Photoshop tutorial
How to Make This Icon Effect
Rebuild a running figure out of thousands of tiny cursor icons. You stretch the silhouette in Photoshop with Liquify and Smudge, shade it with a gradient so the density falls off, then run it through Stippld in Icon Mode using a cursor PNG as the dot shape.
Setup
Document
Photoshop document: 16 in x 20 in, 300 dpi, 8-bit.
Settings
- Size 16 in x 20 in
- Resolution 300 dpi
- Color mode 8-bit
Step 1
Duplicate and Liquify
Duplicate your subject. Use the Liquify tool to add the streaks on the bottom layer.
Layers
- Top layer running guy
- Bottom layer running guy copy (liquified streaks)
Step 2
Gradient Overlay
Apply a Gradient Overlay to the bottom layer using these settings.
Gradient Overlay
- Blend Mode Normal
- Dither Off
- Opacity 100%
- Gradient Light to dark grey (see stops below)
- Reverse On
- Style Linear
- Align with Layer On
- Angle 0°
- Scale 150%
- Method Classic
Gradient Editor
- Smoothness 100%
- Color stop 1 #d7d7d7, Location 20
- Color stop 2 #4c4c4c, Location 100
Step 3
Smudge the Top Layer
Use the Smudge tool to add more streaks to the top layer.
Step 4
Layer Masks
Add a layer mask to both layers and paint in areas where you want to add some fading. Use a soft brush with a low Flow percent.
The darker areas will have less icon density.
Layers
- running guy Layer mask, soft brush, low Flow
- running guy copy Layer mask, soft brush, low Flow
Step 5
Stippld with Icon Mode
Export your image at 50% scale. Bring it into Stippld and use these settings.
Icon Mode lets you use any .png file as the icon.
Save using Save Transparent.
Stippld Controls
- Resolution 90%
- Mode White on Black
- Number of Dots 1450
- Spacing Uniformity 10
- Dot Radius 25.00
- Dot Variance 0.0
- Dot Density 2.0
- Icon Mode — Enable On
- Icon Mode — Loaded icon Cursor arrow .png
- Export Save Transparent
Step 6
Back into Photoshop
Bring your Stippld image back into Photoshop. Apply at 2.0 px Gaussian Blur.
Create a blue Solid Color behind your Stippld image.
Add a monitor overlay. The one I used is from TextureLabs. Set this to Soft Light.
Layers
- Texturelabs_rgb_monitor Soft Light
- run-guy-icons Smart Object
- run-guy-icons — Gaussian Blur 2.0 px
- Color Fill 1 #008de7
Finish
Result
Done. Get Stippld to run the same stipple pass on your own artwork.
Get the plugin used in this tutorial
-
Stippld
Get StippldRegular price $40.00 USDRegular price$28.00 USDSale price $40.00 USD
