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By Request: Photoshop Lightsaber Tutorial


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A couple of folks hit me up asking me if i would share the method I use for doing the lightsabers on costume photos. Here's what I do....feel free to PM me with any questions.

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pick brush size (based on size of saber), and set hardness to 35-50% (based on the image and personal preference, you will blur later) NOTE: Line tool work fine too, will have to blur later)

create new black layer

set that layer to "screen"

paint the one line to cover your saber (or use line tool & rasterize) on the black layer (if you used the line tool, once drawn, rasterize the layer, then merge with the black, and continue)

making sure still set to screen, duplicate 5 times

The rest = math (sorry)

 

core = whatever size covers your blade

 

(Note: The layers below may not be your layer name, just simply a numbering method)

 

layer 1 - gaussian blur: 1-5, depending on size...this will be the white core of the finished product

layer 2 - gaussian blur: core x .5 (so if blade = 10, this will be 5)

layer 3 - gaussian blur: core x 1

layer 4 - gaussian blur: core x 2

layer 5 - gaussian blur: core x 3 or 4 (personal preference)

layer 6 - gaussian blur: core x 8

 

Set opacities as follows:

 

layer 4 - 90%

layer 5 - 60%

layer 6 - 30%

 

From there do Layer --> Merge Down (or CTRL+E / CMD+E) until all your SABER layers are merged into one (don't merge onto the other image layers).

 

Then go to image --> adjust --> color balance. Tweak settings to your liking.

 

Note: Red is very, very difficult to get "right." If the background is even slightly light, it will look pink. If you "hide" (click the 'eye') the image/background layer and just do the saber with no background, it will give you a better idea. For the reds, you can also try duplicating the final saber layer and play with opacities and saturation levels.

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Guest Anonymous

This is a GREAT tutorial. I will go ahead and try this out and post the result later on (probably tomorrow, sadly).

 

Thank you so much. I really really like your saber glow effect and I can see now how the multiple layers with differing opacities helps to get that.

 

Ooooh, I can't wait to try it!

 

- Carolyn

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Thank you so much. I really really like your saber glow effect and I can see now how the multiple layers with differing opacities helps to get that.

 

Glad you like it....good luck ;)

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Guest Anonymous

Hey, question...if I credit you, may I have permission to cross-post your tutorial to my livejournal? Folks have been impressed and were curious as to how it was done.

 

If that's not ok, I totally understand. :)

 

- Carolyn

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Guest Anonymous

Thank you. Many folk will greatly appreciate it. :) It really is the best procedure I've seen for lightsaber blades to date.

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.

 

Waahooo! I did it, I did it!

 

Okay, maybe I'm a bit too excited... but that was fun! The blade seems too long and is far from perfect, but I'm happy with my first successful lightsaber drawing attempt. Photoshop and I, we're finally starting to understand each other.

 

Thanks again for the tutorial!

 

Pam :-)

 

PamDoug.jpg

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