Photoshop wonderful Ii.: Stereo lighting magic [Light and Shadow]2

All right, the test's over. We can turn a simple black and white gradient into a flame gradient. What about the lighting? We have just talked about the level of light and shade, and this operation is to make it easier for us to control the level of the lights. That is, we don't need to think about the blending of different colors of light, we just use black and white to make changes, and then we replace each gray level with a gradient map. Hand-drawn methods are good, but what we need is a more controlled approach using PS techniques.

With the level of light and shade solution is not enough, the photo will rely on their own painting. Using strokes is a good choice, just also saw, on the black background to the white painting, with the gradient map, how to paint is a beautiful light. Look at the picture below.

Use the mouse to scribble, although the effect is ugly, but the idea has come out. Right, we can control the color of each grayscale, how to say is a good beginning.

Before we actually start the light journey, we have to think about what can be improved. The picture above is very difficult to see, why? Brush does not change, the mouse draw the line is not smooth. So, the first thing we need to improve is our brush.

Here we begin to build our own "light brushes". Create a new blank file, and then create a new layer, we use the brush to point out the traces of the figure (do not know how to point out these traces, we suggest to press F1 carefully look at PS help).

Then use the constituency to underline the black spot. Edit-> definition brushes, as shown in figure:

Back to the document of the gradient map we just made. Create a new layer, as shown in figure:

OK, now let's set up our "light brushes". Select the Brush tool, and then click the brush on the right to open the option.

In the brush preset, all brushes are at the bottom, you can find our "Light brush", click to select. The following is a series of brush parameter adjustments.

OK, brush adjustment complete. Go back to the canvas and draw two strokes.

It's kind of interesting. What do you want to change color? The power of the adjustment layer comes out and we can adjust the effect at any time. Double-click the option to open a gradient map.

Look, it's easy, it turns our red light into blue.

Just using the mouse to draw, or is not smooth. Let's take a look at the pen tool. Get rid of the original painting. With the Pen tool, draw the path below.

Then select "Light Brush", switch to the path panel, and click "Stroke path with brush". Look at the effect.

It looks good. We need the light track to finish. Through multiple use of this brush, plus brush changes, as well as changes in the gradient, we can easily get a variety of light track effects.

Then by making different colors and shapes of the light traces, and then mixed together, you can get a richer level of effect. For example, let's use two separate layers of black-bottom red and Blu-ray to make various layers (such as overlay, brightness, etc.):

In this way, our light is more abundant. Each step of the tutorial is actually very simple, but the principle is very interesting. You may also have thought, in this way, what can be done cool and dazzling effect? Do not use the brush to do the light track, with other tools to do? such as polar coordinates, radioactive blur, Blur, etc.? As long as the first black and white smooth gray changes, coupled with the appropriate gradient mapping, you can make a rich layer of light track effect. As an exercise, we can try to see how this approach expands our thinking.

In the next section, we will apply this technique to practical examples.