How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop

Add a touch of magic with lighting effects. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how introduce light streaks around your artwork’s subject using brushes, layer styles and line blends created in illustrator. Lets start. Final Image Preview Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating For this tutorial you are [...]

Add a touch of magic with lighting effects. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how introduce light streaks around your artwork’s subject using brushes, layer styles and line blends created in illustrator. Lets start.

Final Image Preview

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating

For this tutorial you are going to need:

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1008872

By amminopurr’s

Step 1 Background

Open the image as is and double-click on the “Background” layer to make it editable.

a) Delete the background using your favorite technique, in this case I simply used magic wand.

b) Move the Girl to the left giving air in front of her.

c) Create a black background

Step 2 Creating the blends

Lets go to illustrator to create to line paths.

a) In Illustrator select the Pen Tool (P) and create two curved lines. In this case I use 1pt for the stroke weight.

b) After that, select the Blend Tool (W) and click over one line and then on the other.

c) To change the blend properties, just double-click on the Blend Icon. Choose Specific Steps for the Spacing and use like 50 steps.

d) Open a new document and create another Blend.

Step 3 Pasting the blend

a) Select the first blend in illustrator and copy it.

b) Paste it in the Photoshop document.

c) In the layer stack move it behind the girl.

d) Apply a Gradient layer style to this layer. Select a rainbow gradient with a diamond shape. Scale it to 150%.

Set the transparency to 70%.

e) Now select a round soft brush and erase part of the blend borders.

f) Copy and paste the second blend created in illustrator, this time move the layer in front of the girl.

g) Apply the default gradient overlay (black to white)

Step 4 Creating Lights

a) Create a new layer.

b) Select a big and soft brush of 400 pixels and paint with an orange color.

c) Create 3 more layers each one with a different vibrant color

d) Set the blending mode for each layer to overlay

e) Select the girl layer and apply an Outer Glow layer Style. In the dialog box select a light blue color and a big size, like 140 px.

Step 5 Main Light

a) Create a new layer.

b) Select the gradient tool and open the dialog box.

c) Create a new gradient from a white to light blue finishing in a dark blue.

d) Paint the layer with a Radial Gradient.

e) Set the blending mode to screen.

Step 6 Light Particles.

a) Open the brushes palette.

b) Select a Round soft brush: Shape dynamics: angle jitter 16%, Scattering: 660%

c) Create a new layer and paint different particles around the girl selecting different sizes of brushes.

d) Apply a Radial Blur to the particles Filter > Blur > Radial Blur. Try that the center is aligned with the light of the image.

Step 7 Color Particles

a) Create a new layer.

b) Select a different Soft Round Brush.

c) Paint another layer with white particles of different sizes.

d) Move the layer behind the Color Lights.

Ready!!

Tags: Light Tutorial, photoshop tutorial

You may also like these stories:

14 Comments to How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop

1. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Fernanda Duarte, Javier Cantero. Javier Cantero said: How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop http://goo.gl/fb/kKm58 [...]
Tweets that mention How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop | Designer Freelance -- Topsy.com on August 9th, 2010

2. [...] How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop | Designer Freelance [...]
Ulalena, Must See Show on Maui on August 9th, 2010

3. [...] How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop | Designer Freelance [...]
84CM (33″) Black & Silver Reflective Lighting Umbrella – Great for Portrait Photography Studio (Qty: 2) | Mobile PhotoJournal on August 9th, 2010

4. [...] Direct Link [...]
How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop : Speckyboy Design Magazine on August 10th, 2010
5. 

   Nice tutorial, the result is wonderful.. thanks
Photoshop Clipping Path on August 10th, 2010

6. [...] This post was Twitted by designerfree [...]
Twitted by designerfree on August 10th, 2010

7. [...] 98. Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop [...]
100 cool lighting effect photoshop tutorials (Part 2) | PSD-TUTS - Photoshop tutorials, Photoshop resources, Web design tutorials and resources on August 13th, 2010
8. 

   nice. but you did not tell well about more the Illustrator, if how to make the blend.
Drye on August 18th, 2010
9. 

   Great tutorial. I know basic editing touch up and image correction of photos for professional editing but nothing like this and know almost next to nothing about Illustrator. Thanks for sharing. I have wanted to learn more about this type of photoshop work. I do wish you could more into the illustrator stuff. Thanks for sharing.
element321 on August 20th, 2010
10. 

    Thanks James for your kind words.

    I’m preparing some tutorials for illustrator, I will publish them in next weeks.
Javier Cantero on August 21st, 2010
11. 

    thank you for sharing

    Regards,
    Rnel
Create intense lighting on August 22nd, 2010

12. [...] How to Create Intense Lighting Effects in Photoshop [...]
130+ Articles: The Best Web Creativity Review August | nenuno creative on September 6th, 2010
13. 

    Creating quality lighting effects in photoshop can sometimes be difficult. This is a really great tutorial to help through the process. Great use of pictures to be able to follow along the steps!
Andy @ Lowcountry Lighting on November 8th, 2010
14. 

    super cool,good website,i must say.
peter on November 11th, 2010