| In this Tutorial, We will Create this illuminated Blacklight fixture using various Glow brushes. This Technique involves painting in a straight line. |
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| 1.) Press D, then X on the keyboard to set Background Color to Black. Create a new File. Go to File > New. Make it 800 X 150 pixels at 300 dpi in RGB Mode on Background Color. |
| 2.) Next, go to View > Rulers. Drag from the Horizontal Ruler a Guide and snap to Center of the Document window. Now, pull one out from the Vertical Ruler and snap to Center. |
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| Now, press F on the keyboard to go to Full Screen mode. |
3.)
Select the Rectangular marquee tool  .
Go to the Options bar and set to Fixed Size, then input 200 px for
Width and 50 px for Height. |
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| Click on the work area to Create a Selection and place curser Inside Selection and Drag until it snaps to the Left of Center as shown. |
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| 4.) Click the Foreground Color swatch to launch the Color-Picker. |
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| Enter #333333 at the Bottom input box, then click OK to apply. |
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5.)
Now, press Alt+Backspace to Fill. Press Shift+M
to Select the Elliptical Marquee tool  .
Go to the Options bar and set Width and Height to 100 px. |
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| Click on the work area and Selection will change. Drag and snap to Center, then go to Edit > Clear. |
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| Go to the Options bar and change Width and Height to 150 px. Click on the work area and Selection will change. Drag and snap to the Left of Center as shown. Now, go to Select > Inverse. |
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| Go to Edit > Clear, then use Alt+D to Deselect Selection. (The resulting image will be the shape of the end caps.) |
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| 6.) Go to Layer > Layer Style > Gradient Overlay. The Layer Style palette will Open. Set perimeters as shown below, then while the palette is Open, go to the Document window and Drag Gradient UP off Center., then click OK to apply. |
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7.)
Select the Move tool  .
Drag end cap to the Left until it snaps into place. |
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| Go to Layer > Duplicate Layer. A dialog box will appear, just click OK and the layer will be Created. Now, go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal, then Drag this end cap to the Right until it snaps into place. (This finishes the end caps.) |
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| 8.) Go to the Layers palette and click the background layer to Select. Go to Layer > New > Layer. The New Layer dialog box will appear. Name this layer Glass Tube, then click OK to Create. |
| 9.)
Hold the Shift key and tap M until the Rectangular
Marquee tool
becomes Selected. Go to the Options bar and set Width to 600 px
and Height to 48 px. Click on the work area to Create a Selection.
Place curser Inside Selection and Drag until it snaps to Center. |
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| Click the Foreground Color swatch and the Color-Picker will Open. Input #660066, then click OK to apply. Now, press Alt+Backspace to Fill, then Ctrl+D to Deselect Selection. Press V (Move tool) and Drag Vertical Guide back to Ruler as we will no longer need it. |
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10.)
Select the Brush tool  .
Go to the Options bar and click the Downward triangle (next to display
window) to Open the Brush Library. Select the Soft
Round 35 pixels brush. |
(If the library is different than
the one shown, click the blue arrow 
(Top Right corner) and a pop-out menu will appear. Select Reset
Brushes and the correct library will load.) |
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| 11.) Click the Foreground Color swatch and change Color to #990099. Go to Edit > Preferences > Display & Cursors. Under Painting Cursors... Select Precise, then click OK to close. (This will turn the brush into 4 cross hairs.) |
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| Now, press F on the keyboard to go to Full Screen Mode with a Black Background for better Viewing. |
| Now, for the Magic of painting straight lines! |
| Option 1: Position cursor Middle of Left end cap and click+Drag along Center Guide to the Right until Glass Tube is painted All the way across. (The Center Guide will have a degree of magnetic pull keeping the paint Centered.) |
| Option 2: You can paint a straight line between two points by clicking once to set the first point, then Shift+Click to set the end point and a Stoke will appear between the two points. |
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| Should look like this now. |
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| 12.) Click the Foreground Color swatch and change Color to #990099. Right-Click on work area to Open Brush Library. Select the Soft Round 27 pixels brush. Paint along Center Guide. |
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| 13.) Click the Foreground Color swatch and change Color to #990099. Right-Click on work area to Open Brush Library. Select the Soft Round 3 pixels brush. Paint along Center Guide. |
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| 14.) Press V (Move tool) and Drag Center Guide half way to the Top of image. |
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| Click the Foreground Color swatch and change Color to #990099. Right-Click on work area to Open Brush Library. Select the Soft Round 9 pixels brush. Paint along Center Guide. When you are finished... click V and Drag Guide back to the Ruler. The basic Blacklight is now completed. |
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| 15.) Now, let's light up the Tube! Go to Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow. The Layer Style palette will Open. Click the small Color well and the Color-Picker will Open. Enter #660066 at the input box, then click OK to apply. Now set All perimeters as shown, then click OK to apply. (The Glow will expand slightly beyond the edges of the Glass Tube.) |
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16.)
Select the Erasure tool  .
Right-Click on work area to Open the Brush Library. Select the Soft
Round 100 pixels brush, then press Enter on the keyboard
to close. |
| (If the library is
different than the one shown, click the blue arrow
(Top Right corner) and a pop-out menu will appear. Select Reset
Brushes and the correct library will load.) |
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| Go to Edit > Preferences > Display & Cursors. Under Painting Cursors... Select Brush Size, then click OK to close. (This will turn the brush boundaries into a Circle.) |
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| 17.) Go to the Options bar and set Opacity for the brush to 24%. Now, Click+Drag to erase overspray around edges of Left end cap in a crescent direction until you are pleased with the results. Then repeat procedure for the Right end cap. |
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| When you are finished, press V to Deselect brush. The image is now completed. Click here to compare your work or continue with BONUS Steps below. |
| CONVERTING IMAGE TO A DIFFERENT COLOR |
| IMPORTANT! Prior to Next Step... Save the file. Go to File > Save As. Name it Blacklight. (This will retain the original file.) Now, Save again, this time name it Neon. |
| Go to Layer > Flatten Image. A dialog box will display, just click OK to apply. Next, press Ctrl+V to Open the Hue/Saturation palette. Adjust Hue and Saturation sliders to your liking, then click OK to apply. |
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| Here's the New Neon! |
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Copyright © 2006-2007 Glenn Schemenauer - Spacific
Designs™ - All rights reserved. |
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