What's new
Photoshop Gurus Forum

Welcome to Photoshop Gurus forum. Register a free account today to become a member! It's completely free. Once signed in, you'll enjoy an ad-free experience and be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

need help on this sword effect


Junqi Ng

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Likes
4
Hi all,

would appreciate if anyone can help me wit this sword effect. how can i achieve to get this effect?

10982600_942435189141937_8231660096286333095_n.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Eggy

Retired Moderator
Messages
5,313
Likes
5,085
This is one of the many ways to make the lightsaber effect.

Do you have a picture you want this effect applied? If yes, please upload it and I'll show you how to do this.
 

Eggy

Retired Moderator
Messages
5,313
Likes
5,085
OK, from this

original.jpg

to this effect

original with light saber.jpg

- Make a selection from the shape of the blade.
- Place it on this own layer two times (ctrl+J)
- Select the top blade layer (see 'marching ants')
- Fill this layer with a near white color and apply gaussian blur (depending on the picture you'll have to experiment)
- Select the first blade layer (see marching ants)
- Go to select - modify - expand and expand by lets say 10 pixels
- The selection is now expanded
- Fill this layer with a darker color of the near white color and blur it with gaussian blur (again you'll have to see the effect.)

The shape of the blade does not matter.
 
Last edited:

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
Use your Pen Tool to create the shape of the blade.

Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 10.15.52 AM.png

Make a selection with a 1px feather.
Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 10.16.14 AM.png

Fill with white.
Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 10.32.54 AM.png


The rest is just layer style.
Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 10.35.39 AM.png
 

Junqi Ng

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Likes
4
OK, from this

View attachment 61351

to this effect

View attachment 61352

- Make a selection from the shape of the blade.
- Place it on this own layer two times (ctrl+J)
- Select the top blade layer (see 'marching ants')
- Fill this layer with a near white color and apply gaussian blur (depending on the picture you'll have to experiment)
- Select the first blade layer (see marching ants)
- Go to select - modify - expand and expand by lets say 10 pixels
- The selection is now expanded
- Fill this layer with a darker color of the near white color and blur it with gaussian blur (again you'll have to see the effect.)

The shape of the blade does not matter.

Hi,

I try to follow according but when i select the top layer and fill it with near white the whole layer change to that color instead of the sword.

would you mind list down the steps how can i go about following it ?

united2.jpg
 

Eggy

Retired Moderator
Messages
5,313
Likes
5,085
To select the blade only press CTRL and click on the thumbnail of the blade! (You'll see the 'marching ants' around the selecting of the blade)
 
Last edited:

Junqi Ng

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Likes
4
To select the blade only press CTRL and click on the thumbnail of the blade!

when i ctrl on the thumbnail of the blade and fill it with white the entire image become white color.

united3.jpg
united5.jpg
 
Last edited:

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
If you did Cmd/Cntrl + click on the blade layers thumbnail, you would have a selection that looks like this.......

Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 12.49.59 PM.png

Then when you fill the blade selection with white, you get this...
Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 12.51.58 PM.png
 
Last edited:

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
are you able to show me the entire steps of achieving this effect?

i can't seems to get the effect i want.
I did give you the EXACT steps in their entirety. Except the layer style and that's just a pink outer glow.
 

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
Junqi Ng said:
Did i did anything wrong my somehow compare to yours its seems abit weird.

Change your technique from "precise" to "softer".
You have to play with the layer style. Change the blend mode, change the contour.

I have already thrown out the PSD I used to make that example, so i can't tell you exactly what I did with the layer style.
 
Last edited:

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
I ctrl click the layer it only allow me to move the blade but not selection of the blade.
You have to Cmd/Cntrl + click the THUMBNAIL of the layer and not the layer itself.

This is the thumbnail.
Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 1.15.03 PM copy.png
 
Last edited:

Junqi Ng

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Likes
4
Change your technique from "precise" to "softer".
You have to play with the layer style. Change the blend mode, change the contour.

I have already thrown out the PSD I used to make that example, so i can't tell you exactly what I did with the layer style.

i try changing the blend mode but and change to contour but it seems so weird are you able to replicate the effects so i can have better understand of how to achieve this effect.
 

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
i try changing the blend mode but and change to contour but it seems so weird are you able to replicate the effects so i can have better understand of how to achieve this effect.

This is as close as I can remember.
Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 1.27.43 PM.png

Screen Shot 2016-01-20 at 1.28.05 PM.png
 
Last edited:

Junqi Ng

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Likes
4
To select the blade only press CTRL and click on the thumbnail of the blade! (You'll see the 'marching ants' around the selecting of the blade)

i manage to get the selection like finally. but the color a abit weird did i do something wrong. i follow the steps top layer select something nearly white. follow by gassiaun blur.
first layer select something darker color of near white. but i cant seems to get that glowing effect. did i do anything wrong?

weird5.jpg
 

Top