Glow in Photoshop: step-by-step lesson on creating the effect, tips. Photoshop tutorials. Bright glow in Photoshop

You will need

• To add a glow effect in Photoshop, first of all it is necessary that the object whose contours will glow be on a separate layer. How to separate an object from the background has been written many times in other articles; we will not dwell on this now in our instructions.

Instructions

So, we have a separate layer with an object. To make it more convenient to adjust the glow parameters, it is advisable to place another layer of dark color under it, against which all the nuances will be.

Select the layer with the object. Go to the Layer>Layer Style>Outer Glow menu, or click on the “fx effect” in the layers panel.

We see a fairly large field for settings:

– glow color; it can be monochromatic or change its color, depending on the distance to the object.

– halo width and glow intensity

– you can also vary the glow overlay algorithm – the most suitable modes are Lighten and Screen
This way we adjust the glow of the object’s outline outwards. After that, go to the next tab Inner Glow. The settings here are similar.
To look natural, you need to remember that even if, logically, an object glows only outward, then any optical system, including the human eye, due to the non-absolute transparency of the cornea and lens, slightly blurs the bright highlights, they look beyond the boundaries of the source, therefore with an intense glow outside the Outer Glow contour, inside it all you need to do is play along with the light glow of the Inner Glow.

Our composition can have any number of layers with objects, each of which can have individual parameters selected - the color of the glow and its character.
In addition, if we want to depict a separate point light source, we can use the Lens Flare filter (in the Filer>Render>Lens Flare menu), which simulates the reaction of various photographic lenses to the appearance of a bright light source in the frame. This way we can add any number of luminous lamps and spotlights to the composition.

By varying and combining glow effects, applying them to different layers, we can achieve very bright and memorable - fantastic and realistic results.

Video on the topic

Sources:

• glowing eyes photoshop

Instructions

Create a new document 500x500 pixels in size, and then select a gradient fill from the toolbar. Set a radial gradient and select a suitable transition (for example, a transition from black to red). Stretch the gradient on the created image, and then duplicate the layer (Duplicate layer) and change the blending mode to Color Dodge.

Now create a new layer and in the Filter section, select the Render>Clouds option with the original palette parameters - black and white. Set the layer opacity to 30%, then open the Sketch filters section and select the Chrome filter. Set the filter values ​​to 4 and 7, and then return the transparency to 100%. Set the layer blending mode to Hard Mix.

To create glowing lines, use the Pen Tool. Using this tool, draw an arbitrary smooth line, bending it as you wish and editing the bend using anchor points. Create a new layer and, selecting a 3 px brush with a diameter of the desired color, go to the Pen Tool again.

Right-click on the created curved line and select the Stroke Path>Brush option with the Simulate Pressure parameter. Click OK and then delete the path. Change the layer blending mode to Multiply and set the Drop Shadow option in the layer style settings.

Also check the Inner Glow and Outer Glow options. Configure external and internal settings glow at your own discretion, observing changes in the image and achieving the best effect. External and internal mixing mode glow set to Screen, and then repeat all the described steps from creating curved lines to adding lighting effects any number of times - until the number of glowing lines reaches the expected amount. You can insert any logo on top of the ready-made light lines.

Video on the topic

In order for a photographic portrait to become expressive and lively, it is necessary to highlight eyes person in the photograph. The tools of the Photoshop graphic editor allow you not only to make eyes bright, but also completely change their color, making the face attractive and memorable.

Instructions

Open Photoshop. Turn on the layers palette by pressing the F7 button. Select and open the desired photo. It is desirable, but not necessary, for the photograph to be large enough. Create a copy of the background layer. Right-click on the pinned Background layer and select Duplicate Layer from the menu.

Click on the Background copy layer to activate it. Change the blending mode from Normal to Screen in the upper left corner of the window. Click on the Layer tab of the top menu and select first Layer Mask, then Hide All. This will add a mask to the layer.

Select a brush from the toolbar or press And on your keyboard. Set the brush color to white. Enlarge your photo using Navigator. Paint on the mask eyes. Reduce the Opacity in the Layers panel to a value that suits you best. Type in the box with 100% the required value.

Lighting is a huge integral part of a film's success. This is true for photography as well. To create drama in an image, you need light, or the lack thereof. Edge glow, as the term suggests, is also called backlighting. In this article I'll show you how to create this dramatic lighting style.

An edge glow effect created in the scene and an Inner Glow effect added toPhotoshop.

Glow edges adds dramas

There was a scene in the movie Alien (1979) when the character played by Harry Dean Stanton goes looking for Jones the cat. This scene made me cover my mouth with both hands. I just knew something terrible was going to happen—it was created with such incredible tension.

« Stranger» film companies20th Century Fox

The lighting throughout the film was low key to create a moody, atmospheric feel.

A good example of edge glow is using lights on both sides or one behind the subject, as in the image below.

In this photo, the light source behind the subject creates an edge glow around the head. This is also called hair glow.

Before I show you how to create this effect in Photoshop, I want to show you how easy it is to create it in a scene. And then you can try to do it yourself in the comfort of your own home.

Create a glow effect around the edges of a scene

I used the following items to create the edge glow:

• One bottle of water
• One glossy black tile
• Two light sources
• Camera mounted on a tripod.

I bought the black gloss tiles from a local tile store that only had one available. As for lighting, strip boxes are ideal for these purposes. You place them on both sides slightly behind the subject (closer to the background).

Unlike softboxes, stripboxes are narrow and rectangular in shape. But for the purposes of this article, you can use whatever light sources you have at your disposal.

I stood my iPad upright on one side of the bottle and opened the Soft Box app, which is free to download, and set the color to white. On the other side, an LED lamp was installed. The stage was set up on my kitchen table.

As you can see in the photo below, I could control the angle of the light hitting the bottle. The camera settings were as follows: ISO 2000, shutter speed 1/60, aperture f/5.6.

A simple pattern you can use at home to create an edge glow effect using glossy black tiles, props and two lights.

Note:

If you don't want to use two lights and have a regular softbox, try placing it directly behind your subject and cover the center of the softbox with a black panel (this will be your background). You will need to experiment to get the desired glow effect on the object.

This is a photo of a water bottle straight from the camera.

Now let's dive into Photoshop.

Creating a backlit effect inPhotoshop

The key to adding an edge glow effect in Photoshop is a Layer Style and an object separated from the background. Before you apply any layer style, it is necessary that the image you will be using is carefully cropped out. Use any selection tool, but I recommend the Pen tool.

Layer Style

Let's take a look at the Layer Style. With Photoshop open, go to the Layers panel. At the very bottom you will see a group of icons. Among them, the second from the left is fx. Click on it and a dialog box will appear with different style options.

Layer styles will appear if you click on the iconfxlocated at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Kit Internal glow

Another way you can go to Layer Style is by clicking on the button with horizontal lines in the upper right corner of the Layers panel. Scroll down to Blending Options. The same dialog box will appear and now just click on Inner Glow.

When you click on any of the layer style options, there will already be preset settings, but you can easily edit them. In this example, we will leave some settings as they are, and configure the following three:

1. Feathering
2. Size
3. Opacity

Experiment until you're happy with the result, then click OK.

A pop-up dialog box displays the Layer Style and default settings.

Edge glow effect added toPhotoshopusing Internal glow from recruitment Style layer.

Using the Dodge blending mode instead of Screen

When using the Layer Style technique, I prefer to change the blending mode from Screen to Color Dodge. I used this on the water bottle in the title photo. To see the difference between the two blend modes, look at the two photos below.

The first image is Inner Glow with the blend mode Screen and default settings. In the second image, the blending mode is changed to Color Dodge.

Changing the blending mode to Dodge

Edge glow effect created inPhotoshop using Internal glow from recruitment Style layer.

This edge glow effect was created using the Inner Glow from the Layer Style set, but changing the Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Create an edge glow effect from scratch usingPhotoshop

However, this technique is really great if you want to create an edge glow from scratch. For example, take this image of the Caligo butterfly. There is no glow effect on it at all.

Caligo

I separated the butterfly from the background using the Pen tool, and placed it on another background, to which I added a Gaussian blur.

Wheat

Since Caligo is on a separate layer, I added an Inner Glow from the Layer Style and changed the Blend Mode to Color Dodge, choosing a dark yellow. I wanted the wings to be highlighted by the setting sun in the background.

The Caligo butterfly was carved with the Pen tool inPhotoshop and placed on a different background. I blurred the background using Gaussian Blur.

I placed this Layer Style effect on its own layer. Then I applied a layer mask and painted over the yellow glow on the wings to make them look realistic. I did some more retouching by adding a gradient overlay and then applied Filter>Blur>Medium to blend the colors of the two images.

By placing the Layer Style effect on its own layer, I was able to apply a layer mask and paint over the glow effect on the butterfly's wings.

The inner glow was added using the Color Dodge blending mode. A gradient overlay was then added to darken the bottom of the butterfly. Then a Medium Blur was applied to blend the colors of the two images.

Here we see several new parameters that are different from those we looked at previously. These are “Method” (Technique), “Range” (Range) and “Oscillation” (Jitter):

Blend Modes

Blending modes allow you to set the Outer Glow blending mode to a layer. If you are creating a glow effect, then Linear Dodge or Screen are good options, if you want to create an outer shadow type effect, then it is better to use Linear Burn or Multiply " (Multiply), if you are creating a stroke, then the "Normal" mode is suitable.

Opacity

This option adjusts the transparency of Outer Glow. A value of 0% makes it completely transparent. those. invisible, value 100% - completely opaque.
The parameter is fully consistent with that in “Shadow” and other layer styles.

Noise

This parameter is also similar to those in “Shadows” and others. Increasing the “Noise” value gives graininess to the glow, with its help you can get effects like “glowing dust”.

The example shows the left text with a noise value of 0%, the right - 62%

Color and Gradient

"Color" allows you to change the color of the glow.
If the radio button is enabled for "Gradient", then your possibilities are not limited to just one color, with the help of several gradient colors and transitions you can create very complex and abstract glowing effects:

The example shows orange and a rainbow gradient:

Technique

The "Method" drop-down list gives us two different options for rendering (visualization) of the glow, soft and precise (Softer and Precise). The "Soft" method gives us a more organic and natural glow with smooth transitions, blurs and rounded corners, while the "Precise" method makes the glow more closely match the shape of the object from which it comes.

In the following example you can see the difference between soft organic and precise methods:

Spread

The Sweep option changes the fade in intensity of the glow linearly, or in other words, changes how gradually it fades out as it approaches the edge.

Usually this parameter is left at 0%, but if you need sharp edges of the light, you will need to increase its value. A value of 100% gives a sharp boundary.

The figure shows the "Span" values ​​at 0 and 60%

Size

The name of the option speaks for itself. This adjustment allows you to change the size of the glow in one-pixel increments.

Contour

The contour of the shape allows you to change the decrease in glow towards the edges in a non-linear mode. By selecting different curve profiles, you can get different glow attenuation. Using Contour can be useful when you are trying to achieve a specific type of shine or some abstract effects.
In addition, the Anti-Aliasing checkbox allows you to improve the quality of the shine with a very slight drop in performance, so I recommend that you always check it.

The figure shows what effect a sinusoidal circuit can have:

Range

The Range option is similar to the Span option. It allows you to control the decay of the glow towards the edge in almost the same way.
A lower value gives us a hard glow, while a higher value gives us a softer glow.

The following example shows how the Range value affects the softness of the light:

Jitter

While Range is similar to Span, Jitter is similar to Noise. The difference is that Noise creates transparency in adjacent pixels using a Normal blending mode, while Jitter does the same thing but in a blending mode similar to Overlay.

done in exactly the same way as the layer style

03/01/15 3.5K

I looked at some of Michael Reichmann's latest work. And I was amazed by one of the photographs from the exhibition in Seville. Michael added a diffused glow to the group of women, and it really created a very special impression.

This gave the photograph a dreamy expression, as if the image was actually made of light. Michael took a great image and made it sophisticated:

Wigs - Seville, Spain. April 2004

Figure 1. “Wigs” by Michael Reichmann. © 2004, Michael Reichmann

Typically, to create a glow in film photographs, a slow shutter speed was used. In the same way, infrared photographs produce this eerie glow. Using Photoshop we can add a diffused glow very quickly and easily.

Adding a diffuse glow

Adding a diffuse glow in Photoshop is achieved using a combination of blur techniques, layer blending modes, and blending modes. Instead of blurring the entire image, we add a glow to the object in the desired tonal range. We can add saturation and sharpness to the tones without sacrificing image detail:

Figure 2. Macro view of Rudbeckia flower, Maclay Garden, Tallahassee, Florida

This photo of a flower is a perfect example of diffuse blur. Softened petals add interesting touches to the image, but it is important to preserve the fine details of the “eye” of the flower.

Adding a diffuse glow starts by duplicating the layer. Then merge the layers Alt-Ctrl-Shift-N-E on PC ( Option-Command-Shift-N-E on Mac). This will merge all visible layers into one layer without antialiasing.

(If you don't have enough memory or prefer to work with fewer layers, then you can smooth out the image. All you need to do in this case is to create a copy of the background layer using Ctrl-J):

Figure 3: Creating a diffuse glow begins by adding a merge layer to add a blur filter effect. The merged layer is then duplicated

We need to soften the image of the top layer. Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur perfect for this. It is used to smoothly blur fine details of an image.

Adjust the radius using the blur options. For a diffuse glow, we need to set the value high enough to soften the image, but not so much that it washes out all the details in the image. For this image I chose 25 pixels:

Figure 4. Gaussian blur with a radius of 25 pixels significantly increases the softness of image details.

When you apply " Gaussian blur", the details are dispersed. Because of this, a luminous halo appears. When the layer Gaussian Blur" mixed with the main layer, the details soften, as a result of which the glow becomes more pronounced.

The next step is making creative choices. You must select a blending mode for the layer " Gaussian Blur»:

• “Darken” or “Multiply” will make the details of the image darker, as well as soften and add glow to it. Ideal for soft, expressive shadows;
• “Lighten” or “Lighting” will, on the contrary, lighten the image. Ideal for adding light tones or an accentuated glow;
• “Soft Light” and “Overlay” add contrast and saturation. These are my favorite blending modes for landscapes and still lifes;
• I decided that I needed to add some contrast and saturation to the flower image in Figure 2, so I used the Overlay blending mode:

Figure 5. Layers palette after applying Gaussian Blur (25 px) and setting the blending mode to Overlay

The “Overlay” layer blending mode made the flower petals more expressive. They became almost buttery in appearance, both in color and texture. 100% opacity is too much. So I reduced it to 80%:

Figure 6. The petals have acquired creamy, soft shades. Unfortunately, the shadow details are also gone

If all we wanted to do was soften the image, we could basically stop there. The secret to adding diffuse glow is also to limit the halo in certain tonal areas. A black-and-white image of a child, for example, might become more interesting if the high-tone glow was applied only to select areas, perhaps at one-quarter tone brightness.

I liked the look that the petals took on in Figure 6. At the same time, the sharpness in the middle of the flower was noticeably reduced. I put a lot of effort into capturing as many of these details as possible. I used a Canon 180mm “L” macro lens at a slow shutter speed (2 sec at f/18) to get the details in decent sharpness.

Some may prefer to leave the "eye" blurry. I wanted to achieve greater sharpness of the details of the original image. My solution was to adjust the blending option "Blend if:" for the layer " Gaussian Blur».

Using the Overlay If: option to reduce the glow

There are four sliders in the Layer Style dialog that are given very little attention in most Photoshop books. These are the "Overlay if:" settings. Some books don't mention them at all.

To access them, you need to open the Layer Style dialog box. You can do this in one of three ways:

• Double-click the layer thumbnail. ( For an adjustment layer, double-click on the layer to the right of the layer name);
• Going to Layer - Layer Style - Blending Options through the main menu;
• Going to Add Layer Style - Blending Options via the layers palette menu:

Figure 7. “Overlay if:” sliders

The Blend If: options let you control which pixels in the active layer and the main visible layers appear in the final image. You can also specify a range of partially overlapping pixels to smooth the transitions between blended and unblended areas of the image.

You can use the black and white "Blend If:" values ​​to specify the range of pixels on the active layer that will be blended with the visible layers below. When you move the white slider toward the center, the pixel values ​​of the active layer to the right of it remain clear. They are ignored.

If you move the black slider toward the center, the pixel values ​​of the active layer to the left of the slider are ignored. This allows you to limit the influence of the active layer on shadows, midtones ( by moving both sliders to the center) or backlight.

If you Alt-click on the slider, it will split into two parts. With split halves you can define partial ranges of overlay pixels.

To explain how the "Overlay If:" sliders work, I created a bar chart. After that, I duplicated it and rotated it 180 degrees, adding this copy to the image as a new layer:

Figure 8. Black and white diagram for testing how the “Overlay if:” sliders work

Figure 9. Complete set of test settings for comparing different “Overlay if:” settings

The default Blend If: setting causes every pixel in the active layer to be blended with pixels from the visible layers below.

The name of the scale “Bottom layer” is not entirely correct. Its black and white sliders determine the range of pixels of all the main visible layers that will be blended with the active layer. Its action is not limited only to the layer located directly below the active layer.

Now, one important thing to know about the Bottom Layer scale! As you move the black slider toward the center, pixel values ​​to the left of it are excluded from blending. One might assume that this means that they are ignored and the pixels of the active layer are used to display the image. But in fact, just the opposite happens!

Instead of being eliminated, pixels with these values ​​"break through" to the active layer and replace its pixels. Therefore, be careful when adjusting the Bottom Layer sliders.

Let's look at a few examples. We'll start by looking at black and white charts, where the top chart represents the active layer and the bottom chart represents the visible layers for the image below it:

Figures 10a - 10b. The black and white diagram at the top represents the active layer. The black and white diagram below represents the visible underlying layers

If you drag the black slider of the “This Layer” slider towards the center, from 0 to 50, pixels of the active layer darker than 50 will be ignored. These are the pixels on the right side of the top black and white diagram.

Since these black pixels are not mixed and are ignored, it means that the white pixels from the underlying image on the right side of Figure 11 will appear. The white pixels will replace the dark ones. The resulting black and white chart will contain white pixels on both ends:

Figure 11: When the black "This Layer" slider is set to 50, the active layer's shadows are ignored and we end up with white pixels on both ends

This is another point that requires clarification. When you drag the slider and exclude pixels from blending or set them to overlap the active layer's image, those pixels may be completely different from the active layer. Therefore, as you can see from the above example, highlights will not necessarily be replaced by highlights or shadows by shadows.

If instead you set the black "This Layer" slider to 0 and drag the black "This Layer" slider Lower level" to 50, then the shadows of the underlying layers will “break through” to the active layer and replace the pixels of the active layer. We will get dark pixels on both ends, like in Figure 12:

Figure 12. The black “Underlying Layer” slider is set to 50, which allows the shadows of the underlying layers to “break through” to the active layer

By using different combinations of the "Blend If:" sliders and breaking them down with ALT-clicks, you can apply diffuse glows with surgical precision and blend effects very smoothly.

Let's return to the flower

I wanted to remove diffuse glow from dark areas where the image would lose important detail. A quick adjustment of the black slider of the “This layer” slider of the “Overlay if:” option brought the depth back to the dark areas.

When you customize the "Overlay if:" sliders, you can see the results interactively. You can see changes in the image after each action. I zoomed in to 100% and kept an eye on the details of the flower's "eye" as I made changes through the black slider of the "This Layer" blending option "Blend If:".

I found that by setting it to 55, I recovered enough dark-tone information from the underlying visible layers to add more detail to the image without making the "eye" too prominent as in Figure 2:

Figure 13. “Overlay If:” settings that restore the dark details of the flower’s “eye”

Figure 14. Balanced adjustment through the black slider of the "This Layer" blending option "Blend If:" allows you to restore some of the dark detail that might have been lost when blurring the petals

Conclusion

A combination of blurs, modes, and blending techniques can be used to add a diffuse glow to an image. This technique can be used in wedding photos to add a romantic touch to images of a bride in a white wedding dress.

Portrait photographers can use it to soften the subject's facial features and add a sparkling glow or rich, smooth shadows. Landscape photographers can use this technique to increase contrast and smoothness of tones:

Figure 15. Sunrise at St. Marks, St. Marks, Florida. Gaussian blur 10 pixels

Blend Mode: Soft Light, Opacity: 80%. The black slider slider “This layer” of the “Overlay if:” parameter is set to 10.

To apply this technique, we first use " Gaussian blur" The goal is to add saturation through the creation of a glowing halo while maintaining important details.

The next steps are to select an appropriate blending mode and then adjust the Blend If: option to preserve the important details. Various effects can be achieved using blending modes and adjusting the Blend If: option.

This publication is a translation of the article “Giving Your Photos A Glow”, prepared by the friendly project team

Good bad

In this tutorial I'll show you how to create an interesting glow and add mood to an image. For this we will use blending modes(blending options), selection tools and a little of your imagination.
Before processing.

Lesson materials:

Let's start. Open the image you want to apply the effect to. The author chose this.

Step 1. You need to separate the girl from the background. Do this using the method that works best for you. The author used the tool Feather(Pen Tool), drawing a path around the girl’s figure, you need to close the outline and form a selected area. Set the feathering to 1 px.

Step 2. Copy the selection (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) it to a new layer, name the layer "Young woman».

Step 3. Duplicate the layer "Young woman". Apply an adjustment to a copy of this layer Brightness/Contrast on the menu Image - Correction(Image > Adjustments > Brightness and Contrast).

Step 4. Select the layer "Young woman". Let's go to the menu Filter - Blur - Motion Blur(Filter > Blur > Motion Blur). We set these settings Corner(Angle) - 40 degrees, Bias(Distance) - 120. Merge layers "Young woman" and a copy thereof.

Step 5. with a girl and call him "Smoke". Using the tool Lasso(Lasso Tool), draw an area around the girl. Set the feathering to 150 px.

Step 6 Make sure your Foreground color is white and your Background color is black. Now let's go to the menu Filter - Rendering - Clouds(Filter > Render > Clouds). After that, set the blending mode for this layer Overlap(Overlay).

Step 7 Create a new layer below the layer "Smoke" and name it "Gradient". Select Tool Gradient(Gradient Tool) and click to bring up the Gradient Editor. Set the foreground color #c6229e and background color #1dbdda. In the tool settings, set Linear. Draw a gradient from the top left to the bottom right, set the opacity of this layer to 60%.

Step 8 Set the layer "Gradient" blending mode Overlap(Overlay), then merge the layers " Smoke" And "Gradient". You should get something like the screenshot below. You can experiment with different gradient color combinations and different blending modes for the Gradient layer.

Step 9 Create a new layer below the layer "Gradient" and name it "Glow". Using white soft Brush(Brush), paint over the edges of the girl with a brush. This will create a glowing effect behind the girl.

Step 10 Make the tool active Brush(Brush tool), go to the brush settings palette (F5) and enter the following settings, as shown in the screenshots below. Save this brush by clicking Save a new brush (Create New Brush) and name her "Splash". Then you can select it again in the brushes palette and use it later. Drag the customized brush over the image as in the image below. Achieve the desired effect.

Step 11 Create a new layer, name it "Stripes". The name speaks for itself. We're going to make glow stripes. To make them, select a tool Polygonal lasso(Polygonal Lasso Tool) and create a triangle. Then, using a soft white brush, paint on the opposite side of the triangle base. You can also experiment with different shapes and sizes to create the effects you want.

Step 12 Now let's do the lighting on the girl herself. To do this, create a new layer above the layer "Young woman" and set its blending mode to Lightening the base(Color Dodge). Load the outline of the girl that you made earlier in the contours palette or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+click on the thumbnail of the layer with the girl. The selection will load. Using the tool PIpetka(Eyedropper Tool), select the color of the glow around the girl that we made earlier and use the same color, with a soft brush, to draw along the inner contour of the selected area.

Step 13 Now we will create the light lines. Create a new layer called "Lines" above the girl layer. Set the color foreground(foreground color) white, select tool Brush(Brush Tool) and open the brush settings window. Select a soft brush, approximately 9 px. In the tab Dynamics of shape(Shape Dynamics) install Size fluctuation(size jitter control) on pen pressure(Pen Pressure). This will give your brush strokes an interesting effect.