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| Tutorial: Custom Eye Colours using Photoshop (Beyond just Recolouring) |
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13th Apr 2005, 09:42 AM
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 Tutorial: Custom Eye Colours using Photoshop (Beyond just Recolouring)
# 1
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deathoflight
Original Poster
Test Subject 
Join Date: Oct 2004 |
I've gotten quite a few compliments on my custom eye colours, so I thought I would post a tutorial showing the technique I use. Edit by Tiggerypum: If you have Paint Shop Pro - check out the instructions in this message in the thread: psp tips here You can get decent results by simply recolouring the Maxis default colours, but I find that I can get much more interesting and unique shades by starting from scratch. For this tutorial I will be assuming that you already know how to export and import files from Bodyshop. If you don't, there are numerous other tutorials that cover that same ground. I will also be assuming that you have a basic working knowledge of Photoshop. Feel free to ask if you have any questions. I used Photoshop CE for this tutorial, but from what I remember of earlier versions, it should work unless you're using a very old version of Photoshop. I will admit that this looks like a LOT of steps, but once you have it down it only takes about two minutes total (Mere seconds if you save the steps as an Action.), and the results are worth it. In Photoshop, create a new document, 96 pixels in height and 36 pixels in width. Zoom in to about 400% so that you can see what you're doing. Create a new layer, and delete the background to get rid of the locked background layer, if necessary. If the colour chooser isn't open, go to Windows ---> Color to open it. Click on the swatches tab. Pick a grouping of four similar colours, ranging from darkest to lightest. The further apart the colours are in shade, the more detail you will have in the finished eye. Using the rectangular shape tool, fill the layer with the darkest colour. Switch to the next lightest colour, and make a rectangle vertically down the centre of the layer, leaving approximately five pixels of the first colour showing on either side. Repeat this until you have used all four colours. The result should look something like this:  (Picture enlarged for sake of clarity.) The important thing is to have the darkest colours on the outside, with the lightest colour in the centre. Otherwise this won't work. Go to: Filter ---> Stylize ---> Wind Set the Method to Wind and the Direction to From The Right. Click OK. Do it again, only this time set the direction to the left. Go to: Image ---> Adjustments ---> Invert Repeat the wind filter from both the left and right directions. Invert the image to get your original colours back. It should now look something like this:  Using the rectangular marquee tool, select an area on the right side of the canvas approximately five pixels wide. Go to: Select ---> Feather Set the feather radius to 5 pixels and click OK. Go to: Image ---> Adjustments ---> Brightness/Contrast Turn the Brightness all the way down (Or whatever looks right for the colours you've chosen. Darker colours might only need the slider halfway down.) and click OK. Repeat the previous steps on the left side of the canvas. Go to: Image ---> Canvas Size Change the canvas width to 48 pixels and set the anchor point to the centre right.  Using the Rectangle Shape tool, fill the transparent part of the canvas on the left with black. This will be the pupil. Go to: Image ---> Canvas Size Change the canvas width to 96 pixels and set the anchor point to the centre left.  Go to: Image ---> Rotate Canvas ---> 90 Degrees CW IMPORTANT: Make sure you only have one layer! If there's more than one, Go to: Layer ---> Merge Visible Go to: Filter ---> Distort ---> Polar Coordinates Choose the Rectangular to Polar option and click OK. You should now have a fairly decent looking eye.   (This pic actual size.) To tweak it a bit, you might want to duplicate the layer, and change the blending mode. On lighter colours, Overlay works quite well, on darker colours Color Dodge will brighten it up. Just play around with it a bit and see what works best for the colours you've chosen. When you're done, merge the layers. Now, one last step. Go to: Filter ---> Render ---> Lens Flare Position the flare somewhere in the upper right part of the iris, and play with the sliders until it looks how you want it. And you're done. Just copy the eye, paste it into the file you exported from Bodyshop, and position over the original eye. It should fit exactly, if you have used the dimensions specified in this tutorial. Flatten the image and save. By using different colours and experimenting with layer styles, you can get many different results. Advanced users: It's well worth the time to save the steps as an Action. Then you can make a dozen or so colour bar sets, run an automated batch, and just pick the ones that look especially nice for further editing. EDIT 7/20/05: Check out post #14 in this thread for some interesting variations! |
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Last edited by tiggerypum : 4th Sep 2007 at 01:01 AM.
Reason: added psp info
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15th Apr 2005, 02:38 AM
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# 2 |
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Faylen
Feeder of Cheesecake to Llamas
 
Join Date: Nov 2004 |
What you have here is very nice, and easy to follow. Do you mind if I link it in the How Do I Make Clothes For My Sims Thread? (I might have to come up with a new title. . .again.) |
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"Living well is the best revenge. . ." George Bernard Shaw |
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15th Apr 2005, 02:55 AM
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# 3 |
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puppy45341
Lab Assistant
Join Date: Nov 2004 |
oh my gosh!!! thank you!!! i actually know what im doing now!!lol |
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15th Apr 2005, 07:41 PM
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# 4 |
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Lpfan
Test Subject
Join Date: Apr 2005 |
THANX SOOOO MUCH! Can you please post a link of your sims so i can see how it looks on a sim please? |
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15th Apr 2005, 07:53 PM
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# 5 |
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juniorphreak
Lab Assistant
Join Date: Dec 2004 |
Excellent tutorial. I love the results I've gotten. I'll never download an eyecolor again. 
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16th Apr 2005, 08:38 AM
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# 6 |
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deathoflight
Original Poster
Test Subject
Join Date: Oct 2004 |
Faylen -- Feel free to link it where ever. Lpfan -- I don't actually have any sims up anywhere at the moment. Lost my webspace and haven't gotten around to reuploading all my stuff yet. (Hundreds of items on a 56k internet connection...ouch.) I'll go dig up a screenshot though. |
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16th Apr 2005, 09:40 AM
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# 7 |
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Lpfan
Test Subject
Join Date: Apr 2005 |
That's very kind of you. Okay I tried to make one of those eyes but how to you delete the background layer? Because when I "wind" it, it comes transparent. (All I've ever done on Photoshop was recolour) |
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16th Apr 2005, 10:21 AM
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# 8 |
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Lpfan
Test Subject
Join Date: Apr 2005 |
Okay nevermind, it seems I skipped a step. |
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16th Apr 2005, 02:35 PM
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Re:
# 9
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Lpfan
Test Subject
Join Date: Apr 2005 |
  It looks so beautiful!! Thanks a ton :D The first time I made this it took me 5 minutes The second time it was only 2 
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Last edited by Lpfan : 16th Apr 2005 at 02:39 PM.
Reason: I was being stupid
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18th Apr 2005, 05:45 AM
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# 10 |
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Mishkat
Lab Assistant
Join Date: Mar 2005 |
Excellent!! I tried and made it an action so now it only takes seconds to make eyes. Love it! Thank you!! |
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19th Apr 2005, 02:04 AM
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# 11 |
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krazii
Test Subject
Join Date: Apr 2005 |
ooo! this tutorial is really cool! i made my first good eye! thanks! |
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29th Apr 2005, 02:15 PM
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# 12 |
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Phse
Test Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005 |
wow this is great |
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21st Jun 2005, 05:17 AM
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# 13 |
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Gizmo7680
Top Secret Researcher
 
Join Date: May 2005 |
Thank you so very much for this tutorial I shall give it a try. Looks like this is going to be fun!!! Thanks again |
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14th Jul 2005, 06:16 AM
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# 14 |
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HystericalParoxysm
Admin of YIP YIP YIP YIP
  
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One thing I might add... Once you apply all the wind steps, and do the brightness/contrast to darken the edges, I then go back and select both edges the same way like for the brightness/contrast step, but with a feather of 7... Then do hue-saturation on each side and give it a little bit of a tint. For example, I just made my own eyes for my self-sim, and the main colours I picked are a golden brown/green, but for the right side tint I made it a little turquoise (as my eyes are edged in a little ring of a more bluish hue) and for the left (center) a little more golden/green. Then do the rest of the steps as normal and it creates a -very- realistic-looking eye.  This second one was created with variations in grey/green to slightly yellow/orange, and then the inside tinted with a yellow/orange.  Anyway... I LOVE this tutorial, and I hope this one little bit will be helpful for others. Thanks much! I'm having so much fun with this! |
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20th Jul 2005, 02:39 PM
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# 15 |
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deathoflight
Original Poster
Test Subject
Join Date: Oct 2004 |
Wow, nice variations! Those look great. |
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23rd Jul 2005, 09:01 AM
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# 16 |
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psss
Test Subject
Join Date: May 2005 |
 Love it ..thanks
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23rd Jul 2005, 01:00 PM
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# 17 |
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chyrun
Forum Resident
Join Date: Nov 2004 |
Thank you so much!!! the results are fabulous
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13th Aug 2005, 01:52 PM
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# 18 |
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jubileebud
Test Subject
Join Date: Feb 2005 |
Is there any way that you can make a tute for PSP7 since I don't have Photoshop? |
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25th Sep 2005, 07:30 PM
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# 19 |
| daman19942 |
Very easy to follow tutorial. Does it work in Paint Shop Pro X? That's the program I have. If not, were can I get photoshop? |
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26th Sep 2005, 10:52 PM
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# 20 |
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lockanoddle
Lab Assistant
Join Date: Sep 2005 |
Um can some1 help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really like those eyes! |
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[COLOR=Yellow]I love the Lord, Jesus Christ, and yellow!!!!! Psalms 139:23-24 look it up if you have a Bible, because I don't want to type it all. |
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30th Oct 2005, 12:25 AM
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# 21 |
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Guest
Posts: n/a |
for some reason, its just not working for me. i did everything, but instead of looking like this: <img src="http://www.runescapehaven.com/sims2/four.jpg"> it looks...well...different. the pupil is the only thing rounded when i clicked polar cordinates. so...what do i do? |
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30th Oct 2005, 12:26 AM
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# 22 |
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Guest
Posts: n/a |
aparently html doesnt work. lol... this is what i meant:  |
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30th Oct 2005, 06:43 PM
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Help
# 23
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draculasdaughter000
Test Subject
Join Date: Jul 2005 |
heya peeps i need some help about making the eyes i havent got photoshop,will it work on any other programs? if not then how do i get the Photoshop program? Please help |
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20th Nov 2005, 06:39 AM
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# 24 |
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ticticc13
Test Subject
Join Date: May 2005 |
Hey, great tutorial! I made my first custom eyes using your tips. I'm using Adobe Photoshop CS. Thanks a bunch. |
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~The Smallest Feline is a Masterpiece~ -Leonardo DaVinci My Sims 2 Flickr |
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20th Nov 2005, 12:30 PM
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# 25 |
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Sita
Test Subject
Join Date: Oct 2004 |
Thanks, that is very helpful! Best tut I have seen on this. |
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