How to Create Lightning in Photoshop
Photoshop is the most advanced and comprehensive graphics editing software available. You can create or alter any image in an unimaginable number of ways, and add elements of surrealism to natural objects. You can create lightning out of thin air with just a few steps.
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Instructions
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Creating Lightning in Photoshop
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1
Open Photoshop and create a new document by selecting "File-> New" from the menu at the top of the screen. Choose the default Photoshop size for your document.
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2
Select the "Layers" palette to the right of your canvas and double-click on the background layer to bring up a layer properties dialogue box. Click "OK" and the layer will be unlocked.
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3
Select the "Gradient Tool" from the tools panel. It will be nested in the same group as the "Paint Bucket Tool," so either right-click or hold down on that to access the gradient.
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4
Click and drag your cursor from one corner of the canvas to the other to create a diagonal linear gradient.
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5
Select "Filter->Render-> Difference Clouds" from the control menu at the top of the screen, and then select "Image-> Adjustments-> Invert."
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6
Return to the Image menu and select "Adjustments-> Levels." Check the "Preview Box." Below the "Input Levels" histogram, slide the black and gray arrows over to the right until your lightning begins to break through the clouds on your canvas.
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7
Apply this lightning to any image by dragging the image into a new layer over the image layer. With the lightning layer selected, go to the "fx" dropdown in the "Layers" panel and select "Blending Options." Change the blend mode to "Screen" and only the lightning itself will show onto the image.
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Tips & Warnings
You can add a lot of difficult-to-render objects by adjusting levels and applying various effects to a cloud layer in Photoshop. Try some different things to see if you can come up with some realistic-looking smoke or fire. Check out the lightning brushes available in the Resources section for a more customizable set of lightning streaks.
