Create a Glowing Neon Effect

Here's another quick guide to making glow effects for game assets.  In this tutorial, you'll learn:

• How to work with 'Paths' which are used to make shapes
• What 'Layer Effects' are and how to use them
•  Using Blending Modes to control how layers are mixed

Make a new document, 128 by 128 pixels, fill the background with black then create an empty layer.  Select the Ellipse Tool:

Drag out an ellipse in the middle of the image.  Hold the SHIFT key to make it a perfect circle.

Next, click on the Path Selection Tool

and click on the outline of the circle you've just made.  Press CMD-C to copy the outline, then CMD-V to paste a new copy straight over the first one.  Next press CMD-T to enable the Free Transform Tool.  A transform box will appear around the new copy of the outline.  Click the corner 'handle' of the transform box.  Hold down the SHIFT key to keep the outline circular and the ALT key to transform around the centre of the shape rather than the corner.

Make the inner circle about 50% smaller than the outer one.  Finally, press ENTER to finish the transform and lock the circle in place.  Then go to the Path Tool controls at the top of the window and click the 'Subtract from Shape' button.

You should end up with a hole cut out of the white circle:

Next we're going to add a red tint to the edges of the ring.  First, make a copy of the layer so we have a back up by dragging it to the 'New Layer' icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.  Make a second copy.  We will be using it later.

Rename your layers, 'Bulb', 'Glow' and 'Ring' from top to bottom then double click on the 'Bulb' layer to open the Layer Effects window:

Click on the 'Inner Glow' option from the list and make sure the box is ticked, then select the gradient option, change the gradient start colour to a light shade of red and the Blend Mode to 'Normal'.  Set the size to around 8.

You should have a white ring with a red glow to the edges.  Next select the 'Glow' layer.  Double click in the white colour swatch in the layer to open the fill colour window and set the colour to a bright red.

There is now a red ring hidden behind the white ring.  Next we're going to blur out the red ring to create the Neon glow around the bulb.  You won't be able to put a blur directly on the layer yet.  If you do, you will get an error message.

Because the ring is created using Paths, it doesn't contain actual pixels, just shaped outlines which define where the pixels will go.  To create actual pixels that can be blurred you will have to 'Rasterize' it, right click on the layer and select Rasterize Layer.

Now go up tot the Effects menu and select Blur -> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to give a nice red glow effect that isn't too small or too transparent.  A value of around 10 should work.

For the final touches, make the black background visible.  If the glow is too weak, you can add to it just by duplicating the Glow layer.  Click on that layer and drag it down to the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.  Because the glow is transparent, the new copy will combine with the original glow to increase the brightness.  Making a third copy will make the effect even stronger, or you could add another Gaussian Blur to spread the glow even more.

Finally you should end up with a Neon effect like this:

Quick Tip #1 -- Duplicating a Layer

The quickest way to duplicate a layer in Photoshop is to select it then drag it over the 'New Layer' button at the bottom of the Layers panel.  A new layer called 'Layer name copy' will be made just above the layer you dragged:

How To Make a Plasma Bolt

In this quick exercise, we're going to make a glowing bolt of plasma for an
in-game weapon.  You'll learn about how to set up and use Gradients.

First create a new Photoshop document 128 by 128 pixels.

Next, change the background colour to black.  Go to Edit -> Fill

Add an empty layer then select the Gradient Fill tool:

Then zoom into the image by pressing CMD +
Click in the gradient preview at the top of the document window

to open the gradient settings panel.

The gradient is controlled by two sets of markers above and below called 'stops'.  The bottom pair of stops controls the colour change along the gradient.  Sliding the stops closer together makes the colours change more quickly.  The dot between the stops is the 'midpoint'.  You can move it closer to the left or right stop to have more control over how fast the colour changes. 

Putting it closer to the right will make the gradient stay black for longer before changing to white:

Clicking between the stops adds another one and double clicking on the coloured square part of the stop opens the colour selection window.  The pair of stops above the gradient control the transparency and work exactly like the colour stops.

To make the plasma bolt we need a gradient that goes from white to light blue:

and goes from 100% solid to completely transparent:

Then push the white colour stop and the left transparency stop past the middle of the gradient so the plasma ball itself is solid white:

To bring out the edge of the ball of plasma, it helps to add in a contrasting colour.  Click to the right of the white colour stop and set the colour to a darker, purplish blue.  Finally add one more stop to the right with a bluer colour

Click OK and make sure the radial gradient option is selected in the gradient tool controls:

Finally, click in the exact centre of the image and draw a gradient out to near the edge