In this Photoshop tutorial we are going to teach you making of glare effect. We will use in this tutorial some basic tools of Photoshop and layer effects. You don’t have need any expert level to make this effect but you should have familiar all tools and layer effects of Photoshop. So start this tutorial with us and make glare effect for your any upcoming project.
Making Crystal Ball
Step 1.
Create a selection in a new document and use the following image size.
Step 2.
Create a following selection with 
elliptical marquee tool and fill 
with the following color.( # d8567e )
Step 3.
Keep the selection and create a new layer then paint with dark color.
Step 4.
At a new layer add lighter color with brush tool.
Step 5.
Create a new layer and create circle from elliptical marquee tool to add reflection and reduce the opacity level to 40 %.
Step 6.
Do the same thing and add new reflection circle and reduce the opacity level to 50%.
Step 7.
Select all the layers and press (Ctrl + E) to merge into one layer.
Step 8.
Select the layer and press (Ctrl + T) to transform the layer then right click on the layer and click on the Distort.
Step 9.
Now change the following shape of the layer with distorts option.
Save the file and we gonna need this ball later in next step.
Glare effects With Background:
Step 1.
Create a new document and use the following dimensions.
Step 2.
Fill the background layer with black color.
Step 3.
Create a new layer from layer panel and paint with 
brush tool. brush size should be 500 pixels and hardness 0 pixels. color used ( # d8567e ) change the size of the brush and change the color to white and paint in the center of the 1st painted area.
You will get this.
Step 4.
In this step copy and paste the crystal ball.
Step 5.
To create reflection of the ball duplicate the ball layer by pressing (Ctrl + J) and flip the duplicated layer. Erase the bottom edge by using erase tool and 
reduce the opacity to 20 %.
Step 6.
Now it’s time to add glow effect on the ball. Create a new layer and paint with brush tool using white color and add glow layer effect. Select the layer and right click on the layer then click on the blending options. Use the following glow settings.
Step 7.
At new layer create the following selection and fill with white color and use the following layer options use the soft light.
Then go to the blending option apply bevel and emboss and use the following settings.
Step 8.
Keep the selection and paint with white brush and use the following glow settings.
Apply glow effect and use the following settings.
Step 9.
Duplicate the last layer and flip using the transform tool and erase the bottom edge.
Step 10.
Now finally I am going to add some lever adjustments. Go to the layer panel and click on the (create a new adjustment layer)
Button then click on the levels
and use the following settings.
Final Step.
Finally you will get this….
November 3, 2011 at 11:06 pm
great work with helping techniques. thanks for sharing
November 4, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Thanks for sharing such an easy to follow tutorial!
November 5, 2011 at 6:02 am
beautiful design tips in this tutorial.
December 29, 2011 at 8:26 am
Muhammad, awesome tutorial! As someone learning Photoshop to try and curb my graphic designer costs, learning how to do this “glare” effect is a super-useful tool to add to my (quite small yet) arsenal! Cheers!