faded colours

Want to learn how to make icons that look like they have faded colours? Here's the place, it's simple and fast.

Difficulty: Easy
Program: Photoshop
Added on: August 29, 2008
PSD Included: No

In this tutorial you will find out how to turn this:
into this:

Start by finding and icon base or 100x100 picture or make one. Let's start with this which you can find on this site:


Step 1: Open another layer with this texture from Aethereality ID:5 (just use the preview picture >:D) and set as Colour on Blending Change and set opacity to 50%-100%, I used 75%:


Now,it should look like this:


Step 2: Duplicate the background and use Softlight as the Blending Change, it should look like this now:


Step 3: Make a new fill layer with the colour #213364 or use this and change the Blending to Exclusion:


This is what it should look like:


Step 4: Repeat Step 2 again and it should look like this:


Optional Step 5: This is optional but I like to make borders so if you want to add a border to your icon then make a transparent layer, and select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M). Go to Select and press All or Ctrl-A. Then select the colour black or #020202 or whatever colour you want the border to be, then go to Edit and go down and click Stroke. Put in 5px or 3px, I usually use 3px so I'm going to use 3px. Make sure Center is checked on Location and press OK. Go to Select and press Deselect. And now you should have this:


Now you're done!

You don't really need to use the texture but if you don't it will look a little more blue than yellow, the yellow makes it look like it's been out in the sun for awhile that it started fading. But with out the texture it will look like this instead:


Other icons I made using this:

goodbye

enjoy your stay