[PS7] Creating Novas

[[N]eto]

Tutorial: Creating Novas
Author: Neto
With extra credit to: -
Necessary tools: PhotoShop 7 (recommended) and Eye Candy 4000
Steps: 4
Difficulty: Simple

Step 1

First, create a new image. 400x400 Pxls. is what I used. Then, use the 'Paint Bucket Tool' to fill the image with black. Next, go to Filter>Render>Lens Flare (Lens Type: 50-300mm Zoom), creating 3-4 Flares with Brightness varying from 100-140% near the corners of the image.

Step 1 Image

Note: Try not to make the lens too close to each other. Perfect distance would be like the top pair.

Step 2

Now, go to Filter>Eye Candy 4000>Swirl (I used the following settings - Whirpool Spacing:300 Pxls., Smear Length:72 Pxls., Twist: 76%, and Streak Detail: 57 - of course, it may vary to your likings). Next, go to Filter>Eye Candy 4000>Jiggle (I used the following settings - Movement Type: Bubbles, Bubble Size: 28 Pxls., Warp Amount: 73 Pxls., and Twist 21).

Step 2 Image

Note: You will see in the following steps (including this one) why you must not clutter up the lens too close to each other.

Step 3

Go to Filter>Artistic>Plastic Wrap (I used the following settings - Highlight Strength: 15, Detail: 9, and Smoothness: 7). Now, for the clouding. Go to Filter>Blur>Radial Blur (I used the following settings - Blur Method: Zoom, Quality: Best, and Amount: 40-65). For the coloring (I like blue), so go to Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation in order to change the color of the image (mess with that a bit to get the color you want).

Step 3 Image

Step 4

These are the most crucial steps. Go to Filter>Render>Lens Flare (settings may vary to your liking, I used the following - Brightness: 140%, Lens Type: 50-300mm Zoom), and try to set the lens closest to the center. Now, you might see the point of this tutorial, but we aren't done just yet. Use the 'Dodge Tool' to highlight the most colored areas, in my case, the most blueish areas. Now, use the 'Burn Tool' to burn those areas, creating an energy flash sort-of effect. Use it in a way in which the effect starts from the center to the outside, do it like this to all of the image (except for the highlighted areas - for that, just burn until the edges turn a bright purple/ blue). Keep messing with the highlighting and burning (using the 'Dodge Tool' and 'Burn Tool') for a bit, until you see what this tutorial was meant to teach you. You will soon see the nova itself. Try to make it look something like this:

Final Nova Image

Of course, looks may vary. If you do not like the colors of the nova, you may go to Image>Color Balance and mess with that a bit.

End Tutorial

- Neto