Metal Lighting Techniques

Step 1: After you have chosen your render, create a new file. I prefer 360×110 pixels in size. Create your background and position your render.

Step 2: Reset your brushes to default and select an airbrush. I suggest a 17px airbrush. Create a new layer above the render and brush around the lighter areas, as shown in green below:

Step 3: This is your base. Now make sure the brushing is white by going into color balance and bringing brightness up to +100. Change the blending mode to soft light.

Step 4: Now on a new layer, you’ll need to airbrush in the same area, but only on the brightest spots, as shown in orange:

Step 5: Once again, make sure the brushing is white, or bring brightness up to +100. Here you’ll have to make a design choice. You can either change the blending mode to overlay, or you can just lower the opacity of the layer, whichever looks better in the situation. Here I lowered opacity.

Step 6: Now add some highlights. Be aware that whenever you add a different light color, or you want a different brightness you must do it on a new layer. Airbrush edges and smaller areas and such. Once again you’ll have to choose between overlay, or lowering the opacity, or both. At this point you may have to make your brush smaller.

Step 7: I added some highlights around some areas. I also brought in some darker brushing to give the render more depth. Do the same in the way of blending for the darker colors. In addition to just black and white airbrushing I added some colored airbrushing to give it a different look.

If you want, you can completely change the color of the render, thusly eliminating the need to mess around with color balances. You can also change the blending mode of the render - whatever you want really. Go crazy, its your choice.