Blinky2004

The following tutorial was written by Mindbender; a valued member here at the PSG Forum.
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Set up the graphic elements:

Create a new document

Filter > Render > Clouds

On cloud layer, Auto-Levels then Filter > Blur > Blur More

Create the gradient for the gradient map that we'll be using (fig.1).

Create a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer with this gradient

Create a Levels Adjustment Layer to fine tune the look of the lightning until most of the background noise is gone (fig.2).


Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and set the options to colorize, saturation of about 50%, and a hue that you like (a nice blue for traditional electricity is around 220). Set the blending mode for this layer to "linear light".

Blinky2004

Set up the animation:

Since ImageReady doesn't deal well with realtime effects like adjustment layers, we need to prepare some layers for the animation.

Create a new layer set and move your gradient map layer into it.

Double click the gradient map adjustment layer icon to edit it's properties.

Set the position of the center (white) color stop to 5%

Duplicate the gradient map layer (highlight the layer and press cmd+J (mac) or ctrl+J (win))

Edit the properties for the new gradient map layer and set the center color stop position to 10%

Continue duplicating the layers and editing the properties for each layer, incrimenting the position of the center color stop by 5% each time until you get to 50%.

Once you get to 50% (fig.3) you can take a shortcut to get the rest of the way to our final destination of 95%. Duplicate your gradient map layer set (highlight the layer set and choose "duplicate layer set" from the contextual menu). Now, Photoshop gives us the ability to reverse a gradient with a toggle button. (fig.4)

Blinky2004

This means that our 5% layer becomes the 95% layer. The 10% layer becomes the 90% layer. See the pattern? We're working in reverse now, going from more to less as we go from lower layer to higher layer instead of increasing. (fig.5) (Note: since we don't need to reverse the 50% layer, simply delete the top layer in the duplicated layer set).

Now, jump to ImageReady by pushing the jump button (fig.6) or by saving the Photoshop Document (.psd) and opening it in ImageReady.

Once you are in ImageReady, simply create a new frame for each of the gradient map layers. Make only that layer visible on each frame. Remember, you go in order from bottom to top for the first 5%-50% and in order from top to bottom for 55%-95%.

That's it for the main technique. Simply export the animation as a .gif and enjoy

Note: If you aren't getting as smooth a transition as you would like, try adjusting the position on the color stops for the last couple of adjustment layers. Certain patterns have hotspots that cause the gradient map to show color for longer than desired. SImply shifting the gradient map further down the spectrum will alleviate this and smooth out the endpoints of the animation.

Blinky2004

Addition Tweaking:

Some fun things to try are to play with the blending modes for the adjustment layers to get lots of different effects.

Want more colors in your animation? Replace the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer with a more colorful gradient map!

If you aren't happy with the look of the lightning... try doing different things to the clouds layer, you will immediately see changes in your document because of the realtime nature of adjustment layers. You can try different patterns, textures, and filters on that base layer to get interesting effects. Bear in mind that what makes gradient maps work is the subtle shifts in luminocity... i.e. the gradual transition from light to dark. So any pattern you use should contain some subtle shifts in color. If it doesn't, you may have to blur it (as we did with the clouds in this tutorial) to get more subtle transitions.

Enjoy.

-MB