Light Jump

Impress your buddies by creating the breathtaking Light Master photo manipulation, using any of your personal, family, or friends photos.

A stock image of a jumping guy, image of lights and image of fireworks are recommended for accomplishing the tutorial, but not required. So feel free to substitute them with any other image of your own.

Gradient Tool, layers, painting tools, color adjustments, and effects were used in this tutorial.

Step 1

Create a new image in Pixelmator. Feel free to use any size, however in order to achieve a result similar to that shown in the tutorial, use a size of 1050×690 pixels.

Step 2

Click to select the Gradient Tool in the Tools palette. In the Gradients palette (View > Show Gradients), click the Action button and choose New Gradient to create a new gradient preset. Create a radial gradient with sky blue and black colors. Click OK.

Using the Gradient Tool, apply the recently created gradient, so that the sky blue appears in the middle.

Step 3

Import and position an image of a person or object into the composition:

• If the object is not yet cut out from the background, use any of the selection tools to cut out the object so that it appears on a transparent layer.
• Use the Move Tool to position the object. Choose any desired place that best fits in the composition of the artwork (in our case, the middle).
• If necessary, change the size of the object by choosing Edit > Transform and dragging the handles on the bounding box.

Step 4

Create a glowing effect that comes from the object:

1. Duplicate the layer with the object (Layer > Duplicate Layer) and rename the duplicated layer to “Glow”.
2. Apply the Zoom effect: Double-click the Zoom thumbnail in the Effects Browser; place the pointer of a rope on the center of the object. Click OK.
3. Move the “Glow” layer below the original image of the object.
4. To strengthen the glowing effect duplicate the “Glow” layer (Layer > Duplicate Layer) and flip it (Edit > Flip Horizontal).
5. Then select both layers with the glow and merge them (Layer > Merge Layers).
6. To blend glowing effect with the composition, change merged layers’ Blending mode to Screen in the Layers palette.

Step 5

Some random clouds would give a depth to the composition. To add the clouds, first click the Add button (+) to add a new layer in the Layers palette below the layer with the object. Change layer’s Blending to Multiply. Select the Clouds effect in the Effects Browser. Set colors to black and white. Click OK.

Step 6

Shiny stars is a stunning detail that makes every composition look mysterious. To add some shiny stars:

1. Click to add another new layer and rename it “Sparkles”. Drag to place it below the layer with the object and above the layer with the clouds.
2. Click to select the Brush Tool in the Tools palette.
3. In the Brushes palette (View > Show Brushes), click on the Action button and choose the Nature brush presets collection from the contextual menu.
4. Click to select a star brush preset. In order to change the settings, double-click on the brush preset and set any values you like.
5. Paint a little bit on the Sparkles layer

Step 7

In order to match the color tone of the object to the composition color tone, select the layer with the original photo, select the Color Balance adjustment in the Effects Browser, and experiment by dragging various sliders until you get the desired result. Click OK when done.

Step 8

Place the stock image of lights into the composition. Change layer’s with the lights Blending to Screen. Use the transform tools (Edit > Transform) to scale, if necessary, and rotate the image.

Step 9

Select a soft brush in the Brushes palette and using the Eraser Tool delete some parts of the layer with the lights, so that it would look like the lights are surrounding the object (use the example in the image below as a reference).

Step 10

To apply the firework spheres:

1. Place the image of the fireworks to the composition.
2. Change fireworks layer’s Blending to Screen.
3. Scale the firework sphere (Edit > Transform) and use the Move Tool to position it anywhere in the composition (in our case, it looks nice when placed on the hand of the jumping guy).
4. Use the Eraser Tool to erase the remaining visible edges of the image with a firework.
5. Duplicate the layer with a firework sphere (Layer > Duplicate Layer) and place it elsewhere (in our case, on the other hand).

Step 11

Make those firework spheres glowing:

1. Duplicate any layer of the fireworks.
2. Select the Zoom effect in the Effects Browser and place the pointer of a rope on the center of the firework sphere. Click OK.
3. Move the layer with the firework glow below the layer with the original firework sphere.
4. Duplicate the layer with the firework glow to place it below the other firework sphere.

Step 12

In order to make the artwork more breathtaking, brighten it by creating a new layer above the other layers and applying the same blue and dark radial gradient using the Gradient Tool. Then simply change gradient’s layer Blending to Soft Light and reduce the Opacity as much as you want.