Tutorial - Particle streak effect!
June 5, 2008
Here is my particle steak effect tutorial which I’ve used for my old layout on this website, one of my favorite effect in which a streak of glowing lines/ particles is emanating around a person/object giving the intention it’s somehow creating an energy power field around the subject.
You can follow along with my psd >>Click to download
1. Creating paths with the pen tool.
- For the first step you will have to be familiar with the pen tool, I would highly recommend reading this article on creating paths with the pen tool here first if you’re not familiar with it, very easily to understand. >>Learn paths<<
- Now with the Pen Tool selected and setting the top options to Paths we will want to create the path in which this streak will follow, remember do this on the effect layer.
Notice how I’m starting from the bottom foot and will create a flow where it will end up on the other foot.
Here is my finished path, you can follow the same path as me or create your own path you would like to work with.
2. Select a brush and size.
- Select the brush tool and open the brush menu, now the brush is what’s going to turn into the glowing streak.
- Once you get the hang of you it can make any kind of streak you would like as long as you have the brush for it. For now lets select the solid 5px brush with a hardness of 100%.
3. Stroke path
- After selecting your desired brush, click on the pen tool and hover over your path right click and choose Stroke Path, then make sure the option is set to your brush and click ok.
Your image should now look like this.
4. Creating the wrapping illusion
- Select the layer1 layer which the image is on, and were going to copy parts of the image and paste it on top of the effect layer. The parts we copy are the parts we want to make it look like the streak wrapping in front and behind the object.
- I choose the elliptical marquee tool and created a circle where I wanted to hide the streaks which is going to be behind the object. If you want to do it all at once like I did below after making a circle hold shift and make drag another circle.
Now paste what you copied over the effect layer and your image should like the one below, notice the effect is starting to come into place.
5. Effect layer style
- Double click the effect layer to bring up the layer style option. Now here we can do whatever we want, so I’m going to go with the glowing effect. Go to color overlay and choose a color, it can be green, white…ect
- I’ve chosen orange for the color.
- Now click on the outer glow option and choose a color you want the streak to glow, I’ve chosen a dark orange and be sure to blend it with a Linear Dodge.
Your image should now look similar to the one below.
6. Adding particles to your streak
- I find this the fun part, on the particle layer we are going to use a particle brush and draw the particles around the streaks.
- I used the one from Celestial Star click to download they have some excellent free brushes for Photoshop.
- With the particle brush now set, choose a bright color for your particle, I’ve chosen a bright orange-yellow for my particle and simply click along the lines where the streaks are visible.
And were finished! I hope you enjoy this tutorial, if you have any questions, please comment below and I’ll try to reply asap!
Special thanks to Celestial Star for providing the particle/glitter brush! Celestial Star
3:58 am on June 11th, 2008
very cool! i like the effect very much. thank you your tutorial and brush download link
6:21 pm on June 12th, 2008
it’s very wonderfull, the effect is very beautifull, thank you ^_^
1:11 am on June 15th, 2008
i can’t figure out how to get a stroke path. it is very frustrating and even when i try to use the pen tool it leaves white shapes inbetween anchor points?
please please tell me how to fix this
6:13 am on June 15th, 2008
Helen,
Remember as the first image shows, you have to select “paths” option on the pen tool, you have it on “shape layers”. Take a look a the first image I have, you can see where it says paths, select that option and you should be able to draw a path without creating a shape.
Hope that helps.
6:41 am on June 15th, 2008
i tried to do the wrapping, not sure how to do the copy and paste, i tried but for some reason it didn’t come out right =( Great job by the way.
7:47 am on June 15th, 2008
Joel,
Thanks for the comment, as for the copy and paste part, remember Layer 1 is a layer by itself, after you have your streaks finished we want to make it appear as it is wrapping around the body therefore some parts of the streaks needs to be removed.
The parts that are going to be removed is up to you, but follow the pattern of over, under, over, under. So for every under you’re going to select the Layer 1 which the subject’s is present and using any kind of lasso tool select the parts which are going to be where the streaks go under/behind him. Then you are going to paste this layer on top of the streak/effect layer.
If this doesn’t help send me an email, I’ll send you the completed file for you to look at.
Cheers!
12:21 pm on June 15th, 2008
Wonderful tutorial, one of the best I’ve seen on this topic. Many others are much to confusing. But with this tutorial, I think I can finally manage to do it.
Thanks.
4:32 pm on June 16th, 2008
Hi there, i think i kind of get the idea how to do it, but if you can send me the complete file to look at, that’d be awesome!
Thanks!
7:11 pm on June 17th, 2008
Great tutorial. The only issue I seem to be having with this is that I can’t work out how to get the path to start thin, get thick and then go thin again, it’s all one constant thickness for me (even with simulate pressure ticked).
6:05 pm on June 19th, 2008
hey can u plz post more wallpaper from Tony Jaa and Tokyo Drift thx first
2:14 am on June 20th, 2008
Very nice!! Hope u can visit my blog
http://dotpsd.wordpress.com/
thanks!
7:18 am on June 23rd, 2008
Awesom, really cool
12:04 am on June 24th, 2008
I’m stuck at the ‘Stroke Path’ part. I followed the steps till this part. When I right clicked on the path. It doesn’t make the option ‘Stroke Path’ available. Am I missing out something?
12:40 am on June 24th, 2008
Kai,
Do you have your “Paths” drawn out on your effect layer? If so just take your “Pen Tool” then you will have to be on the layer in which your paths are drawn out, right click and choose stroke path. Your paths should now take on a brush stroke.
Hope that helps.
12:55 am on June 24th, 2008
I think I did it correctly. Here’s a picture of it.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l158/kaisen_89/asdf.jpg
1:11 am on June 24th, 2008
Kai,
I see your problem, you have your pen tool on “Shaped Layers” not “Paths”. Your option should be set to where the red arrow points.
Image below.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3183/2606371731_272c5c5070.jpg
1:36 am on June 24th, 2008
Ah. I see. Thanks alot!
9:47 pm on June 24th, 2008
Awesome effect man, thanks for posting!
12:36 pm on June 26th, 2008
Great picture of Tony Jaa as well
2:40 pm on June 28th, 2008
Wow , thanks so much, u really give me inspiration to work more with photoshop, all the best to u, take care and have a nice days ahead
2:42 am on June 29th, 2008
hihi your tutorial is pretty useful! however im facing this problem - the pen line is still there after i apply Stroke Path and the Colour overlay. how do i get rid of it?
5:01 am on June 29th, 2008
Mabel,
Just select the layer where the line is present and press delete until all your lines are gone.
1:26 pm on June 29th, 2008
It’s so simple once you see how it’s done! I can’t wait to try it.
6:59 pm on June 29th, 2008
Jp,
Yep if you really think about it, it’s just a stroke path with an outer glow, once you get the hang of it try it out with different brush strokes, it gets crazier looking! I might do another tutorial similar to this with a different brush stroke just to show how crazy it can get lol.
12:41 pm on July 1st, 2008
hi,
i have the same problem like Rob:
I seem to be having with this is that I can’t work out how to get the path to start thin, get thick and then go thin again, it’s all one constant thickness for me (even with simulate pressure ticked).
5:39 pm on July 3rd, 2008
i have a easier way, with your pic all ready, just make a new layer, do all of the stuff to it , but leave the glow over laying your subject, then take an eraser and erase all the parts you dont want..way simpler, just as good
6:28 pm on July 3rd, 2008
Rick,
Good advice Rick, that will also work I just used the copy paste technique since the subject was already in another layer.
11:50 am on July 7th, 2008
love this tutorial…when I tried it, it is not giving me the same effect where the stroke tapers at the ends although I have the simulate pressure box checked when I stroke the path , how can I do that?
7:31 am on July 10th, 2008
olieng, you dont see my problem!
8:51 am on July 10th, 2008
Sanhand,
My bad didn’t realized you left me a question before, it should work with “simulate pressure checked” if not Email me your .psd and let me check it out.
10:43 pm on July 11th, 2008
Hi! instead of getting a nice stroke path, i only get dots on the points i used with the pen tool. how do i get the whole stroke path to fill out?
11:00 pm on July 11th, 2008
Gemma,
Is your brush stroke correctly configured to the settings above? If you could send me the .psd I would have a better understanding with your problem. webmaster@olieng.net
4:02 am on July 15th, 2008
SIR, PLZ DON’T ANGERY ABOUT MY E-MAIL ID, I AM USE THIS ID TO 2 YEARS AGO. HELLO SIR, MY NAME IS RAHUL SHARMA, SIR I CAN NOT WRITE THE ENGLISH WELL. BUT I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS WONDERFUL EFFECT. AGAIN I AM READ YOUR TIPS & TRICKS SO PLEASE HELP ME ANY PROBLEM OF PHOTOSHOP. SIR PLZ TELL ME WHICH VERSION YOU USE IN THE PHOTOSHOP
6:28 pm on July 15th, 2008
guys if you cant get your brush streak to go from thin to thick nothing is wrong with your phototshop or your brushes or…. for your pen tool. firstly click the button that says “window” then
click on brushes. once you have the brushes thing open make sure the tickbox that says “shape dynamics” is ticked and then go to the pen tool and do the stroke path with stimulate pressure checked and you will have it go from thin to fat.
5:24 pm on July 19th, 2008
Really nice effect with a wonderfully simplpe execution. Really nice. Thanks for sharing this tutorial.
4:01 am on July 21st, 2008
Kaine, are there any specific settings for the “shape dynamics” because after i stroke path witht stimulte pressure ticked, i still can’t get the effect of thin-thick-thin .. i mess around a bit with the “shape dynamics” and still can’t get it ..
please do help !! *tears ..*
thx in advance though !!
7:36 pm on July 21st, 2008
Giorby,
What version of Photoshop are you using? I made this tutorial with CS3 and all I needed was to check “Stimulate pressure” and it works. I didn’t change any settings on my brush, I used the default 5px brush that comes with Photoshop and it works, very strange.
11:35 pm on July 21st, 2008
This is an awsome tutorial bro, but like a few others i’m having trouble getting the thick-to-thin effect.. not sure what the problem is, if its cool i could send you the psd.. thanks bro.
8:28 am on July 22nd, 2008
Strange as it may be .. I use ps CS3 as well .. and I did schoose the default brush of ps .. i ticked stimulate pressure as well .. and it just doesn’t work .. !! this is getting to frustrate me .. /hmph !!
Anyone .. help !?
8:47 am on July 22nd, 2008
Hey, what do you know .. !! i messed around again with the “shape dynamics” and all it needs was only a pe pressure with all the settings set to zero !! hahaha , now i’ve gotten the thin-thick-thin effect !!
and finally, i can finally say that this tutorial is an amazing work !!! XD
Thanks
2:12 am on July 30th, 2008
thanks a lot… it’s awesome!
8:40 am on August 3rd, 2008
Very easy to follow tutorial and produces a great result!
Jonathan
12:32 pm on August 9th, 2008
i have a question to ask, how to make a under, over, under, over etc effect if the main picture’s(layer 1) opacity is lowered? the picture will a bit transparent and even we paste the over side it will still there….
thx anyway,.. very2 good and interesting tutorial..
3:16 am on August 23rd, 2008
hi, great tutorial! though i cant seem to get the thick and thin thing either.. can anyone tell me where to find “Stimulate pressure” ?
3:24 am on August 23rd, 2008
oh wait, ive found it.. =D must have missed one of the above photos.
thanks a lot for an easy to follow tutorial!