Per aspera ad astra

Finally got myself into writing a tutorial! Hope you'll like it!

So, here's an easy tut how to create this effect in only 3 steps.
to and to
IncludesHue/Saturation layer and a Curves layer.

1. Choose the image, create a new layer and fill it with color #deb477, set to darken.
2. Make a curves layer, RGB point:
Input: 89 Output: 227
3. Create a new Hue/Saturation layer, master saturation + 13. And you're done :)
The other results are:

Banner tutorial – texture use.

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( behind the cut )

1. Crop the image.

2. Fill with 000941, set to exclusion

3. Fill with fff1ce, set to multiply.

4. Duplicate the base, drag to the top.

5. Desaturate the duplicated base, set to overlay.

Quite an easy one BUT looks better if your original image isn’t dark.

Tutorial for Photoshop CS2 (should be transferable, I think)

 

1. For the base use this :  or any other similar scratch texture you’d like.
2. Crop and resize your image. Paste it to a new layer above your texture base.
3. Using Elliptical marquee tool select the part of the image you want to have in your avatar. Then right mouse click -> select inverse. All of the not needed are will be selected. Press delete.
4. edit the borders of your circle using  this kind of eraser
5. Create a new layer. Fill it with ba8245 and set to darken 50%.
6. Fill a second layer with 00567a and set to overlay (OR you may set to soft light, the 2^nd avi with Keira was made with using soft light). Done.

Other icons done with this tut: