Several months ago, we talked about Using the Lens Flare Filter in Photoshop to create a light flare in a lantern.

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Today let’s look at how to create a soft glow, using a brush.

Here is a candle holder that is included in my Woodland Winter kit.  Let’s add a lovely soft glow to it.

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Here’s how:

1.  Create a blank layer above the original candle holder layer.

2. Set your Foreground color to Hex Code a58c33  (Click on the Color Picker; when the Color Picker Window opens, type in the Hex Code in the area shown circled here in red.)

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3. Choose a soft-edged brush.  The size brush you choose will vary with the object that you are working with.  For this candle holder, I chose to start with a 250px brush.  Stamp your brush on the blank layer you created.

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4.  Change the Blend Mode of the glow to Color Dodge. (If you are unsure of how to do this, here’s a previous tutorial to help:  Using Blend Modes in Photoshop.)

5.  Create another blank layer and place it above your glow.

6. Enlarge the brush you are using.  I enlarged my brush to 300 px.

7. Stamp your brush on the 2nd blank layer.

8. Change the Blend Mode of this layer to Color Dodge.

Continue in this manner until you are happy with your glow.

I created one more blank layer, enlarged my brush to 600 px and stamped once more.

Here is my final result with 3 stamped brush layers, all changed to Color Dodge, brushes sizes 250 px, 300 px, and 600 px.    (I added the candle and candle wick through other techniques.)

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Experiment with different elements! If you want a slightly different shape, stamp your brush and use the Warp Tool to reshape it.  Experiment with Opacity Levels too.  This is a fun technique that you can really personalize.

Toiny was kind enough to create a Woodland Winter freebie for us, featuring this candle holder.  Click on the image to download!

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If you would like to keep this tutorial on your computer for easy reference, you may download a PDF here.

If you are a visual learner, you can view this tutorial on SnickerdoodleDesigns YouTube Channel  and on theStudio’s You Tube Channel.

Please head over to YouTube and take a minute to Follow both channels.  Each Channel will have some exclusive videos, so by following both channels, you will be sure not to miss a thing!  Thank you!!

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Credits: I learned this technique from a Bitesize Business School tutorial.