How to Create Lightning on Photoshop CS3

Adobe Photoshop CS3 is all about creating realistic graphic effects on your computer screen. To make a lightning bolt, you will use four of Photoshop's popular features, the Gradient Tool, the Filters menu, the Levels dialogue box and Blending Modes. This is a tutorial for advanced beginners through intermediate users. You must have some familiarity with the software interface, but creating lightning is effortless once you understand the steps. You may import Photoshop-generated lightning into other images.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
   Click to enlarge images for easy viewing.

   Open a new image in Photoshop the size of 500 pixels by 500 pixels. The most important thing here is to change the default Background Contents to "Transparent." Find this selection at the bottom of the New File dialogue box.

2. 
   Drag the Gradient tool horizontally.

   Select the Gradient tool from Photoshop's toolbar. The Gradient tool docks with the Paint Bucket tool. By clicking and holding the Paint Bucket tool, you can choose the Gradient tool. Drag the Gradient tool from left to right across your image, leaving approximately 1 inch on either side.

3. 
   Your image should be half black and half white.

   Notice that your image changes from a transparency to a solid, with one side black and the other white. This is a default linear gradient and the beginning of your lightning bolt.

4. 
   Now you have a dark wavy line.

   Choose "Filters," "Render," then "Difference Clouds" from the top menu on Photoshop. Your image now shows a dark, wavy vertical line with wispy white clouds around it.

5. 
   Invert the image.

   Invert your image by selecting "Image," "Adjustments," then "Invert" from the top menu. Now your image begins to resemble a crude lightning bolt through the center of the picture. With a little tweaking, you can make it realistic.

6. 
   Use Levels to fine-tune the bolt.

   Press "CTRL" plus "L" on your keyboard to open the Levels dialogue box. Underneath the histogram, there are three sliders. Drag the black slider on the left toward the right, but stop about ¼ of the way from the end. Next, drag the middle slider toward the far right end. Adjust these two sliders until you think the lightning bolt looks realistic. Stop now if you want a single bolt. Continue for a forked bolt.

7. 
   Add a fork for realism.

   Use the Rectangular Selection tool from the toolbar to select approximately 1/3 of the bottom of the lightning bolt. Press "CTRL" plus "J" to put the selection on a new layer. Select only the new layer by holding down the "CTRL" key while clicking on the layer's icon in the Layers Pallet. Go to "Edit," "Transform," then "Flip Horizontal" to flip the selection.

8. 
   Choosing "Screen" as a Blending Mode removes excess black.

   Move the selection with the Move Tool from the top of the toolbar. Place it where you think a fork looks realistic. Then you can remove the excess black from the selection by going to the Blending Mode just above the Layer's Pallet, and choosing the "Screen" option. Now you have an authentic lightning bolt.

Tips & Warnings

• You can get creative with your lightning bolts by making smaller or larger gradients and by adjusting the Levels dialogue box. To import your new lightning bolt to a different photo, such as a landscape scene, drag the image onto your new image and choose "Screen" from the Blending Mode option to erase the black background.

Resources

• Purchase Adobe Photoshop online.