If you should lose your head: you can use mine instead.

Theme: Modeling, Jack Kerouac, Shane MacGowan, Ayn Rand, Hunter S. Thompson, The Dandy Warhols

2008-03-03T21:45:30Z

» Do not alter these icons in any way.
» If provided, click icon to see original and full-sized image (hfimages).
» Specify in comment for further information (textures, fonts or methods used on certain icon).
» Give credit to hficons if you put any to use.


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

21	22	23	24	25

Theme: The Smiths, House MD, Blixa Bargeld, Tim Skold

2008-01-24T22:47:35Z

» If provided, click icon to see original and full-sized image (hfimages).
» Specify in comment for further information (textures, fonts or methods used on certain icon).
» Give credit to hficons if you put any to use.


01

02

03

04

Theme: Lou Reed, Gary Numan, Dave Vanian, Blixa Bargeld, Tim Skold, Marilyn Manson, Hugh Laurie

2007-12-02T17:34:34Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

Theme: Textures (Drifters In The White)

2007-08-07T16:58:37Z

» Give credit to hficons if you put any to use.

Download link here.

Theme: Marilyn Manson, John 5, Dita Von Teese

2007-08-07T01:34:23Z

Theme: John 5, Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson, Tom Waits, Tim Skold

2007-07-23T05:34:17Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

The quality restoration for the original full-size image on #18 was done by the staff from TS Sycophant. Additions to the icon beyond quality repair of the original black and white image were done by me.

Tutorial: Photomanip, Quality Repair

2007-06-28T23:00:31Z

» Photoshop Tutorial (Required)
» Photomanip & Quality Repair
» Steps ARE NOT 100% precise. Image was created before tutorial.

»

For this tutorial I will be using an image of En Esch and Sascha Konietzko. These steps can be applied to almost any image, and are done in Photoshop (7). The steps should and will vary depending on the image you use. Feel free to experiment.

Ever find a picture that you really like, but it looks like it was printed out on newspaper, crumpled up, stepped on and scanned again? Well, the few of you who keep up with this journal know that I am all about quality repairing... I find images like this all of the time that I use in my graphics, and it is very possible to reverse these effects. Don't half-ass your graphics if you don't think the quality is good enough. I'll show you how to fix images like the one shown above.

We start off with the image at it's original size in Photoshop; cropping is done after the restoration. Duplicate the layer twice so that you have three copies of it, then use Median (set at 4) on the bottom layer.

Now, set the two upper layers to Lighten and Darken. What this does is it separates the color from the shadows from the highlights. Hide one of the layers--it doesn't matter which. In this case I'm making the Lighten layer invisible.

Select the eraser (or press E on your keyboard). Your goal now is to erase the dark patterns, lines, JPG-bits and anything else that makes your image look deteriorated in quality. Set the flow and opacity down a little ways enough so that you can erase gradually without running in to vital parts. In this case, I have mine on 80-70ish. Avoid erasing creases in faces or clothing, as this might make your image look unnatural or distort facial expressions. Be careful and try your best to tell apart what is unnecessary with what is a part of the image. In most cases, if your image is focusing on people, you don't need to worry about the background and can just erase everything from it. You can easily switch between sizes with the [ and ] keys; this should help in getting all of the areas, from small to large, quickly.

(I might add that this, as well as following images, is a rendition of the original erasing that I did to create the end result image. This is just an example image however, and doesn't deter the actual steps. The steps and how you perform them on your own image are what you should worry about.) If you feel you have to, fiddle with the opacity of your Darken layer. Once you are satisfied, make the Lighten layer visible again and repeat these steps. Depending on your image, you can be a bit more liberal here, but still be careful not to erase vital details or too much of any highlights.

Now you can flatten your layers. Select the smudge tool and set the strength to 8. What you want to do now is smudge all of the areas that still show signs of bad quality, or in this case vertical lines and JPG-bits. Do it gradually, and move your mouse in a sort of circular motion so that you are smudging them in rather than just pushing them in another direction. Even on the faces any little JPG-bits or sharp areas should be gone over, though not excessively. Use small sizes and be careful not to go in to any outlines or important areas when smudging the skin. En Esch and Sascha are both (practically) bald in this image so it makes it much easier than with photos of people with lots of hair. If your image is of a person that is not bald, then use a small brush and move in the direction that the hair grows. If you go in to any areas you didn't want to, just press CTRL + Z and undo it and start over. As with the eraser, you can use the [ and ] keys to change sizes quickly. This can be a pretty slow process (example image below was very poorly re-done because of that fact) and it is not good to try to speed through. Take your time, if you have to save the image and come back later. Just make sure you get everywhere that you need to. (Once you are done with this, if you are not satisfied you may repeat all of the steps up to this point, only with Median set on a lower level.)

(The step may not work well with your image. Try boosting the contrast a bit if this happens; if it doesn't help, just skip it.) Now that you've fixed up the overall image, let's restore some of the detail. Duplicate the layer and use Cutout. The number of levels should be eight, edge simplicity 0 and you can fiddle with the last option. Set the layer's opacity to around 20% or less.

Create a new layer and press B on your keyboard. Make your brush color a dark one that's used as part of the shadow or outline in the image. It shouldn't be completely black. Put it at size 2 or so and set the opacity and flow to around 30-40%, also add smoothing and airbrush. Go over outlines and details with your brush gradually. Use the eraser along with it set at a low opacity and flow to make your lines smooth.

Once you are satisfied with your lines, flatten the image (you can fiddle with the layer's opacity first if you think it looks too bold; you should also make use of the eraser, though). Now bring back the original untouched image and put it on top of your altered one as a new layer. Create an empty layer on top of this and select the brush. Use white or any other color you'd like to use for the highlights and make use of the old image as a guide to where highlights belong and where they were lost most. Make an effort to see where the light source is coming from, as this will help you determine where highlights go. Draw over these areas with a small, hard brush. Once you are done, delete the layer with the original version of your image so that the highlights go on top of the altered version.

Now, use Gaussian Blur with a radius of around 2.1 pixels. Lower the layer's opacity a little bit, then go in to the layer properties by double-clicking on the layer. Move the lower left arrow up a bit until the light areas aren't going over dark ones too much.

Now your image is done! Crop it, and add textures, gradients, colors, text...

»

Theme: Marilyn Manson, Tim Skold

2007-06-09T03:41:29Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

Theme: Chuck Palahniuk, Ayn Rand, Bret Easton Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Maynard James Keenan, John 5, etc.

2007-05-03T18:32:01Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

Tutorial: Photomanip & Quality Repair

2007-04-20T00:31:18Z

» Paint Shop Pro & Photoshop Tutorial (Required)
» Photomanip & Quality Repair
» Steps ARE NOT 100% precise. Icon was created before tutorial.

»

For this tutorial I will be using an image of Tim Skold with his peculiar new red mohawk hairdo which makes him look like an old Swedish guy that wants to be Irish (no offense to him). You may follow these steps along with another image, although if you are afraid to experiment and are going to follow them precisely word-for-word I suggest it be of similar color scheme and brightness. In this case it should largely have a similar color to Skold's skin, and then red, gray and blue.

The steps are done in both Photoshop (7) and Paint Shop Pro (8) (combined; not separately). The steps should and will vary depending on the image you use. Feel free to experiment.

Firstly, in Photoshop, duplicate the layer and go to Filter > Noise > Median and set it to 3. Take the original untouched layer and put it on top of the one with Median applied to it and set the layer to darken.

Take the image in to Paint Shop and go to Adjust > Brightness And Contrast > Curves. Under the red channel, create one dot on the line and set Input to 178 and Output to 207. Create another dot and set Input to 76 and Output to 49. Go to the green and blue channels and repeat this process, only with these numbers.
Green, dot one: (Input: 176; Output: 204)
Green, dot two: (Input: 82; Output: 48)
Blue, dot one: (Input: 211; Output: 173)
Blue, dot two: (Input: 51; Output: 85)

Now crop this down to a 100 x 100 pixel image.

Go to Adjust > Brightness And Contrast > Highlight/Midtone/Shadow. Put -15 in Shadow and 15 in Brightness.

Next open up these two textures on to layers in a single separate window.

Put the latter image on top of the first one and set it to multiply.

Flatten the layer, then duplicate it and set it to screen.

Go to Adjust > Brightness And Contrast > Curves.
Red, dot one: (Input: 178; Output: 207)
Red, dot two: (Input: 76; Output: 49)
Green, dot one: (Input: 210; Output: 180)
Green, dot two: (Input: 54; Output: 69)
Blue, dot one: (Input: 211; Output: 173)
Blue, dot two: (Input: 51; Output: 85)

Take the image of Skold and place it on top of the texture on a new layer set to multiply. Go in to the layer properties and under the gray channel take the top arrow at the right-hand side on "this layer" and bring it all the way to the arrow opposite of it so that it reads "0" at both of the top ends.

Duplicate the layer set to multiply with the properties and set it lighten.

Flatten the image, duplicate it and set it to overlay at 34%.

Now take this texture.

Put it on a new layer set to multiply. Flatten the image.

Now duplicate the image and go back to Adjust > Brightness And Contrast > Curves. Do slightly milder settings of what was done with the original image. Set it to overly at 54%. Flatten the image.

Duplicate the image again and go to Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask.... Set it to Radius: 1.00; Strength: 36; Clipping: 0. Erase overly sharp edges and other unappealing areas and flatten the image.

Now let's bring our icon in to Photoshop.

Take out the blur tool and blur areas of the skin and background that look JPG-esque, rough or just aesthetically displeasing You can use the [ and ] keys to easily switch sizes to meet the size requirements of the area of the image you are blurring.

Now take the smudge tool and repeat the process, only this time also catching the very edges of a few too-sharp areas (in this case the edges around Skold's eye make up). It should look something like this, although it is a bad recreation and differing from what was done to the original icon.

Create a new layer. Now pick a dark color from the image used somewhere for an outline and take out the brush tool. In this case I chose the color from darkest pixel in the line of Skold's lips. Use a brush size around 2 or 3 pixels. Set the flow to around 35% percent and be sure to add the smoothing and airbrush properties. Go over outlines on your new layer wherever you see fit and afterwards go over them with the eraser set to around 50% flow and 35% opacity until you are pleased with the way it looks. If necessary you can fiddle with the layer's opacity as well.

You are done. Let's see that comparison one more time...

»

Tutorial: Quality Repair

2007-04-20T00:30:15Z

» Paint Shop Pro Tutorial
» Quality Repair
» Steps ARE 100% precise. Icon created along with tutorial.

I'm really starting to get sick of seeing people post shitty quality icons in icon communities that for some reason receive mindless praise. So sick and tired, in fact, that I am going to roughly demonstrate how to make an icon look a little less like shit!

Some of you might say “I can't learn while I'm being insulted!”, but (insults aside) if you have a decent program this isn't a very difficult thing to do at all. In fact, all it takes is minimal Paint Shop/Photoshop experience, eyes and hands to do this.

»

Here's a rough example on how to repair the quality of an image. The steps should and will vary depending on the picture you use. I don't have any specific organized method I use, I more or less fuck with it until it looks pretty, but here's how I made this one look a little less raunchy.

You start off by taking the crappy quality image and pasting it in a new 100 x 100 pixel image.

The picture, of course, does not have to be of Pete Burns, but it does help.

These steps all depend on the quality of the image you're using, but in this case the next thing you should do is sharpen the picture.

Now duplicate the image on a new layer, set it to screen at 50 and flatten the image.

Once again, duplicate the image on a new layer. Now go to Adjust Brightness/Contrast and set both to 5. Set the layer to overlay at 18 and flatten the image.

Now go to adjust Highlight/Midtone/Shadow. Set Shadow to -65, set Midtone to -20 and Highlight to 10.

See? We're getting somewhere, aren't we?

Next, duplicate the image to a new layer again and sharpen it. Set it to 40 and flatten the image.

There seems to be a trend of making icons ridiculously sharp floating around, which would result in it looking like so.

That is, in my opinion, hideous and hopefully just a trend that will die off eventually. I advise against doing it. Always.

Anyway, back on topic, the next thing you should do is soften the distorted sharp JPG quality spots with the soften brush. Do not soften the edges, as this will result in your icon looking hideous as much as over-zealously pressing the Sharpen option would. If necessary, use the JPG Artifact Removal option (in moderation).

Now create a new layer, press the fill tool and fill the layer with #0B3457. Set it to exclusion at 70 and flatten the image.

Duplicate the image on to a new layer and set it to screen at 20.

Flatten the image, duplicate it, set it to overlay at 100 and flatten it again (the constant flattening isn't necessary, but it's a habit of mine as I don't like having hundreds of layer up at one time if I can help it).

Now go to Highlight/Midtone/Shadow again and set the Shadow to -30 and the Highlight to 8.

I like the eyes to stand out, so I duplicate the layer one last time, sharpen it, delete the area around the eyes, set it to 30 and flatten the image.

I wouldn't use this icon as is, but doesn't this look better than this ?

Yes. Yes it does.

Now you can carry on and fuck it up with ugly textures and pointless text in even uglier fonts! Enjoy.

Theme: Dead Like Me, Tim Skold, Clan Of Xymox, Scissor Sisters

2007-04-08T00:38:20Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

Theme: Marilyn Manson, Misc, Twiggy Ramirez, Clan Of Xymox, Joy Division, KMFDM, Syd Barrett

2007-04-01T01:45:17Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

Theme: Textures (Man Who Fell To Earth)

2007-03-17T04:59:47Z

» Give credit to hficons if you put any to use.

Download link here.

Theme: Jesus & Mary Chain, Violent Femmes, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Rozz Williams, Sascha Konietzko

2007-02-25T00:49:27Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14

Theme: Textures (Introverted)

2007-02-19T20:10:42Z

» Give credit to hficons if you put any to use.

Download link here.

Theme: Tim Skold

2007-02-13T03:28:00Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

Theme: Rozz Williams, Opeth, Kris Lemche, Misc

2007-01-06T20:08:42Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13

Theme: Marilyn Manson, John 5, Nick Cave, Tim Skold, Siouxsie Sioux, Goldfrapp, SLC punk, Twiggy

2006-12-06T01:37:19Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14

Theme: Pete Burns, Rozz Williams, Scissor Sisters, SLC Punk, John 5, Chemlab, Misc

2006-11-03T22:10:00Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

21	22	23	24	25

21

Theme: Mindless Self Indulgence, Jimmy Urine

2006-09-09T19:26:00Z


01	02	03	04	05

06	07	08	09	10

11	12	13	14	15

16	17	18	19	20

21