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This lesson demonstrates how to create wispy smoke. To work along, download the start image Here. Unzip the file and open the image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards.
Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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Then create a transparent layer above the Background layer by clicking the following Create a new layer icon. Ensure the new layer (Layer 1), remains active.
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Press your keyboard’s D key to set the default Black and White colour swatches. Then press the X key to swap the colours. Your Foreground will now be White. 
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Now, activate the Brush Tool, and set the following attributes into its Options bar. Brush Tool Lessons.
Then (working on the top layer), draw the following wispy guidelines, in the general direction of your smoke.
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From the top menu, choose Filter then choose Blur then choose Motion Blur. In the subsequent Motion Blur dialogue box, set the Angle to correspond with your smoke’s direction, and experiment with the Distance until you like the effect - then click OK.
I chose the following settings.
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Now, from the toolbar, activate the Smudge Tool, and set the following attributes into its Options bar. Note: Ensure the size of the Smudge Tool is larger than the Brush Tool’s.
Now, carefully displace (smudge) the white guidelines, to create a wispy smoke effect.
My Aurora Borealis lesson utilises the Smudge Tool. Take your time with this step, perhaps taking your inspiration from a lighted match, or a photograph of one. Smoke can be erratic and depending on the environment, can blow in different directions.
Experiment, and see what can be created, stepping backwards to erase mistakes.
When you have created the smoke, you are ready for the next step.
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From the Layers palette, reduce the Opacity of the top (smoke) layer, to around 74%.
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Then activate the Eraser Tool, and set the following attributes into its Options bar.
And (if necessary), carefully remove erroneous areas of smoke that fall in inappropriate areas.
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For wispier smoke, apply the Motion Blur filter, as you did in Chapter 5. However this time change (just), the Distance. I changed my Distance to 35.
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To fade the smoke so it appears to be lighter at its light source than it is at its end, (working on the smoke layer), add a Layer Mask by clicking the following Add vector mask icon.
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Press your D key to set the default Black and White colours, and activate the Gradient Tool. Then set the following attributes into its Options bar. Gradient Tool Lesson.
And stretch a gradient line from the top of the image, to approximately half way down - as illustrated below.
 
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When you are completely happy with your smoke, flatten the layers and save your work.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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