Image editing for the rest of us
This tutorial will demonstrate how to create great effect using Pixelmator. It is based on an image that I created two years ago using Photoshop; when I was doing it in Pixelmator, I was able to try different filters because of the real time preview, which makes a huge difference.
Step 1
Create a new document, and use the Gradient Tool (G) fill the background layer with a gradient from black to a dark grey in the center. Use Radial for the Gradient Type.
Step 2
Place an image in the center of the document; I used an image of a girl in a bikini.
Step 3
Duplicate the layer of the girl and click on Image>Desaturate. Then change the Blending of the layer to Overlay. You can also apply a Gaussian Blur.
Step 4
Duplicate the girl layer again, and arrange it so that it is behind the other layers. Then click on Filter>Blur>Zoom Blur. Use 21 for the Amount, and move the controller until you achieve the desired result, like the image below.
Step 5
Now, just change the layer’s Blending to Color Dodge, and the effect will get darker and more subtle, like rays of light.
Step 6
Once again, let’s duplicate the original girl layer. This new copy has to go behind the other layers of the girl. Then click on Filter>Blur>Motion Blur. Use 50 for the Radius, and 26 for the Angle. Also, change the Blending to Color Dodge.
Step 7
Duplicate the layer that we just applied to the motion blur twice, for a total of 3 copies of the same layer. This will create a much stronger light effect.
Step 8
Now, we will add a new layer in front of the background layer and behind the others. Click on Filter>Generator>Clouds, use black and white for the colors, and click OK. The clouds filter is good because it makes the light less uniform. Again, change the Blending to Color Dodge.
Step 9
Add another layer on top of the clouds, then, with the Gradient Tool (G), fill it with the default rainbow gradient in the Gradient Panel (View>Show Gradient). Then change the Blending to Overlay.
Step 10
Now we can add some sparks. First, add a new layer and fill it with black, then change the Blending to Color Dodge. After that, go to View>Show Brushes. Select a regular rounded brush and double click on it to edit it. Increase the Spacing to 705% and the Scatter to 90%; also, make sure that the Hardness is 0%. Now we have the perfect brush to create sparks.
Select the Brush Tool (B) and begin painting some sparks like the image below. Change the size of the brush using the keyboard shortcuts [ and ].
Step 11
To create more light effects, add a new layer and fill it with black again. Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), create a rectangular selection, then use the Brush Tool (B) to select a big, rounded brush. Use white paint inside the rectangular selection like the image below.
Step 12
Change the Blending to Color Dodge and we will have a nice light streak. Duplicate the layer and position it more toward the middle of the image. Then go to Edit>Free Transform and rotate them as seen below.
Step 13
Add your logo and the effect is essentially finished. You can add more lights behind the girl, but remember to always create a new layer and fill it with black first, then use Color Dodge for the blending and white for the color of the lights.
Step 14
Select all layers and duplicate them, then click on Layer>Merge Layers. This way, one layer will have the image and the other layers will be behind it. When the flattened layer is selected, go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 20 for the Radius and click OK. After that, simply change the Blending to Screen and reduce the Opacity to 75%; this will create a nice glowing effect.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we played with brushes and the Color Dodge blending and created some great light effects. We also used 3 types of blur: Zoom, Motion, and Gaussian. Pixelmator is incredibly fast when dealing with blurs; we can preview the effect in real time, making it much easier to try different things. Now it is all about playing with the tool; enjoy it!
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May 8th, 2009 at 6:59 am
Awesome tutorial.
Fabio Sasso (Abduzeedo) you give Pixelmator an unprecedented fame. One of which warrants the quality of product. Free Trials are awesome.
Thanks Again.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Amazing tutorial
but dont you have any plan to provide a version of Pixelmator for windows ??/
May 15th, 2009 at 12:19 am
You are awesome, sir.
Oh, and please… PLEASE keep Pixelmator exclusive to the Mac =)
May 16th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Very helpful tutorial! It helps to quickly gain some skills.
And, yes Pixelmator should only be for Mac :) Sorry windoze.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Yes, I am a newbie, to Pixelmator & Mac…I did perfectly well from Step 1 through Step 10, BUT Steps 11, 12, 13 & 14…were all a NO-GO for me…in Step 14, RE: the 1st sentence – Select ALL layers ? and duplicate them ?, then click on Layer>Merge Layers.
I wish I could have, but the drop down, did NOT offer me the ability to use Merge, just flattened layers. Which I did do, but I did NOT like the final results of the flattened layers effect at all…!!
Also, in Step 9, for some reason I could not get the rainbow gradient, to give me the beautiful rainbow effect you got…?
Please advise and thank you…I really appreciate your tutorials, but I do need help…Warmly, Gladie
May 19th, 2009 at 7:22 am
P.S. In Step 11 the problem started with the white paint inside the rectangular selection…I could not produce the sheer effect your example had…mine was a solid white and stayed that way even after changing the blending to Color Dodge…?
This is Gladie again…
May 24th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
There is no “Clouds” on the generator (v. 1.3.1), and Pixelmator says the download file is corrupt.
May 24th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Kris, you should download newest version from http://www.pixelmator.com/download
May 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Where’s a good place to get pictures like the one you use above?
May 31st, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Wow thanks! Mine didn’t turn out so good, but this set me on my way.
My attempt: http://aquariumhell.deviantart.com/art/Flaming-Space-Hunk-124367614
June 14th, 2009 at 2:18 am
Easy and really nice tutorial.
I love that Pixelmator is only for MAC :D
Some newbies may not know that to select more than one layer thay have to press and hold command and then click the layers they wanna select
June 18th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
To when PIXELMATOR in Italian? It is a fantastic and indeed powerful program! a little difficult for who to school it has studied the French : (
June 27th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
This is a great tutorial but you start with the image of the girl and the top and bottom of her body are already faded out. How did you do that?
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
mine came out beautiful but it didnt come out RIGHT because it didnt have the streak effect it only had the gradient shape.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Cool idea, but it isnt working for me. I’m using a PSD of Zac Efron and it doesn’t turn out the same….
Basically all the tutorials aren’t working for me. None of my ending products come close to yours, actually after the first two steps I can already tell that it won’t work for me.
I don’t know what to do? I’m using Pixelmator1.4 or something…I believe. And…?
August 21st, 2009 at 6:38 am
Mike, re faded out girl.
The way I did it:
-clip image of girl
-command click image of girl in layers toolbar
-create a new layer
-use the gradient tool on the new layer, black in the center and transparent at the edge.
-hit command D
-place the gradient layer behind the image of the girl
-select the image of the girl
-go to layer->create clipping mask
Hope this helps…
September 27th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Fantastic tutorial! Thanks a lot.
This was my first image made with Pixelmator, and i love it. Much easyer to use then Photoshop.
I have a problem with the background on the girl though. The gradient just shows as circels, not faiding out nicely as on OPs picture. I have 300dpi resolution, so i dont understand the problem.
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 am
why is it all your tutorials have no reflection on what you did in your downloadable pixlemator file…
would be nice if you actually posted a full tutorial with all steps included
so we all could learn to fully understand and use pixlemator
December 1st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Same problem as Gladie with step 11 here :( Instructions aren’t clear enough. I’m getting a solid white rectangle and have no idea what I’m doing wrong… Sigh
April 14th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Thank you so much, this was a LOVELY tutorial and I really appreciate the help. I LOVE the way my attempt came out, I used a picture of a belly dancer instead of a bikini girl, and I also deviated from some of the steps, and combined a few to add a personal flair to the work…
My attempt may be found at the following link:
http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv83/WillowSttar/Graphic%20Design%20Portfolio/BellydancerPNG.png
Once again, Thank you. :)
May 7th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I give up. I’ll just pay someone to do this to my pictures when I’m rich. Do you do stuff like this professionally? It’s a damn shame I wasted my time on a photo editing and enhancing program and the only thing I can do is put text on my pictures, go up to the Image and click “Auto Enhance” and boom… that’s it. $34.95 down the damn toilet. I would have been better off burning it. (sigh…)
May 16th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
I did a lot better with this one, pretty proud of my results. Took me a while to figure out Pixelmator has Layer Masks – weird that there’s no button for it in the Palette, I use masks on everything.
I’m having problems with that black/gray gradient, it’s pixelated no matter what grey color I choose, you see rings in the gradient. And I’m pretty sure you tweaked the hell out of those clouds, Mr. Fabio. Also, maybe because of my image source, but making the zoom blur layer ‘Color Dodge’ doesn’t look at all like the example, that made my blur disappear practically. I had to go with ‘Lighten’. Different look, but pretty nice overall. The scatter brush trick is brills, that really takes the image ‘there’.
June 5th, 2010 at 4:26 am
Great tutorial! I’ve made my variations on it :-)
http://ikir1610.deviantart.com/#/d2r4shm