Tutorial

Click on thumbnailed images to enlarge

This tutorial will show you a way to achieve a bright, contrasted look, that's a bit more easy on the eyes.

I'm using this picture of Justin Timberlake:


And we're going to turn that into this:




So let's do it.

Open your picture.


REMEMBER that all colour techniques work differently with each image: You have to play around to get what you're looking for.
This is what works with MY images, so you should know what you're doing to use this tutorial.

01 Variations;
We're going to touch up the orignal picture to give it a bit more oomph. (Image > Adjustments > Variations)

You get a window like this:


Midtone: more blue, more cyan
Highlight lighten,
Shadow darken,
Saturation less saturation.

This already gives a drastically changed look to JT:





02 Curves;

Okay, go Layers > New Adjusment Layer > Curves.

RGB 21, 20 / 131, 136 / 225, 212
Blue 0, 60 / 225, 205

This is the result of that layer:





03 Levels;

Layers > New Adjustment Layer > Levels.

Input 25, 1.35, 234

And this is what Justin looks like now:





04 Color Balance;

Now add Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance.

Midtone: 60, 27, 65
Highlight: 18, -6, -17

Boom, brightness.

Check out JT now:




05 Hue & Saturation;

Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue & Saturation.

Hue 16
Saturation -11
Lightness 0





06 Selective Color;

Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color.

Red 0, +100, 0, 0
Cyan +100, -100, -100, +100

These are obviously extreme, because with my image I can get away with it.
Remember to work with what's best for your image.


I added some text, and then that was me done.



This is JT's final look:



You now have your final product. Save For Web > Save as PNG for best quality, especially if you have used text.

Credit to sammytheheadbutt for showing me Variations. LY(:

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Tutorial Details

Author aliiicimo View profile
Submitted on Jul 22, 2009
Page views 11,243
Favorites 46
Comments 0
Reviewer manny-the-dino View profile
Approved on Jul 25, 2009