[Tina]

You're welcome, I hope it helped.

[~MelBelle~]

Okay so I hope this is the right place to ask this....
I'm trying to work on a few gif icons....when I remembered the size one needs to have at this site

pixels or 39.1 KB

The thing is I can only get it to the 200 kb or 92 mark. Any lower and my gif looks like a broken record

Just wondering if there's something I'm doing wrong? or if there's a trick?

[Tina]

I think Jessica and Mel are the best people to ask for icon gif-ing advice. I really don't know any tricks.

[~MelBelle~]

Okay will ask. Thanks Tina

[meraki]

^Don't know if you have got help yet, but with icons for they can't be to much frames and it is easier to have some texture/colors over it too. The highest I have got to was about 19-21 frames. but then it won't be the most perfect gif!

[madness]

Pretty much what Jessica said, putting textures over it or even making only a part of your icon a gif, for example here :



Only half of this icon is a gif, the other part is just added canvas smoothened over with soft brushes. And personally, the maximum I go with frames is 16 because higher than that I'm not satisfied with the minimum colors.

[~MelBelle~]

Thanks for the help guys I'm going to try that. I usually use 15-20 frames, I even went down to 10 but still too much for and I use a overlay texture, but I'm going to try just doing half the icon as gif.

[Tina]

Thanks for pitching in Jess and Mel!
I hope it helps you, MelBelle!

[meraki]

Tutorial #1
Coloring + textures

Making this to this

Works better if it's a dark background. Don't be afraid to play around with the colors and the textures.

1. Let's starts with cropping the picture. I used this picture.

2. Duplicate the base and put it to Soft Light 40%.

3. Create a Color Balance layer

Midtones: -10 -14 -21
Shadows: -17 -9 -8
Highlights: +20 +20 +23

4. Create a Selective Color layer

Red: -7 0 +28
Yellow: -21 +5 +35 0
Neutrals: -7 -3 0 0

5. Hue/Saturation

Master: 0 +13 0

6. Create another Selective Color layer

Red: -71 0 +77 +20
Yellow: +100 -30 -100 0
Cyans: +56 0 0 0
White: +57 0 -55 0
Neutrals: +16 +10 +5 0

7. Yet another Selective Color layer
Red: +5 0 +9 0
Yellow: -30 0 +11 0
Cyans: +23 -23 0 0
Magentas: +21 +1 +23 0
Neutrals: +26 +4 -13 -3
Black: -9 +8 +5 -8

Now the icon will look somehow like this (it depends of the picture you use). Also again don't be afarid to change the coloring if you not happy with it:



Now it's time for the textures.

Just want to point out that these textures is not mine and I have got them from different sites through the years.
Sadly I don't remember who's the owner is for all of them.

8. The First Texture

This texture will make the whole icon. Set this texture above all of the layers. Keep it in Normal mode.
Then you take a soft erase tool to erase the texture that covers Kat. If it's hard to see you can put the Opacity down to 50-60%. But remember to put it back on to 100% when you done.

9. The Second Texture.

Set this texture to Screen 100%.


10. The Third Texture.

Set this texture to Overlay 100%

11. The Third Texture.

Set this texture to Color Burn 40% (texture credit)

And then you are done

[Tina]

Thanks for posting your tut, Jessica! I've added it to the OP.

[meraki]

Thanks for adding it Tina

[Summer Falls]

hey all

just wanted to ask for a little help.. i want to know how to make an animated icon .. if there a way to do it without photoshop and all?

[madness]

Yes of course, you can download the free program Photoscape, you can make gifs from there

[Tina]

Thanks for answering Mel.

[Summer Falls]

Originally Posted by wolfsbane (View Post) Yes of course, you can download the free program Photoscape, you can make gifs from there

ok thanks ill go see it

Does it also make it into a icon ?? Cause I can make a gif just want it as an icon !