Effect Help - Physical representation of thoughts (picture attached)

[BlaveStayman]

Can anyone tell me how I could make these transparent, glowing structures/symbols to give the effect of seeing someones thoughts?




Thanks in advance!

 

[Ross Ozarka]

First, get your source imagery- your actor, and the blueprints/trig functions/whatever. For 3D buildings, you can download wireframes from Google SketchUp and use those.

1. Duplicate your layer.
2.Mask out everything but your actor, and anything you want a thought to be behind. You can do this with the Pen Tool, quick mask, layer mask- which all deserve their own tutorials.
2. Bring in your first blueprint on a new layer, then go Edit > Transform >Perspective. This allows you to manipulate the blueprint in a manner that mimics perspective. You will have to tweak it a bunch.
3. Put that payer between your background layers and actor layer. Lower the opacity to the desired look, then in the layer palette, go FX > Outer Glow, and edit the settings as you see fit.

Lather, rinse, repeat. Put blueprint layers above your actor to make the thoughts on top of him.

Hope this helps!

 

[BlaveStayman]

That worked great!

Would you be able to say more about using Google SketchUp, importing into PS? I've never used it before.

Thanks for the help!