures packs I’ve made. One and two. Search on tumblr and you’ll find more!
Add the image on a new layer (make sure it’s the layer on top of the gradient but beneath the character) and basically play around with it. I usually use the overlay feature on layers section when adding these textures.
The first picture is all my layers (I flattened the colour section into one image) and the second picture is my final product.
Now you’re done. Click modify> action> save image!
I know this tutorial is very wordy and long however the process itself really isn’t too bad once you’ve done it once. My current Natasha Romanoff icon was made exactly the same as this and it took me less than five minutes from when I saved the screen cap to finishing the icon! Once you get around learning the buttons it’s a lot of fun and you can make a lot of fun icons.
I hope this was useful, let me know if there’s any questions and I will try my best to help 💖
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