Free Online Classes

Adding the Fractals

Now select back the Background Blur layer (not its layer mask) and then go to Filter> Render> Lens Flare. You should get a lens flare effect that's only visible on the top of the horizon.

Add a new layer called Fractals. This layer will contain all the abstract fractals. To add a new layer, go to Layer> New Layer.

Before we continue, we need to download a set of brushes called Genisis by =Axeraider70. Click on the image below to visit the author's website, click on the Download link and save the file to your computer.

Now we need to load the brush into Photoshop. To do this, select the Brush tool and right mouse click on the document window to display the brush settings. On the top right of the window, there is a tiny circle icon with a triangle. Click on that icon and a flyout menu will be revealed where you can select Load Brushes.

Browse for the brush that you just downloaded and click OK.

Before we continue, set the foreground color to white. You can do this quickly by pressing D (to reset the colors to Black and White) and then X (to swap the foreground color with the background color).

Now right mouse click again to display the brush settings (Make sure you have the Brush tool selected). Scroll down the list to see the new brushes that you have just loaded. Choose one of the swirly brushes.

Now click where the lens flare starts to add the first fractal. You can press the [ or ] keys to reduce or enlarge the brush size.

Now select the different brushes and keep keep adding to the lens flare to create your own custom fractal. Here's what I ended up with with 5 brushes.