Find a stormy looking image. Nice and dark with lots of clouds.




Apply /Filter/Render/Lighting effects with these or similar settings.





Create a new layer and add a black to white gradient across the area where you want your lightning. Drag the gradient tool just a short distance so it looks like this. (This will make more since after you see it.)
I smudged mine after I created it.



Now go to Filter/ Render/ Difference Clouds/



Now invert it (Command i on a mac) and open levels and drag the left slider until it looks good.




Use Hue and saturation to colorize it the way you want.



Now set the layer to screen and erase the parts you don't want.

That's it.

Awesome technique. Thanks.
Would be nice to have some small ones, very crisp and clean on the side like this...

http://waterbutterwine.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/lightning.jpg

Way to go.

Just make some more on separate layers and shrink them and place them where you need.

Now thats a sweet little tutorial! Thx!

cool thanks rey

Fav'd!
Thank you Sentai Rey²

No prob.
Create a new layer. (White)
Filter/ Render/ Clouds/ (while holding the opt key)



Filter/Render/ Difference clouds



Invert




Levels, drag the left slider



mask the area you want and delete the rest.





Don't forget to colorize the layer with hue sat

Good stuff Rey!

damn I wondered how you guys got just one bolt of lightning... I always just use render clouds and then difference clouds but it gives you a screen full of lightning.

Thanks rey

Thanks Rey!

What's an opt key?

Alt?
It creates the clouds but with more contrast

Ah... Didn't know that. Something learned again.

Ok, that's all well and good, but I want to know how to make lightning in real life. From my fingertips. Directed at annoying people and cute, small animals.

*taps fingers while waiting for Lightning Tutorial #2*

Thank you much, i will be practicing this one. keep 'em coming.