note* - please give images a few seconds to load.
This tutorial will explain the steps to make basic icons with vista stylization, within Adobe Photoshop.
I will assume you have basic knowledge of basic photoshop tools, and the toolbox.
Example:
1.) Create a document 500x500.
2.) Grab the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" and set the radius to 10 see figure 1.1 - 1.2
Fig 1.1
Fig 1.2
3.) hold down shift, and drag a square out. after you've dragged the square out, right click the layer, and rasterize it.
4.) after you've rasterized your square, you can CTRL+U and select the color you want. (I chose 0d99ff)
5.) after you've picked your color, lets add some drop, and inner shadow, as well as some inner glow...
right click the Square layer, and select blending options.
For Drop Shadow, Use These Settings:
For Inner Shadow, Use These Settings:
For Inner Glow, Use These Settings: (you're most likely want to change the color to a lighter color of the color you picked)
6.) after you've done all of this, you'll see a result kind of like this:
(see it looks like a really really soft bevel, but it's not, so it's good)
Now, lets start adding more details.
- select the contents of the layer by ctrl+lmb clicking the layer. after you've selected it, create a new layer, after you've got your new layer, go to select > modify > contract > 3px, select your new layer, make sure your FG color is white, grab your gradient tool, pick the FG - Transparent gradient type, click at the bottom of the selection and drag upword. after you've done that, keep the selection on, now go to select > feather > 10 px, nudge your selection straight up about 2 times shift+up arrow. hit backspace, then go down a bit more, and hit backspace again, or until you achieve a similar result as follows
7.) alrighty, now lets add a bit more darkness up towards the top... create new layer, ctrl+lmb the square layer but stay on new layer, grab your gradient, keep it at FG - Transparent, but now, pick a darker color of the color you've selected. i chose 0061a8, after you do that do a diagonal drag from the upper left side... use whatever darkness you want, but i always believed subtlty was key... so this is what i got.
8.) for the next part you can use 1 of 2 tools, you can use the pen tool, or, you can use the elliptical marquee tool... whatver you feel most comfortable with. if you're using the pen tool, use white, then draw a curved path a little bit above the middle point of the square, close it, then rasterize it, if you're using the elliptical marquee, drag a wide ellipse across the face, and fill it with white. after you've completed this step, ctrl+lmb the square layer, and select>modify>contract it 3 px, then select>inverse, and hit backspace. hide the layer you just created. now, create a new layer, and ctrl+lmb click the white curved layer you just made before, grab your gradient again, (FG - Transparent) click and drag so it creates a subtle sheen, as seen here:
9.) now, we just need something to occupy the mid section of the icon, as you see I chose colors similar to the P2L layout, well, i'm going to add the circle arrow logo in the middle, now, you can add anything you want. now, the steps for the middle part are exactly the same as the base bg of the icon, so i'm gonna kinda fly through this...
10.) I grab the ellipse tool (same category the rounded rectangle was in) and i drag out a small ellipse to go in the center of the icon, (the color i chose for the ellipse was 15e200)
11.) I go to the blending options of the ellipse, I add a 5 pixel white stroke on it. as well as an inner glow, with color of 276e00.
12.) Now i add the bottom shine, i ctrl+lmb the ellipse layer, i go to select > modify > contract 3px, I make a new layer, and use a white FG - Transparent gradient, i then, click select > feather > 10 and nudge once and backspace, then i nudge the fg - trans gradient layer down 2 times.
13.) I grab the elliptical marquee tool, make a small vertical oval, on the circle, i then use my gradient (FG - Transparent) again. and i'm done.
this was my final result
Please, if you need further help, or a better explaination, ask, i'll be happy to help.
Co-Admin
Subject: Vista style Icons 
Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:08 pm
cool tutorial nice one thanks for sharing mr.chico....sci xD
