How to create amazing light effects in Photoshop

This tutorial will teach you how to easily create light effects in Photoshop. We will play with blending modes, adjustments layers and brushes.
We will use smoke brushes, but I recommend that you to experiment with any kind of brush set. Remember that the key to obtain the best result with this technique is to create at first a dark background, then introduce the image you want to enhance, and at the end create your lights with a combination of brushes (or vectors or stock images).

Step 1

Create a new document. Select the Paint bucket tool (G) and fill the layer with black (#000000). Now paste in the paper texture and resize it (press ctrl+t to enable the transform tool). Set the layer blend mode to overlay. You should have a totally black document.

Step 2

Create a new layer between the black one and the texture. Select a large, soft white brush (hardness 0%) and start painting over the center. Reduce the opacity of the layer untill you’re satisfied with the result. view tutorial..