How to Create a Smoke Effect

A smoke effect creates the image of drifting smoke to use on a picture or background. This can be created using the picture editor Adobe Photoshop. Smoke can also be used for a border around a picture, or it can be used as a picture itself. In nine steps you can create and manipulate a smoke effect on your own computer to use on any project you see fit.

Instructions

1. Open a blank page in Adobe Photoshop. Click the "Paint Bucket" tool and click the blank background onscreen to make the page black.

2. Select the "Layer" drop-down menu from the top; choose "New" and then "Layer." Name this layer whatever you want, and click "OK."

3. Change your default color, which is set to black, to a lighter color so you can see it.

4. 

   Make sure your new layer is highlighted, and draw this shape onto the layer using the "Polygonal Lasso" tool. The shape doesn't have to match exactly. Fill the shape using the "Paint Bucket" tool so you can see it.

5. Select the "Dodge" tool and change "Range" to say "Highlights." Then make your brush size 50. Drag the tool around the edges of the shape to give them a lighter color.

6. Select the "Burn" tool and drag it across the middle of your shape to darken it some.

7. Select the "Filter" drop-down menu from the top and choose "Distort," then "Wave." Change the settings to "Generators = 5," "Wavelength = 10/120," "Amplitude = 5/35," and "Scale Horizontal and Vertical = 100 percent."

8. Choose the "Edit" menu from the top and select "Fade Wave." Change the "Opacity" to "50" percent and click "OK."

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until your picture has the smoky quality you want. It will become more distorted and transparent each time you do this, so the thinner you want your smoke the more times you'll repeat these steps.

References

• Photoshop Smoke Tutorial