Aoi Kurenai
Mad Skillz
So I was doing this for someone else and thought it'd be a great way to get HJU's graphic artists to come out and help others in making banners and other images, so I shall start us off with a tutorial I just wrote!
So let's make a banner in 20 steps!
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Note: Unless otherwise noted, assume the layers are set to 100% opacity on Normal.
Step 1 - Start off with a color fill layer, something that doesn't clash with your stock image
Step 2 - Create a square color fill layer around the area you want the focal image, make it a slightly darker color than the previous layer.
Step 3 - Slap on your image (add any color corrections beforehand)
Step 4 - Should have your original, unaltered image opened in a different window. Select your image, find a section of it for the middle of the three icons in the center, cut (leave the background in tact) and resize to 59X66 or whatever is closest to that. Do this two more times with other areas of the image, place one above and below the first one, they don't have to totally appear on the banner. Place this slightly off center to the right.
Step 5 - Take a smokey brush and grab a color that goes bright on your three small images, brush once on each, add some color balance or saturation effects to make it a bit brighter if wanted. Set to linear burn 100%
Step 6 - Grab an obscure font, pick a very small font size and write gibberish over and over, break into lines going down the space between your focal image and the mini images.
Step 7 - Smokey brush again, brush a few times in a non obtrusive area of the focal image, set to normal, 73% opacity. I find it helps if you pick the exact color as the the color used for step 2.
Step 8 - Repeat step 7, place slightly above it, same layer and opacity settings.
Step 9 - Repeat step 7 once more, place it above step 8's brushing.
Step 10 - To the left of the banner, create a tall, thin, selection, color fill layer, pick a color around the same spectrum as the background color, just a bit darker.
Step 11 - Grab a small sized font, random gibberish again, about three characters per line going all the way down the banner over the color fill from step 10.
Step 12 - Grab a soft edge circular brush around 8 pixels, set the color to something along the lines of your background color. In the brushes panel, adjust the scattering so you have a wide range, then adjust the color dynamics to any setting you want. Brush once over step 10's color fill.
Step 13 - Grab a dark color, a smokey brush, and brush around the head of the focal image, set to Linear Burn at 66% opacity and erase any parts that spill onto the focal image (or not! Up to you, I just think it gives a slightly cleaner look)
Step 14 - Repeat step 13.
Step 15 - Now I'm lazy, so all I did here was duplicate step 14, rotated it and placed it slightly off the center mini image. Linear Burn, 66% opacity.
Step 16 - New brush, something...flowery? Regal? Something that flows nicely but has more shape than smoke. Make this a very light but visible color, brush just above step 15's layer, two or three times should do it if you set it at a smallish size. Set this layer to Luminosity at 16% opacity.
Step 17 - Duplicate step 16 and set it to Color Burn at 16% opacity.
Step 18 - Brush with a smokey brush next to the bottom of the mini images, set to Color Burn at 16% opacity.
Step 19 - Grab your original stock image that you used for the focal and mini images, select a vertical rectangular area of it and move it to the right side of the banner (or left, depends on where you want it)
Step 20 - Add text and you're done! My red soft light in the image came from making an outer glow for the text and giving it a wide spread.
Technically, you're done, but I broke my rule and made 21 steps. Why 21? Because I like to go one step beyond, and if you don't get the reference, you can kiss it.
Step 21 - Brightness and contrast layer, brightness should be set to around +20 and contrast to around -33, this should add a nice faded look.
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Banner #1: "Kanna Mori's Photographer Forgot to Keep Her in Frame"
So let's make a banner in 20 steps!
[hide]
Note: Unless otherwise noted, assume the layers are set to 100% opacity on Normal.
Step 1 - Start off with a color fill layer, something that doesn't clash with your stock image
Step 2 - Create a square color fill layer around the area you want the focal image, make it a slightly darker color than the previous layer.
Step 3 - Slap on your image (add any color corrections beforehand)
Step 4 - Should have your original, unaltered image opened in a different window. Select your image, find a section of it for the middle of the three icons in the center, cut (leave the background in tact) and resize to 59X66 or whatever is closest to that. Do this two more times with other areas of the image, place one above and below the first one, they don't have to totally appear on the banner. Place this slightly off center to the right.
Step 5 - Take a smokey brush and grab a color that goes bright on your three small images, brush once on each, add some color balance or saturation effects to make it a bit brighter if wanted. Set to linear burn 100%
Step 6 - Grab an obscure font, pick a very small font size and write gibberish over and over, break into lines going down the space between your focal image and the mini images.
Step 7 - Smokey brush again, brush a few times in a non obtrusive area of the focal image, set to normal, 73% opacity. I find it helps if you pick the exact color as the the color used for step 2.
Step 8 - Repeat step 7, place slightly above it, same layer and opacity settings.
Step 9 - Repeat step 7 once more, place it above step 8's brushing.
Step 10 - To the left of the banner, create a tall, thin, selection, color fill layer, pick a color around the same spectrum as the background color, just a bit darker.
Step 11 - Grab a small sized font, random gibberish again, about three characters per line going all the way down the banner over the color fill from step 10.
Step 12 - Grab a soft edge circular brush around 8 pixels, set the color to something along the lines of your background color. In the brushes panel, adjust the scattering so you have a wide range, then adjust the color dynamics to any setting you want. Brush once over step 10's color fill.
Step 13 - Grab a dark color, a smokey brush, and brush around the head of the focal image, set to Linear Burn at 66% opacity and erase any parts that spill onto the focal image (or not! Up to you, I just think it gives a slightly cleaner look)
Step 14 - Repeat step 13.
Step 15 - Now I'm lazy, so all I did here was duplicate step 14, rotated it and placed it slightly off the center mini image. Linear Burn, 66% opacity.
Step 16 - New brush, something...flowery? Regal? Something that flows nicely but has more shape than smoke. Make this a very light but visible color, brush just above step 15's layer, two or three times should do it if you set it at a smallish size. Set this layer to Luminosity at 16% opacity.
Step 17 - Duplicate step 16 and set it to Color Burn at 16% opacity.
Step 18 - Brush with a smokey brush next to the bottom of the mini images, set to Color Burn at 16% opacity.
Step 19 - Grab your original stock image that you used for the focal and mini images, select a vertical rectangular area of it and move it to the right side of the banner (or left, depends on where you want it)
Step 20 - Add text and you're done! My red soft light in the image came from making an outer glow for the text and giving it a wide spread.
Technically, you're done, but I broke my rule and made 21 steps. Why 21? Because I like to go one step beyond, and if you don't get the reference, you can kiss it.
Step 21 - Brightness and contrast layer, brightness should be set to around +20 and contrast to around -33, this should add a nice faded look.
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