Glow Effect Photoshop

Step 1:

• Open your image and decide what you will want to glow in the photo
• Choose the Quick Selection tool and draw around it.

Step 2:

• Go to EDIT- Copy

Step 3:

•  Go to EDIT
  •  Paste
    • You will now see a second layer on your layers pallet

Step 4:

• Click on the Background Layer
  • Click circle at the bottom of the layers
    • Choose COLOR LOOKUP

Step 5:

• The Properties tab should open
  • If it does not, go to
    • Windows
      • Make sure Properties is checked

Step 6:

• Click on Load 3D LUT

Step 7

• Choose Moonlight. 3DL

Step 8

• Your image will now be dark except for the Quick Selected area
  • If you feel your image is to dark, lower the Opacity or Fill until it looks the way you want.

Step 9:

• Click on Layer 1
  • Right click and choose Duplicate Layer

Step 10:

• Click on Layer 1 Copy
  • Change Normal, to Linear Dodge (Add)

Step 11:

• Right Click on Layer 1 Copy
  • Choose Convert to Smart Object
    • Nothing is going to happen after you do this

Step 12:

• Right Click again on Layer 1 Copy
  • Duplicate Layer

Step 13a:

• Make sure you are on Layer 1 Copy 2
• Go to
  • Filter
    • Blur
      • Gaussian Blur

Step 13a:

Make the Radius 5.0

Step 14:

• Right click on Layer 1 Copy 2
  • Duplicate Layer

Step 15:

• Below Layer 1 Copy 3 you will see Gaussian Blur
  • Double Click on Gaussian Blur
    • Change the Radius to 20

Step 16:

• Right click on Layer 1 Copy 3
  • Duplicate Layer

Step 17:

• Below Layer 1 Copy 4 you will see Gaussian Blur
  • Double Click on Gaussian Blur
    • Change the Radius to 60

Step 18a:

• Go to
  • Layer
    • New-Layer

Step 18b:

• On the Layers it should say Layer 2 and be above Layer 4 Copy 1

Step 19:

• Make sure you are on Layer 2
  • Pick the Brush Tool
    • Pick White
      • Move the Flow from 80% to 20%
        • Slightly paint around the outside edges of your object that is lit up.
          • Do NOT paint to far outside of the edges!!!!!!

Step 20:   

• While on Layer 2 change Normal to Soft Light

Step 21: 

• You will now combin all lit object layers into one layer
  • Click on Layer 2
    • Holding the Shift Key click on Layer 1
      • All of the layers inbetween will now be lighted
        • Be sure you have NOT highlighted Color Lookup or the background layer

Step 22: 

• Click anywhere in the highlighted layers
  • Right click
    • Group from Layers
      • All the layers will now be in a folder called Group 1

Step 23: 

• Go to
  • Layer
    • New- Layer

Step 24: 

• Click on the Eye Dropper tool
  • Click the Eye Dropper on colored outside glow of object.
    • This will have selecteded the color you need for the next step

Step 25: 

• Click on the Brush Tool
  • Change the Flow from 100% to 11%

Step 26: 

• Slightly paint of the areas that would reflect the glow of your object.
  • You do NOT want to over paint!!!!!!
    • ONLY Paint a small area that is facing the front of the glowing object

Step 27: 

• On Layers, change Normal to Color Dodge
  • Change the Fill to between 33%-10% depending on amount of glow you want reflected

Step 28: 

• Flatten your Layers
  • If you want to make any final adjustments you can do that now.
    • If you are done, save your image.