I worked really hard on this photo-manipulation, epically the lightning. Would be nice to have a script to make lightning...


The final 'Hand of Doom' image... http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2 ... 6w4xf0.png

Thanks...
I have that script and it doesn't make stand-alone lightning bolts, only animated ones.

Edit...

It does make stand-alone lightning bolts, but it's very bad at it. I'd rather make them myself.

Nice work Wallace, I like the overall colour palette you have gone for and the way have then coloured the image.

Great work Wallace.
I've been studying further since my original post.
The yellow orb behind the guy's head, I know it is behind him and in front of the lightning, but how close to him is it?

That turned out pretty good. I like the mood you set in this image, kind of apocalyptic. If I had to pick on anything at all, I'd make the lightning brighter in the background.

this is great, Wallace

my favorite detail is the shading on the yellow-red clouds on top
looks a bit like posterized
very cool !

That orb is suppose to be some kind of halo, so it's really not an orb at all. That's how it looked on the image I scanned from a t-shirt.


Thanks He4rty, I chose the background image I use because of this and it worked out perfectly.


Yes a agree...
I was in a rush to get this image finished for a special posting on deviantArt. I saved the lightning bolt layer and was going to us it to add a bit of a dodge to it, but didn't get around to doing this.

Here's the edited image...


Thanks Esper and yes I did slightly use that color filter/effect that I enjoy so much.

Much better in the edit.

Thanks!

wallace: that's apocalyptic enough for three, if you ask me! really good job, especially on the colours.

Thanks!

Looking good. I like the work on the shadows, they make all of the elements blend in well. The dark tones, even though there's a lot of bright colours, certainly add a feeling of impending doom. It's good work.
The only thing that looks slightly off to me is the lightning. The bolt looks fine but if it was to appear as if it was emerging from within the clouds instead from outside of the picture it might work better. Just an idea.

The colors, and composition are fantastic. It is beautiful.
The only think I would do different is to set that lightning bolt, up under the yellows clouds on the left so it looks to be coming from in between the clouds. Anyway, the colors are amazing.

Yeah I see what you're saying. I could add more clouds near the top of the lightning bolt to create what you've mentioned.
I'll try that out and see how it looks. Thanks for the tip Caz.


That's worth looking into as well, thanks Molly.

Edit #2 using the suggestions made by Caz and Molly, with a boarder added and a little more brightening of the lightning and the surrounding clouds in the background where it's emanating from.
Any better, or did I muff it up?

Nicely done Wallace.
You can make some killer looking lightning bolts from the clouds filter.I forget exactly how but it has to do with colors>inverting the cloud layer afterwards. Then using colorize for the lightning colors.

It is still very beautiful and vibrant, but something bothers me with the blue ball in the clouds. The long thick part of the bolt doesn't look natural, the rest is excellent.

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4345 for the lightning tut Rod referred to.

Thanks and yes, that's how I made my lightning bolt. It was also the first element of the image I worked on.
Black to white gradient from top to bottom, Deference Clouds, Color Invert and then Levels. I added another step... Color Curve applied using alpha.
I made about 20 or more different bolts and then pieced them all together to create my lightning.


Sorry to say, but I think you're right Molly. I may have to redo the lightning bolt that I work so hard on. I'm not completely satisfied with it now.


Thanks Ek22, been there done that, got the T-shirt.