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Tutorial: Color balance, Curves.
// tutorial

Comment; I make these for you guys, I'd apperciate hearing what you think.
Credit; So other people can see them and get them, use them, whatever.
Not Hotlinking; I just don't have the bandwith.

Go from to

All of my resources can be found here or are pointed out in the post. (This icon was made from total scratch, so none of my borrowed resources were used, though!)

Start with this image. Crop down to 100x100 pixels.

Duplicate the blurry base layer. Go to image >> adjustments >> levels.

On top, in the middle, the box will say 1.00. Change it to 1.37.

Duplicate that layer and set it to soft light at 100%.

Go to layer >> new adjustment layer >> color balance.
Midtones should look like this.
Highlights should look like this.
Keep preserve luminosity checked for both.

Now for the curves These things are not as hard as everyone thinks. It just takes a little patience, some time, and once you've played with them for a while--they're easy!

Go to layer >> new adjustment layer >> curves. I used this curve. I have a set, there is 9 in it total, all of which I'd make icons with. Actually... I saved them while I was in the process of making nine different icons. There are for download here if you're interested.

Create a new rasher layer. Fill it with #02102a then set it to exclusion at 100%.

Create another new rasher layer. Fill it with #d1def6 then set it to color burn at 100%.

Create another new rasher layer and take photoshops (or whatever you're using) 100 px soft round brush. Select the color #ff0000 and place the brush on the lower left hand corner. Set that layer to lighten at 100%.

And you're done!

Feel free to friend me.
Check out my resources for all credit.
I've written other tutorials, too.
Check out my my icons.