Expert: Huma Riaz - 9/8/2007

Question
Hi.  My question regards how to make certain background effects in photoshop for use in wallpapers and backgrounds and such.  Im pretty familiar with a lot of things in PS but i just dont get how some things are done.  I know how to cut out images and use the effects and filters and what not so im not asking for the real basics.  Here is a link to a picture that explains more of what im asking.  http://streetball.world-basket.biz/NBA/lebron_james.jpg

How do you create the brilliant color splash in this picture?  If you have the time, check out wcremix.com and go to the cleveland cavaliers section (though any team will do).  http://imageevent.com/dreamkast/cavs  The first 2 wallpapers on this page are really what im talking about.  If there is any way you could give me some kind of a walkthrough on one of these that would be awesome!  I know how to do a lot of the things done in these pics but then they will have some sort of cool fire effect or light ray effect, or just some real cool background effect that i dont even know where to begin to start on how to create it.  Ive been all over the web and have seen fire tutorials and light ray tutorials and such but they just dont look anything like the effects these people have made. I know a lot of it is jsut "messing around" with filters and what not but ive tried doing that and just get really frustrated.  There's obviously something im missing.

I know this is kind of a general question but any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Duane,


I know it is pretty difficult to achieve this kind of effect, for me, i may not achieve the same effect, due to not in practice, but I think I know how to achieve,

It is not related to filter, third party plug-in actually. Try to play with 'layer mode' in layer's menu.


Like, add 2-3 pictures on a canvas, place them arrange them, change opacity, and change layer mode.

Some light pictures in background, some heavy images on foreground with different mode


i cannot tell you exactly by this medium, take a look at this image, it is not as sharp and clear as you might have seen around. But this has been created by me. And it could be more vivid and loud if we add multiple images and blend them accordingly.

http://www.tabarak.com/



Feel free to ask anything further

Huma Riaz
Location: Dubai-UAE