Materials Techniques and Processes: Independent Experimentation

Fire Beam

First of all I created a large document because the more pixels the better in this case. I started by creating a document 2500 x 3500. I then filled the background with black.

Then I used the selection tool to create a rectangle on a new layer and used Gaussian blue to give it a glow effect.

The by using the smudge tool and a chalk brush, I smoothed out the edges to created a beam effect.

Then I duplicated the layer and used the same process but using a stronger brush. I then made the layer opaque, taking the opacity don to around 30%.

Next I made some light beam streams coming off the main beam. To do this I created a new layer and then used the elliptic selection tool to create a stretched oval.

I then used the, filter, shear tool to make the oval bend and stretch. After that I duplicated the layer and made the copied layer have a blur effect. Giving the light stream a glow. I then merged the layer.

After making more light streams by repeating the process I had this image.

I decided to make more light beams by duplicating and transforming the already existing ones.

I then decided to change the main light beam by stretching it because it did not like how it looked. i then stretched the light streams as well.

Then I made some bubbles coming off of the light streams. To do this I created a new brush and used the scattering option to get this effect. I also used a WACOM tablet so that I could use the shape dynamics tool as well. Then by duplicating the layer of the bubbles I used a blur effect to make them glow.