Help! Making icons in Photoshop.

[Consul]

I apologize if this is posted in the wrong section.
I'm looking for some help or guidance on how to go about re-coloring or re-designing an icon to go from this: to this:

I'm just not really sure if I need to remake the icon myself or if I can just color it somehow while still maintaining a clean look.

I appreciate the help!

 

[iDad]

Depending on the image you maybe able just go to grayscale,there maybe some selection involved in the process. Center of that image is transparent, the top one isn't , it has probably been changed from.jpg to a.PNG to support transparency

 

[dv8_fx]

Is this the actual icon you're working with? Do you mean recolor in one solid colour or changing the color while maintaining the details on the fox?

If it's just a part of the entire icon, Make a layer copy of that part (the fox for instance) then apply a Hue & Saturation adjustment layer over that copy followed by Selective Color adjustment to fine tune your color pick.

This is one way.... hope this is what you're going for.........

 

[iDad]

Image OP provided the top incircles all the way across.

 

[dv8_fx]

I know.... the above is for starters.... The OP has to figure something out for the connecting arc in order to complete the icon.

Maybe create the arc in a separate layer, fill with detail or color to match the fox, merge and do the recolor....

Image OP provided the top incircles all the way across.

 

[iDad]

I got the impression that he wanted to go solid gray no other color

 

[Consul]

Just using this icon as an example. What I want to be able to do is take any icon like that and basically make it partly that dark gray color and some parts transparent. I don't care about keeping this details, kinda just want it to look flat.
Here's another example:

 

[dv8_fx]

Ohhhh man..... LOL....

Basically you'll need the pentool to create or isolate the part you need. In some images, use the magic selection tool to select solid color areas like the S and the border of the Skype logo.

Once you've done selected or isolated what you need, fill the selection with your choice of color , hide the original image layer and save as a no background gif or png.....

 

[iDad]

If I were to take an image similar to the one you have up there^ I would put it into grayscale select what I want to be gray recovering with the correct color using overlay filter ..... In this case gray

 

[iDad]

no pen tool needed

 

[iDad]

I know it's jagged edges, the image here showing looks to have been done in higher resolution or perhaps an illustrator?

 

[Consul]

Using the magic wand just makes it look really sloppy, I quickly came up with this:


iDad: That works with the more simple images, but how would I clean up the inside of the S you have there?

 

[iDad]

As dv8_fx said, use the pen tool to get a nice clean-cut