VISUAL EFFECTS FOR EXTRA DYNAMISM

1 Adding more movement

I’m obsessed with adding light and other types of effects. Right here we have magic, fire, particles and lens flares as well. Those are perfect to add a sense of realism and dynamism. Each of those elements are done differently, but I like to start searching for inspiration and then use it by painting over the top.

2 Blending

Once I find a lighting effect as a reference, I use it with the Lighten blending mode in Photoshop. I then adjust it to find the best result, such as a Posterise filter, and paint over the top to enhance or amend the shapes. It’s common to create these from scratch, especially if I want a more stylised look, like the fire effects here!

3 Balance

Beyond those effects, you don’t want to create chaos, so I’m careful not to overwhelm the image and keep each effect within a correct value range. The goal is to add more atmosphere and movement without too much visual weight that pulls us from the main focus. The fire shapes here guide the eye to the main character.