How to create a Glow Effect using Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is the softwaresoftware reference for visual creation, artistic photo editing and photo retouching. It has many features to implement all your ideas of original artistic visual creations. Your imagination is your only limit. Because everything is possible in Adobe Photoshop, you just need to take the time to learn how to master it, and manipulate it with or without tutorials.

And to help you get started, here’s a detailed tutorial that will guide you step-by-step through the artistic creation of the Glow Effect. This bright and striking effect highlights one element of your photo while darkening the background. Selection tool, layer mergermerger, dynamic object, you will learn to master all these commands for your next creations. This tutorial is rather intended for users with an intermediate level at thingthing computer manipulation, but if you feel you are ready to take on this challenge, feel free to take all the time you need.

Tutorial: How to create a Glow Effect using Adobe Photoshop?

Choose a picture, preferably with a contrastcontrast of colorcolor important to highlight your Glow Effect, and open it with Adobe Photoshop.

Unlock your layer, duplicate it and rename it “Background” so you can clearly distinguish the background, which will be darker, and the shiny elements of the photo.

Use the object selection tool to clip the element where you want to add glow and glow effect.

It is not necessary to be very precise in terms of clipping and the quick selection tool is more than enough. You can easily add or remove items from your selection using the + and – icons located at the top of the workspace. Feel free to reduce the thickness of your selection cursor if the default selection is too large.

Once selected, create a layer mask.

Then duplicate your layer containing the fusion mask to keep a backup copy of it and then turn it into a dynamic object with a right click > Convert to dynamic object.

Before proceeding with the realization of the Glow effect, it is necessary to darken the background and for this, click on “Create a fill or adjustment layer” then “Match colors”.

The Color Matching Property tab will be displayed to change which 3DLUT setting is enabled. Through the drop-down menu, select the night effect, corresponding to Moonlight.3DL.

It is possible to darken the background further by clicking on the Adjustment tab and then selecting the Hue Saturation tool, where you can adjust the hue and brightness to achieve the desired rendering.

Now that the background is as dark as you want it to be, let’s go back to our main element to make it a luminescent object. Duplicate the Smart Object layer and change the mode of this copy to Linear Density – in the Lighten part.

Then add a Gaussian Blur from the Filter menu to soften the harsh edges and give the glowing halo effect.

If your outlines aren’t accurate enough in the first selection step, don’t panic, just go back to your layer mask and click the Select and Mask button at the top of your workspace.

This will open a new property panel where you can adjust the feather size to give the glowing halo look and soften the edges of your selection.

Then go back to your Smart Object layer at Linear Density. If you want to reduce the effect, all you have to do is adjust the opacity of the layer.

If you want to change the color of your glow, add a fill layer and select Hue and Saturation. Adjust the different sliders to get the desired color.

Who says luminescent halo, says more lightlight around the object. However, at this moment, the element only has the impression of being placed on a dark background. To add some more lights around the element without increasing the blur effect, go to the layer that contains the background color and the first mask of our outline, before creating our dynamic object. Then add a new fill mask and select the Curves tool.

Then click to create a clipping mask for the lower layers.

Then lower the contour line to darken the background if you want, use the brush tool with medium smoothing and examine the outlines of your light element. Make sure the main color is black, so that the effect is applied to the mask.

Then search the Internet for a royalty-free image of a starry sky and add it to your composition. Then change the mode to Overlay.

Then stretch your image to cover your composition and manage its opacity to make the whole look smooth. Then create a layer mask that you will bring back so that the starred elements appear where you want them.

Remember to change the main color to white and with the brush go where you want the highlights to appear. starsstarsie around the luminescent element.

There you go, you are ready to start the adventure in Adobe Photoshop with a beautiful artistic creation that should impress more than one.

The article was written in collaboration with Adobe