Character Recolors, PSDs, and Renderings [*New* BBCF Available]

[SolarMisae]

Alright, here we go: http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/362/0/5/recolor_tut_by_solar_misae-d35wlg0.png

Ignore the mass amounts of typos/spelling errors etc. I made this really fast. Anyways, this is a tutorial on how I make my templates, and then how I use them to do my edits.

Also, I use photoshop CS4 for this, but it should work with newer/older versions of PS as well. This method should work on just about ANY image you wanna recolor as well, not just the portraits.

I tried to make it n00b friendly, but if anyone has any questions about it feel free to ask.

Edited December 29, 2010 by SolarMisae

[Bolverk-GTM]

I've been too lazy to sit down and actually do this myself soooo can anyone do a CS portrait recolor using this palette, please?

Thanks, love you if you do it, buh bye now.

[LunarSelenia]

Sollaaaarrr I love you for this. Then again, you already taught me the method, but it makes things easier ^^

[Murki]

Awesome tutorial Solar, with my idiocy it'd probably still be too hard to do. Though does having a much older PS make a difference, or should it be just as easy? Iunno if anything has changed that much for it.

[SolarMisae]

So long as your version of PS has the pen tool and gradient maps...it should work pretty much the same. ^^

[Avenger]

Wow nice tut there Solar...

Does that work with CS Story mode character artworks too?

[SolarMisae]

I've been too lazy to sit down and actually do this myself soooo can anyone do a CS portrait recolor using this palette, please?

http://i.imgur.com/kIBsX.png

Thanks, love you if you do it, buh bye now.

Click it to download full resolution.

Wow nice tut there Solar...

Does that work with CS Story mode character artworks too?

Yep. It's exactly the same method. It'll work with almost any image really.

[Bolverk-GTM]

Thannnnnnnnnnk youuuuuuuuuu Solarrrrrrr~! <3

[SolarMisae]

No problem. ^_^

[Murki]

Okay, minus the not completely covering the hair right (Any tips on making the pen things not bow and such, or did I pass reading that on the tutorial by accident?), did I do it correctly? I honestly always wanted to do this type of stuff, though Solar is taking care of the stuff pretty well, I want to do some Mu ones, though using the better resolution without the stupid sword behind her, would mean her legs are cut off. But still.

[Tong]

Hey, I can cut Mu's sword If you want, so you can take care of your Nu.

[SolarMisae]

Okay, minus the not completely covering the hair right (Any tips on making the pen things not bow and such, or did I pass reading that on the tutorial by accident?), did I do it correctly? I honestly always wanted to do this type of stuff, though Solar is taking care of the stuff pretty well, I want to do some Mu ones, though using the better resolution without the stupid sword behind her, would mean her legs are cut off. But still.

The 4th screenshot in my tutorial is how you stop the pen tool from going all wonky. Basically you hold down the alt key (pc) or the option key (Mac) and click on the last point you made. It makes it so your next path will be a straight line that you can manipulate easier then the weird curvy things it does by default.

But otherwise it looks like you're doing a good job for your first shot.

Edited December 29, 2010 by SolarMisae

[Tong]

Hmm.

Make a line, as in, clike twice anywhere.

Clika in the same line to add an anchor point.

Hold CTRL AND Click n drag it. Ta'da! That way you can make a curve!

I think thats the issue I suppose?

[Avenger]

amidoingitright?

[Tong]

Yup, its progressively becoming cool.

But, If you're using the Paths method, It will be more complicated to erase the stuff you're overpainting, like his buttons and buckles.

[Avenger]

Yup, its progressively becoming cool.

But, If you're using the Paths method, It will be more complicated to erase the stuff you're overpainting, like his buttons and buckles.

That's not a problem...

I'll just create another "path" for those buckles and buttons... Just tried out Solar's method.

Oh and BTW, you need not to erase the overpainted stuff like his buckles. Create another path for it, then create another gradient for it.

[Tong]

I preffer erasing it, because lets say theres another button somewhere else not overpainted.

The buttons may not match contrast/colors. If you make his coat darker, the buttons will also get darker. And when you try to make it bright again, somewhere a button thats not part of the coat will become a very white dot.

Watch for it

[Murki]

Made progress on the Mu/Dizzy one, I'll continue on it unless of course Solar did one or would like to, since Solar can do a much better job I wouldn't mind. <_<

But I took a quick break to try with Tong's template again, how's this one? Forgot to change her eye, but provided it's decent enough I might go and try with the all the other colors like how Solar did for Ragna.

[Tong]

Very nice! You got the colors right.

Well, Im doing Lambda palletes atm, so I think you should try Nu's if you want.

When done, resize the image(ALT+CTRL+I) then chance "document size" to percent and put 25% for both H(eight) and W(idth). Then ALT+CTRL+C to change the canvas size, so you may have some space to agroup then!

but you probably already know about it I guess...

[Murki]

Gotcha, but when you say Nu, do you mean the actual Nu colors like the one above, or the using the Nu image like I did with the previous one? Have to make sure I still have the high-res Nu image without the sword in that case.

[Tong]

Yeah, I meant doing her in combat mode.

[yashanyu1]

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc13/yashanyu1/Jokerhaz.png

Been workin on a haz template, A tad messy but yeah... should be done soon

Edited December 30, 2010 by yashanyu1

[ThunderboltZ28]

Hey has there been any progress on a Mu template?

[Tong]

Been workin on a haz template, A tad messy but yeah... should be done soon

Nice stuff, cant wait for the whole thing.

Hey has there been any progress on a Mu template?

I think Solar was working on her, but If you have something else in mind, I may start doing w/e so you wont have to wait long.

[ThunderboltZ28]

Nice stuff, cant wait for the whole thing.

I think Solar was working on her, but If you have something else in mind, I may start doing w/e so you wont have to wait long.

Oh no its fine. I was just wondering.