When creating icons, many designers struggle to decide how much detail to include. Should the icon be simple or complex? In this tutorial, we’ll create a detailed 3D monkey icon using a photo of a toy monkey as a reference. In the process, we’ll add texture and lighting. Tutorial Assets The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial. Toy Fur Custom Brush Step 1 Create a new document with 1024×1024 pixel resolution at 72dpi in RGB color space. Place the Toy photo inside the document from File > Insert. Step 2 With the Pen Tool (P) trace the toy but use different layers for each...

Jυѕt аѕ iOS apps ѕhουld emulate thе look аnd feel οf thе iOS platform, professional-grade Android applications ѕhουld bе designed tο integrate well wіth thе rest οf thе Android platform. Now, wе diverge slightly frοm ουr developer-centric tutorials аnd provide a basic introduction tο designing icons appropriate tο thе Android platform.

What makes a successful icon designer? Is it their skills in digital rendering, the clever ideas they have, or is it something else? The truth is, it’s managing to be many things at once and keeping a balance between communicating a concept and crafting great designs. Do you have what it takes to be a productive, happy and successful icon designer? Find out at the jump. 1. They Plan Ahead Successful icon designers always plan ahead. They make lists of the icons that are required and sketch and refine the designs as a set. Professionally designed icons will have elements and...

What is one graphic element that you see dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day? Each of your favorite websites, applications, and software has at least one, and we’re betting it’s even had a major influence on what tools you decide to use. Any guesses? If you guessed “icons,” you guessed right! Icons are deceptively simple bits of graphic design, and contrary to popular belief, designing a good icon is not merely as simple as making a tiny graphic. Icons are so important that major brands like Apple and Microsoft have spent a lot of time and money solidifying their...

Today, I’d like to show you a neat trick. We’ll create a document icon with pure CSS3. Even better, this effect will only require a single HTML element. The Game Plan Create a square box Round the edges Use pseudo elements to create a curled corner Create the illusion of text with a striped gradient Let’s get started! Step 1: Create a Box We’ll begin by adding our single HTML element: an anchor tag. This makes sense, as most icons also serve to be links. <a class="docIcon" href="#">Document Icon</a> Let’s set the somewhat arbitrary dimensions for our icon. We’ll do 40x56px – simply for this...