SwoRNLeaDejZ's Lightning Bolt Tutorial


First, you want to create a new document, about 400x700 or bigger or smaller, depending on your needs:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Next you want to select the gradient tool, and use the following settings. A black to white horizontal gradient:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

After you do that, apply a left to right gradient across the image so it looks something like this:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Once you have the gradient like the above image, you want to go to Filter > Render > Difference Clouds:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You're image should now look something like this (if you dont like the way it looks, press Ctrl + Alt + Z to go back, and then reapply the Difference Clouds until you get a bolt like shape that you like):

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Once your image looks like the one above, you want to go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. You need to slide the middle (gray) slider over to the left, so that the image clears up a bit, and looks more like a lightning bolt.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Now that you have the image looking like the one above, go to Image > Adjustments > Invert:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

If done correctly, you should get a nice White lightning bolt, with black clouds behind it.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

If you want to add the lightning bolt to another image you are working on, use the Marquee tool to select the bolt, go to Edit > Copy, go into your other image, go to Edit > Paste, and then set the Mode of the pasted Layer to "Overlay" and it will blend nicely (you will still have to erase the sides a bit).


If this tutorial helped you, please feel free to Rep+!!!!