How to Create a Sci-Fi Lighting Scene with Photoshop

Step 24

Double click this layer, choose Color Overlayand pick the color of overlay to #c4ddf9.

Step 25

Make a thinner light column inside the hole with the same method and change the mode to Overlay 100%.

Step 26

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blurand set the radius to 10 px.

Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to reduce the light on the bottom of this light column.

Step 27

Create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #eef2f7to paint four light spot over the light column as show below. Change this layer mode to Overlay 100%.

Add a mask to this layer and erase the light on the bottom so it appear more subtle.

Step 28

Make a new layer and use a soft brush with the same color to paint more light around the hole’s surface. Change this layer mode to Overlay 50%and use a layer mask to reduce the light around so it won’t become too bright.

Step 29

Create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%and fill with 50% gray:

Activate the Dodge Tool (O)with Midtones Range, Exposureabout 20-25%to paint more highlight on the details of the hole’s surface to fit the light inside the hole. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlaymode:

Step 30

Open the light image and add it to the main document. Use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T)with theWarp mode to tweak the light as show below:

Change this layer mode to Linear Dodge 100%and use a layer mask to erase the light on the right (from the viewer) .

Step 31

Apply aMotion Blurwith the following settings:

Duplicate this layer and move it a bit to the right. Use a layer mask to make the light part near the light column visible only.

Step 32

Make a group for these light layers and the group’s mode to Linear Dodge 100%. Add a Hue/Saturationadjustment layer to change the light’s color to fit the rest of the background.