How to Make a Sparkle in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a graphics and photo editing tool from Adobe Systems that allows you to enhance all sorts of photos. One fun thing you can do with Photoshop is add sparkles your photos. If you have a shiny object in your photo, adding a sparkle adds an element of whimsy. Photoshop can be downloaded from the Adobe website or purchased at any electronics or office supply store. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Preparing the Photo

1. Open the photo to which you want to add a sparkle, and make a new layer. Name it "Sparkle."

2. Fill the background with black in the new layer using the paint bucket.

3. Open another new document.

Add the Sparkle

4. Choose the rectangle marquee tool, and draw a cross. Hold down the mouse and draw a line then use the space bar to move your line where you want it.

5. Choose: Filter>Gaussian Blur, select 3. Repeat these steps several times until you get the desired effect.

6. Choose: Filter>Radial Blur>Zoom, Amount 100. You can do this several times, but make sure your star don't run off the edge. Adjust the contrast levels.

7. Pick a small round brush, and the color black to make the center of your star darker.

8. Choose: Edit>Brush preset and name your brush appropriately. You can go back and adjust the levels until you get the desired effect.

Tips & Warnings

• You can download a brush from another source and eliminate some of these steps. Photoshop Brushes has some great downloads.

Resources

• Download Photoshop from the Adobe website.
• Best Buy offers many software choices.
• Circuit City offers many software choices.
• Download your brushes at Photoshop Brushes.

[leduncan]

on 7/6/2009 Good article. I struggled through the step by step. Pictures (at least of the finished picture) sure would be helpful.

Additionally in step 3, you ought to fix "but make sure your star don't run off the edge."