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A few weeks ago a friend of mine had published an article on my blog about Light painting. I was really impressed by all the effects these guys can create taking photos with long exposures. Then I thought it would be a nice idea to do that in Photoshop. So in this tutorial I will show you an easy, and very fast way, to create a light painting in Photoshop.
Step 1
Create a new document and place the photo, you can download the one I used at: Photo 1.
Step 2
Here I placed a second image. I will use it to create the light effects. Here is the link for the next image: Photo 2.
Step 3
With the Pen Tool(P), create a path for one of the figures.
Step 4
Select the Brush Tool(B) and go to Window>Brushes or F5 to create our brush. Use 8px for the diameter and select Dual Brush and Other Dynamics. Follow the image below for reference.
Step 5
Go to the Layer Palette, create a new folder, and rename it to lights. After that create a new layer inside this folder, name it “dude”, and select it.
Step 6
Go to the Path Palette and select the first path. Then with the Path Selection Tool(A), select the path and right-click. Choose Stroke Path. A dialog box will open; select the brush and use Simulate Pressure.
After that go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur, use 1.6px for the amount.
Step 7
Duplicate the “dude” layer three times.
Step 8
Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle. Then duplicate the rectangle several times. After that align and distribute them horizontally.
Step 9
Create a new layer inside the lights folder. Rename it to “xing”. Repeat Step 6 and Stroke the paths. After that select the “xing” layer and go to Edit>Transform>Distort. Now just move the vertices until the perspective is good—just follow the street lines.
Conclusion
That’s probably the easiest way to create this type of light effect; however, it depends on the color of the background. If the background is too dark, the blend mode won’t work. You’ll probably have to use another one with an Outer Glow.
You can make the lights brighter by just duplicating the layers. You can even use the Eraser Tool(E) to make some adjustments. The original concept image can be viewed at Light Graffiti In Photoshop. The final tutorial image is below.
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By Fabio
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mine doesnt make that light effect can someone help me please I would love it
What a bunch of griefers! Have any of you tried some experimentation? You do not have to get the results Fabio got, but use his basis a starting point to create your own effect.
I’ll admit that the tutorial can be explained a bit better, but overall it works fine.
If you paid close attention you can see in the images that the foreground color he uses is white, though you’re free to use any color you want. The main step that is missing (but he does mention in the comments) is to change the blend mode for the layer group to Color Dodge.
As for the brushes, play with the settings and achieve something uniquely your own.
Honestly, some people complain because they can’t achieve the same results as Fabio. I would understand if I paid for the lesson, but it’s free! And do you guys realize how much work goes into creating the effect, then having to write it all out!?!? Let me tell you, it’s time consuming! Instead of writing tutorials, he could be creating awesome imagery, but instead he shares his knowledge.
Fabio, to you I say Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Without this tutorial, I would not be able to achieve these results on my own.
nice effect
color dodge doesn’t work for me :S
i have to use overlay
doesnt work for e at all. mark that tut for intermediat or expert cuz its is very bad explained. not enough infor. u assume we can fugure thiongs out, but it doesnt work at all
waste of time
…and dont fkin spam with “i like it” etc. there are many much better tuts in the net. this one is fckin crap
sorry, to ask such a kindergarden questions, where to get that brushs collection ??
Thanks Before
Regards
Nice interesting post, your post worth seen and reading as i found a little different stuff after a long time.
dont get step 9 , why can i add the paths? i stroked the rectangles but then..
i can distort them
:l
Thanks Fabio, after reading the comment on the layer group mode it’s working out fine. What I really don’t get straight is to get the same brush preview as you when setting dynamics (stroke does not seem dynamic at all); but I guess that’s a more generic problem. Cheers!
i couldnt figure out how to draw with the brush tool after i figured that out i couldnt get the brush to paint over the path i tryed right clicking like you told me but the option didnt show up this totorial sucks balls you should make a video so i can acutally figure out how to do this plus theres no videos on youtuibe about this so u would get alot more people looking at your site but i tryed my best trying to figure this out but i couldnt and it makes me mad because i spent 2 hours downloading and cracking photoshop with a keygen and then i cant even do it ….
Awesome Awesome too good !!..
zee brushes dont really work
Thank you Fabio for this tutorial the effect is a truly wicked.
I would also like to thank Aldo for his advice (featured in his comment made on March 17th) on changing the Light layer folders, Blending mode to Color Dodge.
Nice Post!!! Thx!!
Thanks Fabio for the tutorial
WoW
Awesome Tutorial. Easy and well explained . Fantastic to learn. Thanks to share this nice tutorial.
i’m a newbe to photoshop, and i couldn’t manage to get the burning effect right, but this tutorial’s dead good (:
I really like this tutorial,
However I really must say something just doesn’t click.
I’m using this for my graphic arts class
I found issues around step four to six,
Understood how to do it,
It was the outcome of it that makes little sense.
Might helping me out with this? (:
Right, guys. For those who cannot get this to work, although poorly explained, it does.
The duel brush you are looking for is in the Assorted Brushes brush set, which comes as standard, you dont have to download anything.
When stroking, use white as your foreground colour.
Set the individual layer styles of the walking men to Overlay.
Group them together.
Set the GROUP STYLE to Colour Dodge.
Done.
this is awesome <3 thanks alot tut
good ,thank you
i take idea for you
thank
though i dont know much abt dis work bt it looks kool
C00l
Great
simple!
simple and straight forward. thnks for it
this is nice i was wondering if i could get the name of the program you are using
nice tut
nice tutorial I am going to do this.