The first thing we need to create the effect soft glow- this is to make a copy of the background layer, and the easiest way to achieve this is to press the key combination Ctrl+J. After applying this combination, there should be two layers in the layers panel - the background one and its copy; Photoshop automatically named the copy “Layer 1” for me.

Step 2: Rename the New Layer

It's good practice to give layers in the Layers panel meaningful names. Let's give our copy a descriptive name. To rename a layer, simply double-click directly on its name in the Layers panel, the layer name will be highlighted, then enter your own name. Let's rename this layer "Soft Glow". Press Enter to accept the name change:

The "Layer 1" layer is now renamed "Soft Glow".

Step 3: Applying the Gaussian Blur Filter

In order to create real effect soft glow, first you should blur the “Soft Glow” layer a little, for this we will apply the “Gaussian Blur Filter” filter. Go to the main menu tab Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur (Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur), after which the filter dialog box will open, where we can set the degree of blur by moving the "Radius" slider ). The further you drag the slider to the right, the stronger the blur effect will be. Photoshop gives us a preview of the filter's effect in the document itself, so watch the image as you move the slider to judge the results.

You should not blur the image so much that the picture becomes unrecognizable. After applying the filter, the main details of the picture should be visible! We're just trying to soften the details a bit, so lower Radius values ​​tend to work best. However, keep in mind that the amount of blur depends on the specific image, its size, etc. Typically, for a subtle glow effect, a Radius value of somewhere up to ten pixels should be fine.

This is what my blur effect looks like with a radius of 3 pixels. Notice that even though the photo looks blurry, we can still see a lot of detail. We'll see even more detail once we change the layer's blend mode in the next step:

Sub.fig.Blur effect with a radius of 3 pixels.

For an even softer, dream-like glow effect, try increasing the Radius value to 20 pixels:

Below I've shown what a blur effect looks like with a radius of 8 pixels. We can still make out details in the photo, but the blur is definitely worse this time. Choice desired value Blur is a personal choice and will depend on the image. In my case, I think 8 is too much, so I'll stick with three pixels. When you are satisfied with the result, click OK to close the filter dialog:

The blur radius value is 20 pixels.

Step 4: Change the Layer Blend Mode to Soft Light

Now that we've blurred the "Soft Glow" layer, let's change how it interacts with the original image in the Background layer underneath it. We do this by changing its Blend Mode. By default, the blending mode of any layer is set to “Normal”. At the top of the layers panel, click on the button with the word "Normal" (Normal), this will open a menu of other blending modes, where you select "Soft Light" from the list.

The Soft Light mode does two things in Photoshop - it increases the overall contrast in an image and intensifies the colors, making them more vibrant. Here's what my image looks like after changing the blend mode to Soft Light, which creates a warm, subtle glow:

A subtle warm glow effect created by the Soft Light blending mode.

For a stronger effect, instead of Soft Light, try using the Overlay mode. Overlay is very similar to Soft Light, Overlay also increases contrast and color, but makes the effect more intense. Here's what my result looks like with the Overlay blend mode. Overlay might work better with other images, but in my case the effect is too strong, so I'll switch back to Soft Light:

The effect obtained by changing the blending mode from Soft Light to Overlay.

Step 5: Adjust the Layer Opacity

To fine-tune the effect, simply reduce the layer's opacity. This option is located in the top right corner of the Layers panel, right next to the Blend Mode option. The default opacity value is 100%. The more you lower this value, the more the layer with the original photo underneath will be visible through the “Soft Glow” layer. In other words, as we lower the opacity, we will see more of the original image and less of the blurry image.

To change the opacity value, click on the small arrow to the right of the current value and then drag the slider. I'll lower my value to 75%, but again, your value depends on your image and artistic taste.

This is what the final result looks like:

After adjusting the opacity, the effect is ready. But now that I'm done, what if I really like the result and want to change it? I did a light glow, but for example, now I think a stronger, more “romantic” glow would look better? How can I go back and change it? To change the degree of glow, I need to change the amount of blur, which I created using the Gaussian Blur filter in step 3. How can I do this?
There is only one answer - none. Once we clicked OK in the Gaussian Blur filter dialog box, we applied the blur effect to the layer. In other words, we have made a permanent change to the image that cannot be undone.
Agree, it is much better to create an effect (including using Gaussian Blur) in such a way that it is fully editable even after you completely finish the work.

And this is not at all difficult to do, you just need to use Smart Objects and Smart Filters. They may seem intimidating to a novice user, but they are actually very easy to use. Smart Objects are just as easy to use as regular layers and filters in Photoshop, but they give us much more editing flexibility.

In this tutorial I will show you how to create a super lighting effect in Photoshop using several textures, blur filters and adding some trick to add some magic to our composition. Using this effect, you can create beautiful projects.

Final result:

Let's start!

Step 1

Create new document size 1900 x 1200 px, resolution 72 pixels/inch, RGB 8 bit. Then create new layer(Ctrl+Shift+N). Select a tool GradientTool (G)(Gradient) color from #031625 to black, style Radial and draw a gradient as shown below.

Step 2

Open the model image and move it to your working document. Make the image smaller (Ctrl+T) and position it as shown below.

Duplicate the layer (Ctrl+J) and apply a filter Filter > Blur > Motion Blur(Filter - Blur - Motion Blur).

Change the blending mode of this layer to Color Dodge(Brightening the base).

Add an adjustment layer to this layer Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation Saturation(Saturation) to -100.

Step 3

Duplicate the original model layer (Ctrl+J) and place it above all layers.

Apply a filter to this layer Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur(Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur), radius 7 px.

Then change the blending mode to Overlay(Overlap).

Duplicate this layer (Ctrl+J) to get a glow effect.

Step 4

In the layers panel, go to the original model layer and add a layer style Inner Shadow(Inner Shadow) with the settings shown below.

Above all layers, create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N). Select a tool Gradient Tool (G)(Gradient), Angular style. Extend the gradient from the model's hand to one of the corners of the document.

Translator's note: The author has on the screenshot the top settings window for the Gradient adjustment layer. Don't pay any attention to it. Use the Gradient tool. In the Gradient Editor, select a gradient type Noise(Noise), Smoothness (Roughness) 100%, check the boxes Limit colors (RestrictColors) and Enable transparency(AddTransparency). And also the button Another variant (Randomize) you can select a gradient.

Step 5

Desaturate the gradient layer Image > Adjustments > Desaturate(Ctrl + Shift + U) (Image - Adjustments - Desaturate).

Then the tool Eraser Tool (E)(Eraser), soft brush, erase along the edges of the gradient, as shown below.

Change the blending mode to Color Dodge(Brightening the base).

Step 6

Create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N) and place it in a group (Ctrl + G). Change the group's blending mode to Color Dodge(Brightening the base). Then the tool Brush Tool (B)(Brush), color white, hardness 0%, draw a spot at hand level. This way we will add a light effect.

Above the group layer, create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N), select the tool Brush Tool (B)(Brush) with these parameters

• Size(Size) - 100 - 300 px
• Hardness(Hardness) - 0%
• Opacity(Opacity) - 70%
• Flow(Press) - 60%
• Color - #80b2d6

And paint the canvas as shown in the image below.

Translator's note: In red the author shows where to paint.

Step 7

Open the smoke texture and move it to your working document. Reduce the size (Ctrl+T), rotate and position it on the leg as shown below.

Change the blending mode to Color Dodge(Brightening the base).

Do the same with the nebula image.

Change the blending mode to Color Dodge(Brightening the base).

For the nebula layer, add an adjustment layer Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Hue/Saturation) as a clipping mask. Install Saturation(Saturation) to -100.

Step 8

Open and move the image with the second nebula into the working document. Change the blending mode to Color Dodge(Base Dodge) and add the adjustment layer as for the first nebula layer as a clipping mask with the same settings.

Duplicate the gradient layer you created earlier two times and position the copies as shown below.

Step 9

Open the particle texture and place it as shown below.

Duplicate the particle layer and place it in the leg area. Tool Eraser Tool (E)(Eraser) use a soft brush on layers with particles to remove excess.

Step 10

Open and move the highlight texture into your work.

Change the blending mode to Screen(Screen)

Finally add an adjustment layer Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map) color from #094b39 to white.

Change the blending mode to Overlay(Overlap) and reduce Opacity(Opacity) to 50%.

Final result:

How to make a glow in Photoshop.

Photoshop® CS 4 lets you add many beautiful effects to your photos. In this video tutorial we will look at how create a multi-colored magical glow effect.
For this we need a photograph and a drawing with beautiful texture. Open the photo using the File – open command.
Let's change the image contrast settings to make the photo look more expressive. Select the command Image - Adjustments - Brightness/Contrast. Change the settings until the image becomes more saturated.
Then we will open the drawing we need. In this case, we will choose a serpentine pattern so that the multi-colored lines create a magical glow effect.

Now let's adjust the size of the drawing to match the size of the photo. Select the image size command from the image menu.
In this case, we need a size of 800 by 600. Click OK.

First we need to use the blur filter. Select Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur from the menu. Move the slider to a Radius of 10 pixels. Click OK.
We got a blurry image.
Now apply the Render – Lighting Effects filter. In the window that appears, select Style – Flood Light from the list.
Set the Intensity value to 80.

Position glow so that the brightest place is the upper right corner. Select the picture using the Select – All command. Use Ctrl + C to copy it.
Open the photo. Create a new layer by clicking on the Create a new layer button.
Using the Edit – Paste command, paste the picture.
In the list of layer blending styles, select Screen.
Use the Opacity slider to set the transparency. So, you can adjust the light intensity.
In the picture we see some multi-colored elements that give the picture a special expressiveness.

By choosing a different picture and specifying other filter settings, you can create your own unique magical glow effect.

(0)

	1.	Reducing the size of a photo	2:15	0	51754
	2.	Making Photo Frames	1:58	6	45909
	3.	Brightness, contrast	1:45	0	44216
	4.	Changing colors, mixing colors	2:06	1	25510
	5.	How to sharpen a photo	2:08	0	50272
	6.	How to Improve the Quality of Vintage Photos	1:37	1	32040
	7.	How to combine several photos	1:56	8	157514
	8.	Color replacement	2:10	2	51210
	9.	How to turn a black and white photograph into a color one	2:37	3	59449
	10.	Photomontage in Photoshop	5:03	33	840055
	11.	Removing defects from a photograph	2:09	1	51072
	12.	Eliminating "digital noise"	1:27	0	21067
	13.	How to remove shine from facial skin	1:57	6	136531
	14.	Changing eye color	1:47	0	40593
	15.	Creating captions on photos	1:34	0	26143
	16.	Scratch effect	1:33	1	25305
	17.	How to make stubble	2:09	0	21657
	18.	Beautiful lighting effect	2:46	0	33578
	19.	Rainbow effect	1:49	0	17024
	20.	Wrinkle removal	2:50	2	73097
	21.	Blurred image (ghost effect)	2:03	1	19961
	22.	How to create water drops	2:14	1	25346

In this tutorial I'll show you how to create an interesting glow and add mood to an image. For this we will use blending modes(blending options), selection tools and a little of your imagination.
Before processing.

Lesson materials:

Let's start. Open the image you want to apply the effect to. The author chose this.

Step 1. You need to separate the girl from the background. Do this using the method that works best for you. The author used the tool Feather(Pen Tool), drawing a path around the girl’s figure, you need to close the outline and form a selected area. Set the feathering to 1 px.

Step 2. Copy the selection (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) it to a new layer, name the layer "Young woman».

Step 3. Duplicate the layer "Young woman". Apply an adjustment to a copy of this layer Brightness/Contrast on the menu Image - Correction(Image > Adjustments > Brightness and Contrast).

Step 4. Select the layer "Young woman". Let's go to the menu Filter - Blur - Motion Blur(Filter > Blur > Motion Blur). We set these settings Corner(Angle) - 40 degrees, Bias(Distance) - 120. Merge layers "Young woman" and a copy of it.

Step 5. with a girl and call him "Smoke". Using the tool Lasso(Lasso Tool), draw an area around the girl. Set the feathering to 150 px.

Step 6. Make sure your Foreground color is white and your Background color is black. Now let's go to the menu Filter - Rendering - Clouds(Filter > Render > Clouds). After that, set the blending mode for this layer Overlap(Overlay).

Step 7 Create a new layer below the layer "Smoke" and name it "Gradient". Select Tool Gradient(Gradient Tool) and click to bring up the Gradient Editor. Set the foreground color #c6229e and background color #1dbdda. In the tool settings, set Linear. Draw a gradient from the top left to the bottom right, set the opacity of this layer to 60%.

Step 8 Set the layer "Gradient" blending mode Overlap(Overlay), then merge the layers " Smoke" And "Gradient". You should get something like the screenshot below. You can experiment with different gradient color combinations and different blending modes for the Gradient layer.

Step 9 Create a new layer below the layer "Gradient" and name it "Glow". Using white soft Brush(Brush), paint over the edges of the girl with a brush. This will create a glowing effect behind the girl.

Step 10 Make the tool active Brush(Brush tool), go to the brush settings palette (F5) and enter the following settings, as shown in the screenshots below. Save this brush by clicking Save a new brush (Create New Brush) and name her "Splash". Then you can select it again in the brushes palette and use it later. Drag the customized brush over the image as in the image below. Achieve the desired effect.

Step 11 Create a new layer, name it "Stripes". The name speaks for itself. We're going to make glow stripes. To make them, select a tool Polygon Lasso(Polygonal Lasso Tool) and create a triangle. Then, using a white soft brush, paint on the opposite side triangle basics. You can also experiment with various forms and sizes to create the effects you want.

Step 12 Now let's do the lighting on the girl herself. To do this, create a new layer above the layer "Young woman" and set its blending mode to Lightening the base(Color Dodge). Load the outline of the girl that you made earlier in the contours palette or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+click on the thumbnail of the layer with the girl. The selection will load. Using the tool PIpetka(Eyedropper Tool), select the color of the glow around the girl that we made earlier and use the same color, with a soft brush, to draw along the inner contour of the selected area.

Step 13 Now we will create the light lines. Create a new layer called "Lines" above the girl layer. Set the color foreground(foreground color) white, select tool Brush(Brush Tool) and open the brush settings window. Select a soft brush, approximately 9 px. In the tab Dynamics of shape(Shape Dynamics) install Size fluctuation(size jitter control) on pen pressure(Pen Pressure). This will give your brush strokes an interesting effect.

Here we'll show you a simple trick that can be used to create a beautiful, well-defined, subtle glow effect and apply it to any fine line. To achieve the goal, we will need the Pen Tool, the ability to work with styles and layer blending modes.

1 Step

Let's start by creating a background for the image. Select the Gradient Tool (G), switch its type to Radial and fill the background with a color from red-brown to black (colors #922f00 , #000000 ).

2 Step

We'll need quite a bit bright color in the middle, so duplicate the background layer and set its blending mode to Color Dodge. There are several types of blend modes: burn, dodge, colorize, and invert. Color Dodge is probably the most powerful brightening mode. As you can see in the picture below, it turned out to be a pretty good bright center.

3 Step

Now it would be nice to get a nice textured base out of this background. Therefore, now we will create some kind of foggy haze. Create a new layer, set the foreground color to white and the background color to black. Now open Filter > Render > Clouds, as a result we will get something like the picture below.

4 Step

Set the layer's Opacity to 30% and set its blending mode to Overlay. In many cases this would be enough, but we will enhance the effect even more.

Open Filter > Sketch > Chrome and use values ​​of 4 and 7 for the Detail and Smoothness parameters respectively.

At the end of the manipulations, the result should be more realistic.

5 Step

Now, before we start creating the glow, we need something that will glow. Here we take the Pen Tool in our hands and apply some graceful curve to the drawing. Fortunately, it's not that difficult. An example of such an S-shaped curve is shown in the illustration below.

6 Step

Now create a new layer, select the Paintbrush Tool (B) and select a thin hard brush. Since soft brushes are relatively blurry, we need a hard one with a Hardness setting of 100%. Set the brush thickness to 3px. You can choose any color - we will cover it with the style color anyway.

7 Step

Switch to the Pen Tool (P) again. Now right-click and select Stroke Path. There, select Brush and be sure to select Simulate Pressure. Click OK and see what happens. Right-click again and select Delete Path.

8 Step

You should end up with something similar to the image below. Just a thin, graceful line.

9 Step

Let's add a little glow. The easiest way to create an aura of glow is to use styles. In short, I added two glow effects. First I set up Outer Glow and then added Drop Shadow with settings that make it not a shadow, but a glow. This can be achieved by adjusting the distance and changing the blending mode to something like Color Dodge. Oh, and I also used a Color Overlay to make the line bright white, making it look like it's glowing from within.

10 Step

And so now we have a line emitting a glow. The beauty of using styles is that they can be copied and added to other layers. To do this, right-click on the layer, select Copy Lyer Style, then create a new layer, right-click on it and select Paste Layer Style.

11 Step

Now repeat the process a few more times to get a couple more wavy lines. Here I made one of them thicker by changing the brush size before the Stroke Path process. I also erased part of the third line with an eraser to connect it with the rest this way. The result is a wonderful triangular shape.

12 Step

It is very important to pay maximum attention to your text. Use simple fonts and play with their sizes and letter spacing. Using simple tricks you can achieve a lot. I got good contrast by increasing the glow for the words, then made the words Advanced and FX much smaller in point size and letter-spaced them.

You can adjust the discharge using the Character window. If you don't have it open, open it through the Window > Character menu. Play with each parameter to understand which one does what.

13 Step

Now let's apply luminous particles to the image. Create a new layer, select a thin brush (Paint Brush) size 3px and apply a few dots to the drawing. It will look good if they are concentrated near the center so that the particles appear to be emitted from that area. The points closer to the center can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them with the brush again, as if expanding them. Now copy the glow styles and add them to this current layer.

14 Step

Now everything looks pretty nice, but you can make it even better if you add some color to the image.

Create a new layer and use a radial gradient to draw a blue sphere on the white background as shown below.

15 Step

Now set the layer's blending mode to Color and change its Opacity to 50%.

I changed the blending modes for each layer to Color and reduced the Opacity so that they were smoothed all together.

16 Step

That's it: the advanced glow effect combined with a beautiful, subtle background haze gives a great result. Don't forget to experiment with the settings and try out different sparkles - there are many color combinations that look amazing. Good luck!

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Translated from the site psd.tutsplus.com, the author of the translation is indicated at the beginning of the lesson.