What's new
By:
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!

Fireworks blow my mind

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dodo
  • Start date Start date

D

Dodo

Guest
Hey folks,

Hope everyone's New Year celebrations were more 8} than }P .

As I only dabble in the graphical thing (just saying this to cover myself, even though I spend hours on creating images that look significantly mundane) and do so in a seasonal fashion (i.e. I make graphical cards in jovial celebration of events), I am a bit stumped by how to go about creating artificial fireworks effects that look at least somewhat acceptable. Oh, and this is a firework already in an advanced state of explosion - with the tentacle-like bursts already going their way.

I've seen and tried to apply some of the few firework effect tutorials shown at two or so sites - but they were either too Star Trek light bursty, or a bit too artificial for my tastes. Ulead have a fair plug-in that does a very decent job, but that feels like a bit of a cop-out.

I can create a fair little star thingy that results from the pyrotechnic explosion using the star shaped brush tools with suitable highlights. I can also add a fair little smoke/glare trail following this little star by using the fade effect in the brush options - but only in a straight line. Is there a way to curve these trails/lines so that it looks to originate at the same point, but also to reflect the gravity of the situatioin? I can imagine using paths of some sort to help with this? Maybe then some spherizing?

Any ideas or examples would prove very helpful. Thanks.
(P.S. I searched through the forums for a similar topic, but couldn't find one. If there is already a topic that covers this and I missed it, I can only say "Sorry!")
 
:righton: Thanks. I actually did have a look at that one previously but couldn't make sense of some of the fellow's instructions.:bustagut:

He lost me on : With the Pen tool, create a path that starts outside the fireworks cluster and curves into the center of the cluster. Create a few more paths that start from the outside and work in toward the center.
 on the adding of the Wind effect.

In the first place I would think the "fireworks cluster" is the whole blossom of the firework, so to speak. So by starting outside it you start outside your first set of fireworks? So no overlapping etc.? Then Mr. Monroy adds the wind filter - on my image it looks a bit, how shall I say it ... "crappy". Obviously I must be doing something wrong.

In the final step - which is a nice effect in itself - Mr. Monroy asks me to "Paint a glob in the center of the fireworks." with the selected brush. Now does he mean the center from where the explosion originated or does he mean on each little firework ball (sorry - I have limited firework terminology here).

Are there maybe any other beginners who've tried this tutorial "just for fun"? I'd like to see their results because my comprehension is obviously lacking here.

Thanks.
 
Nice nitro very pretty pattern and colors :righton:
 
Thanks for taking the trouble Nitro - it was a vast improvement on anything I could come up with. I think perhaps the tutorial is more looking at the animation side of it rather than a still image of the pyrotechnics - that's the only sense I could make of it.

I played around with my new founded knowledge of the Linear Dodge lighting effects (as shown by the planet tutorial of Greg Martin http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/tuts_arts/making_a_planet.html). This helped to give a nice glow to things I reckon. But it's still pretty far off anything that's almost slightly realistic looking. The main thing that still bothers me is ther failure of gravity - making the tails of each flare droop. Any ideas?
 
Dodo, Try playing with the Brush Dynamics.

Turn on Other Dynamics > Fade, and Minimum Size.

Now, a stroke with a soft brush will taper off.

Use the Shear Filter to create the bend. You need to have the stroke vertical for this filter.

Or, use the Twirl filter for a similar effect.

Duplicate and rotate for the kaboom!

(It will probably be more realistic if you don't use black) ;)

Al.
 
Distortions: Shear And Twirl.

I know they look a bit like anorexic tadpoles, call it artistic licence. :B

Al.
 
Thanks for the pointers Al. I'll do one from scratch at some point in the near future using the brush dynamics you suggested with some twirl and shear. The brush used in the original tutorial is maybe a bit too uniform as well? Maybe.

Another thing that bothered me is the cluster density - it's definitely wrong on my second image - there should be larger but sparser "stars" near the center, with smaller (and fading), denser rings nearer to the outer rim, to create the illusion that the explosion expands spherically from its origin. \:]
 
Just add a layer mask and put in a black to white Radial Gradient. Use levels to control the amount of inner fade.

Al.
 
Hey Nice Moth Exciting fireworks.

Al OMG more adjustments available for brushes?

I was in awe of the brush capability before I learned about this from you today.

I have to assume that Photoshop programmers think we are all bloody geniuses. I'm beginning to get the feeling we'll be qualified to fly an F-15 after we finally master all the tools PS can invent. Or do I extravagate? after 4 glasses of wine words flow.

BTW do you have time to do a volley challenge with me now? I'm getting close to desperate, yes definately desperate.
 
nitro Thanks for the link.

Great fireworks everyone! :)

Joy
I'm beginning to get the feeling we'll be qualified to fly an F-15 after we finally master all the tools PS can invent.
Click to expand...

You make me laugh! :D
 
Hi Lily I've been missing you. I know, I know Xmas is a hetic time but its finally over so back for the forums slave!
 
Lily: No problem :righton:
Dodo:
"He lost me on: With the Pen tool, create a path that starts outside the fireworks cluster and curves into the center of the cluster. Create a few more paths that start from the outsicd and work in toward the center."
Click to expand...
Today they repeated the show on CableTv, The reason you start the curve outside the ring and work in, is because when you apply the Stroke(Faded) command it begins where you started the path then fades off toward the end of the path(the tail of the firework).
 
Nitro, thanks for going to the trouble watching the show - I realise it was probably not just for my benefit - but thanks all the same. The tutorial shows some very nice methods for creating the effect of a firework which I didn't know of before.

I also saw that when you used the "stroke path" function the fade goes from starting to end of your path - it was apparent after I first tried to create a star-like path and then tried to stroke the path with a brush [oops] (doh!).

It just seems to me (and please correct me if I'm wrong), that the white is a bit too blunt. The wind effect that gets applied doesn't really add anything either - I mean, if it's a firework and shooting away from the centre of the explosion, there's unlikely to be anything dropping straight down - there'll be some kind of momentum creating some kind of a dragging effect. I suppose a radial/motion blur combination should fix that right up.

Thanks to everyone for the hints - I'll experiment later this week with all my new-found knowledge. I suppose at the end of the day it's all about combining the techniques/effects that produce the best results - how to do that comes with experience (i.e. just before your mouse-clicking finger starts bleeding and when you accept that the pixel is in you... Luke.) Sorry for being too verbose!

(:righton: Moth and :bustagut: @ the 8} - that little rainbow-hatted fellar gets me every time)
 
Wow good work guys !! :righton: :righton:

I just had to give it a try though i couldn't follow the tute either [confused] ;\


nikkie
 
Nikki - It looks like an explosion to me. I think its good, I've seen fireworks like this. I like the star effect you achieved in the center. [excited]

Maybe scanning in a dramatic photo of real fireworks and giving them a "lick and promise" in PS would be effective. \:]
 
Back
Top