Lightning Effect
Lightning Effect
With the image editing app one has a power to cause a tremendous lightning in any picture.
Layers, Gradient Tool, filters, and color adjustment tools are used in this tutorial.
Step 1
Open an image to which you would like to apply the lightning effect in Pixelmator. It’s recommended to use any stormy-looking picture.
Step 2
Click the Add button (+) to add a new layer in the Layers palette. Double-click on the layer’s name to change its name to “Lightning”.
Step 3
Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to draw a square on the area in the image where you want the lightning to appear. Skip this step if you’re applying the lightning to the whole image.
Step 4
Click to select the Gradient Tool (G) in the Tools palette. Click the Action button and choose New Gradient to create a new gradient preset in the Gradients palette (View > Show Gradients). Create a linear gradient with white and black colors. Using the Gradient Tool apply the gradient on the marquee selection or on the whole image.
Step 5
Click the Add button (+) to add another new layer and rename it “Clouds.”
Step 6
Choose Filter > Generator > Clouds. Set the Primary Color to white and the Secondary Color to black. Click OK.
Step 7
In the Layers palette change “Clouds” layer’s Blending to Difference, since the Difference blending mode highlights the difference between the blend layer and the base layer (in our case, between the “Clouds” layer and the “Lightning” layer).
Step 8
Select “Clouds” and “Lightning” layers and choose Layer > Merge layers to merge layers. Then choose Image > Invert.
Step 9
To accentuate the bright line that appeared after invertion, choose Image > Levels and drag the inputs to the right (use the example in the image below as a reference), then click OK.
Step 10
In the Layers palette set merged layer’s Blending to Color Dodge, since the Color Dodge blending mode creates a nice light effect that looks perfect for the lightning effect.
Step 11
Choose Layer > Duplicate to duplicate the layer with a lightning. Use the Move Tool (V) to position and the transform tools (Edit > Transform) to scale and rotate the duplicated layer. Repeat this step to create a branched and realistic lightning.
Step 12
To arrange the multiple layers, select all layers containing lightning and group them into one by choosing Layer > Group layers. Rename the layer group “Lightning”.
Genial.
Ya era hora de sacarle partido de verdad a Pixelmator
Gracias.
I Agree. Pixelmator puede romperla si se lo proponen.
Nice! I still can’t figure out how it works, but it does haha. It’s hard to make a complex multi-spark bolt look realistic, but that’s where talent comes into play.
Nice Tutorial! I used it to create an iPhone wallpaper and it looks amazing.
Thanks and Nice Tutorial! I used lightning effect on a sea and it looks awesome!
I can’t get the cloud generator to produce small(rough) enough clouds to get the 7th step to look right, what can I do?
To Robert Thompson: I had the same problem at first. The solution it to start the gradient about 1/3 of the way from the left of the selection. Then end the gradient about 1/3 of the way from the right of the selection. That is, don’t start the gradient at the left edge and drag it to the right edge.
Also, drag the gradient slightly up.
When you’re done, you should have the left third of the screen white, the middle third grading white to black, and the right third black. It should look like the selection in step 5. Then proceed to step 6 and 7.
Good luck!
Got stuck on step 8. It didn’t give me the option to merge layers. I love wasting my time on stuff I can’t figure out.
You can also add a slight twirl effect to single lighting bolts to make it look even better (if you are having troubles getting rough enough lighting). Very nice tutorial.
My strikes is very straight? I think I’ve done something wrong cause your strikes are in many different ways
El nino be sure layers are selected by holding down shift and clicking them.
EssixxDesigns
Thanks to all people who made this program and tutorials.
It’s Eesy and fun
My clouds won’t show up for some reason?
Katie, have you checked if the newly created layer is selected when you apply the Clouds filter?
I tried this tutorial and i followed it precisely to its instructions however I cannot merge the two layers. The only option given is to merge all layers…. I even tried the keyboard command since i saw that other people were having problems with merging and the keyboard command had worked for them, it did not work for me so i pretty much cannot finish the project, do you have any idea as to why I am not able to merge only two layers together? Thanks
Katie,
Have you selected those two layers? To select only two layers hold down Command key and click.
The cloud filter will not work for me either. Am I missing something here. I have my blank “clouds” layer selected and following the filter>generate>clouds. Nothing happens. Any help?
@ Trent, have you set the Primary color to black and the Secondary color to white in the Clouds filter dialog?
No clouds for me either. Anyone figured out what is being skipped in this tutorial?
Jace, did you choose Filter > Generator > Clouds?
Hi Ausra, i have the problem about the cloud generation on step 6 as many others as i can see.
I have selected the new cloud layer and apply the effect (generator>cluds) but nothing happens.
I work on the cloud layer with the previous selection (the original square)
I have change the primary and secondary colors from cloud filter
I have Load Selection, i don’t know what else to do… what is wrong??
Thank you
carlos,
There seem to be a mistake in this tutorial. Select the Lightning layer instead and apply the Clouds filter. It should work.
The step missing is to duplicate the gradient layer for the clouds step and then you will get the desired result.
I had to erase some parts of the lighting and adjust the levels of the “stormy” image to make it more realistic. I’ve done several tutorials and so far, the instructions are clear and easy to follow.