Create an Energy Explosion with Gimp

In this tutorial you learn how you can use some of gimps unique feathers to create an awesome energy explosion.

Step 1: The beginning of the energy explosion

Create a new image of 640px by 400px image.
Go to Filter > Render > Fractal Explorer.
Go to the tab Fractals and choice Snow_Crystal and press Apply and OK

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur
Use the following settings.
Blur type: Zoom.
Blur outward is checked.
Blur Parameters, Length: 256.

Step 2: Improve the explosion

Duplicate the explosion layer.
Flip the copy vertically (Layer > Transform > Flip Vertically).
And change the blend mode of the top layer to Burn.

Step 3: Add some lens flare to the explosion

Create a new layer (this layer has to be on top) an fill it with black.
Go to Filter > Light and Shadow > Lens flare. Place the center of the lens flare about 10 pixels out of the center.

And change the blend mode of this layer to Addition.

Step 4: Give the energy explosion an extra boost.

Create a new layer and fill it with white.
Lower the opacity to 80 so you can see the underneath layers.
Activate the Ellipse select Tool and make a selection of the center of the explosion.

Make sure the foreground color is set to black.
Go to Edit > Stroke selection.
Click on Line style and set the Dash Pattern to Dense dots. The other setting are the standard setting (line width: 6px, solid color, ...)
With the opacity of this layer back at 100 you'll get this.

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur.
Use the following settings.
Blur type: Zoom.
Blur outward is checked.
Blur Parameters, Length: 256.

Energy explosion: Dashed lines with motion blur

Change the blend mode of this layer to Soft Light and lower the opacity to 80 and the energy explosion in finished.

Posted on 14 July 09in categorieEffects.

22 Comments »

King_A July 15th 09 at
Nice trick like it

[Reply]
Sociotard July 23rd 09 at
I had a lot of fun trying this for myself. Thank you for the tutorial.

[Reply]
Sadia July 30th 09 at
Nice tutorial! For once i didn’t mess up while doing a tutorail lol, there is always a time in every tutorail i do, that i mess up for forget to add something! lol this is the first one that i didn’t mess up on! =D

[Reply]
joemar August 3rd 09 at
I cna’t find the Fractal Explorer in the Filter>Render. Is this a photoshop tutorial?
Anybody can help.

[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at
Maybe you have an old gimp version. This tutorial is made with Gimp 2.6.
The Fractal Explorer filter is one of the standard filters of Gimp 2.6.

[Reply]
demented August 6th 09 at
you can get a lot of different effects by changing up the combination of blend modes, play around a little and see what you get

awesome tutorial too, I got lost once but it was my fault

[Reply]
max August 14th 09 at
great tutorial! So far I’ve found it very simple and easy to tweak based on different needs.

[Reply]
firely August 28th 09 at
thanks!..i did great for my 1st try in gimp…very helpfull…thanks!!

[Reply]
Darren September 1st 09 at
Thanks for this tutorial, appreciate it.

[Reply]
kain the supreme September 2nd 09 at
Very good and simple, I love abstract creations!
I really appreciate this tutorial ^_^

[Reply]
rajarajan September 8th 09 at
your tutorial is more useful for basic learners like me

NOTE: TRY TO GIVE MORE TUTORIALS

[Reply]
kryz September 16th 09 at
i can’t burn this.. in the step 2.. what is the storke for that blend?

[Reply]
Michael Schaap September 20th 09 at
I am very new to Gimp. Hmmm… guess the word ‘Wow’ comes to mind. Thanks much for this tutorial!! Loved it!

[Reply]
Amanda October 18th 09 at
I love this but the only problem I had was I had to use motion blur twice
when I only did it once it left dense red circles.

[Reply]
valeriu Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at
unselect all,

[Reply]
Morten Hellang November 24th 09 at
Check the new logo of Statoil: http://www.statoil.com Its a pink energy star!

[Reply]
Deangelo January 13th 10 at
Where is the blend mode for the top layer?

[Reply]
James October 6th 10 at
I’m trying to use Step 4 in both this image and in another image that I’ve conceived. Unfortunately, I just don’t get the same effect you do. It looks like only the circle is being blurred, rather than the whole layer so I don’t get the streaks radiating outwards from the middle.

Any ideas as to what I’m doing wrong? Or what could be wrong?

[Reply]
James October 6th 10 at
OK, nevermind. After more faffing, I’ve got it to work!

Also, meant to say before that this is a great tutorial! Thanks!

[Reply]
Daniel Bryars February 16th 11 at
This is the first time I’ve used GIMP and this a really fun tutorial with an awesome result!

Thanks!

[Reply]
Ken March 7th 11 at
Thanks for sharing.

[Reply]
Adam July 24th 11 at
Good looking ending effect. However I am having trouble with the Burn layer. It pretty much gets rid of the entire layer. Except for a small amount of purpleish rays. Not like you have it there at all

[Reply]

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King_A July 15th 09 at

Nice trick like it

[Reply]

Sociotard July 23rd 09 at

I had a lot of fun trying this for myself. Thank you for the tutorial.

Sadia July 30th 09 at

Nice tutorial! For once i didn’t mess up while doing a tutorail lol, there is always a time in every tutorail i do, that i mess up for forget to add something! lol this is the first one that i didn’t mess up on! =D

joemar August 3rd 09 at

I cna’t find the Fractal Explorer in the Filter>Render. Is this a photoshop tutorial?
Anybody can help.

admin Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at

Maybe you have an old gimp version. This tutorial is made with Gimp 2.6.
The Fractal Explorer filter is one of the standard filters of Gimp 2.6.

demented August 6th 09 at

you can get a lot of different effects by changing up the combination of blend modes, play around a little and see what you get

awesome tutorial too, I got lost once but it was my fault

max August 14th 09 at

great tutorial! So far I’ve found it very simple and easy to tweak based on different needs.

firely August 28th 09 at

thanks!..i did great for my 1st try in gimp…very helpfull…thanks!!

Darren September 1st 09 at

Thanks for this tutorial, appreciate it.

kain the supreme September 2nd 09 at

Very good and simple, I love abstract creations!
I really appreciate this tutorial ^_^

rajarajan September 8th 09 at

your tutorial is more useful for basic learners like me

NOTE: TRY TO GIVE MORE TUTORIALS

kryz September 16th 09 at

i can’t burn this.. in the step 2.. what is the storke for that blend?

Michael Schaap September 20th 09 at

I am very new to Gimp. Hmmm… guess the word ‘Wow’ comes to mind. Thanks much for this tutorial!! Loved it!

Amanda October 18th 09 at

I love this but the only problem I had was I had to use motion blur twice
when I only did it once it left dense red circles.

valeriu Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at

unselect all,

Morten Hellang November 24th 09 at

Check the new logo of Statoil: http://www.statoil.com Its a pink energy star!

Deangelo January 13th 10 at

Where is the blend mode for the top layer?

James October 6th 10 at

I’m trying to use Step 4 in both this image and in another image that I’ve conceived. Unfortunately, I just don’t get the same effect you do. It looks like only the circle is being blurred, rather than the whole layer so I don’t get the streaks radiating outwards from the middle.

Any ideas as to what I’m doing wrong? Or what could be wrong?

OK, nevermind. After more faffing, I’ve got it to work!

Also, meant to say before that this is a great tutorial! Thanks!

Daniel Bryars February 16th 11 at

This is the first time I’ve used GIMP and this a really fun tutorial with an awesome result!

Thanks!

Ken March 7th 11 at

Thanks for sharing.

Adam July 24th 11 at

Good looking ending effect. However I am having trouble with the Burn layer. It pretty much gets rid of the entire layer. Except for a small amount of purpleish rays. Not like you have it there at all

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