Basic Icons Tutorial

[Marcos DAB]

Basic Icons Tutorial

Example of basic icons that can be made with only a little practice.

Excuse me, these images in GIF format lacks quality.

Example 1: Wildkin's hand casting a spell

Example 2: Orc's hand casting a spell

Example 3: Lizardman Archer

Example 4: Vulture Rider

First Example: Wildkin's hand casting a spell, step by step.

1 Step: The shape

The shape can be easily carved, using the drag tool.

2 Step: Lighter Shading

Do lighter shadows only for pre-setting the drawing, if possible use a reference image.

3 Step: Early Highlights

Now you should lighten your drawing following the actual behavior of light.

4 Step: Harder Shading

Make dark lines in the central part of the shadows.

5 Step: Harder Highlights

Among the lighter areas, create some areas clearer still, almost absolute white.

6 Step: Bigger Shadows and Blurring the Illuminated Part.

Shadows largest in the region opposite the illuminated region.

7 Step: Coloring

Coloring is important before the last stages, because the color will be compressed when shadows are also compressed.

8 Step: Compressing Extremities and Improving the Shape

Thus the shadow and color, when compressed, will blend better.

9 Step: Resize, Reshaping and Adding Details

In this case the details that were added are the feathers.
Is important resize the drawing to suit the future icon.

10 Step: Latest Highlights and Shape Improvements

The strongest highlights. To really seem illuminated when resized.
And reshaping to suit the actual anatomy.

11 Step: Choose the Best Angle

Choose the best angle for the icon, which makes the behavior of light to be more natural.

12 Step: Special Effects and Glow.

The only drawback in this part, is to be careful not to color the drawing to blend in with the background color.
Same colors in the drawing and background can mingle and reduce the definition of the icon.

Thanks for reading,

I hope it helps future icon-makers.
And keeping alive the HWS.

 

[JollyD]

Great job here, Marcos!

 

[Adiktuz]

uhm, can you explain more about 3 & 4?

 

[Marcos DAB]

uhm, can you explain more about 3 & 4?

Basically you have to imagine the relief.
Illuminating the parts that are higher and darkening parts that will be deeper.

1. A Hole
2. A Hill

Example

 

[Codric]

Nice work this MUST be approved.

+rep even though we cant see the rep

 

[I3lackDeath]

Might be useful to add what software you used to create these.

You also have Example 1: Wildkin's hand casting a spell twice:
once as a summary, once as a detailed tutorial.

It would be better to split the whole tutorial into two areas:

• the first one being the detailed tutorial, with all the steps
• the second one being summarized in one hidden tag, showing all the WiP states.
  You can separate the steps of each icon via

  ---

---

 

[Adiktuz]

Hmmm... I really think you should explain it in more details as not everyone might now how to do them (like what kind of tools to use etc)... especially seeing it called as a basic icon tutorial...

 

[eubz]

What program did you use with this? Is it photoshop, GIMP, or any other image editing program?

 

[Marcos DAB]

What program did you use with this? Is it photoshop, GIMP, or any other image editing program?

I used Gimp, because you do not need many tools to make icons.
Phtoshop I use to make more detailed and realistic drawings.

 

[Manuval]

Can you give me the download link of that 'GIMP' program?

 

[PurgeandFire]

http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

EDIT: Detached signature. Looks like a solid tutorial. ~Approved.

 

[Daffa]

Can't find Drag tool in GIMP