(Copied from the beta forum)
Here's a 'how to' in regards to creating general graphics according to a modified system from the style of the original artist.
Step 1 - Find an appropraite picture.
The best pictures are those that are crips with appropraite shadows and shading is best. The below example is a good start (if grainy or botched, some work will be required to smooth and re-shade).
Step 2 - Re-colour the picture.
The graphics work best when you change the original to grey-scale (black, white and grey). Even if it looks black and white, selecting grey-scale will make sure. When you do the layering later, the picture ends up looking sharp and consistent given they all are of the same colouring.
Step 3 - Selecting the profile.
Now you have to select only the head, and a bit of the torso using the select tool, this eliminates the background and the unecessary part of the torso. Try to ensure that you have a similar distance from the left and right side of the head, as well as not too much shoulder.
Step 4 - Contrast.
Graphics look the best if there is a good contrast (although not too strong) between the ligher and darker parts. The best is a contrast that the lightest part is white, and the darkest part is black, the layering will lighten up the dark somewhat, and darken up the light (so it will not look as contrasted when you apply the graphic to the layering). This image shows the before (left) and after (right) of the images contrasting.
Step 5 - Resizing and fitting
There are two different scales that are used, a Unit scale and Army scale, this means you have to do the following twice, at different scales.
A) Resize - Unit - Resizing the picture for the unit results in a resize to 50-60 pixels along the width of the picture (ensure that you have aspect-ratio selected).
B) Resize - Army - Resizing the picture for the army results in a resize to 26-32 pixels along the width of the picture (ensure that you have aspect-ratio selected).
In order to get the picture to work (which is currently a rectangle) in the portrait (which is an oval), you have to apply templates to the respective scaled pictures. Below shows the rescaled Unit Size picture with the Unit Template (in pink applied). You copy and fit this template over your picture to see if you have to resize (if the picture is too small/big) and see how the graphic will look. When you are happy, click OFF the picture so the pink template becomes merged, then re-select the pink template and click delete (Step 6 shows what this looks like after deleting the template).
For the Army Size picture you simply do the same, except use the blue template instead of pink.
Step 6 - Setting up the Layering
When you copy over the graphic, the oval template has to be prepared to accept the new graphic, this is through 'layering'.
Layering (found in PSP8 in its own box or selection, but should be in all graphic programs) results in an interesting connection between two different graphics, allowing for the desired effect.
A) Create a New Raster Layer (will be called Raster 2 in PSP8)
B) Customize the style for Raster 2 (I use
Hard Light)
C) Customize the transparency for Raster 2 (I use
80%)
Step 7 - Applying the picture
The last step is to copy over the resized and trimmed down graphic to the oval template. Ensure that you are still in Raster 2 (the modified raster) which will apply the graphic using
hard light and
80% transparency.
Save the graphic and repeat for the smaller scale picture.