Storm / Vortex Tutorial (recreated)

[ReMake]

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

This tutorial has been recreated on the basis of a Storm / Vortex Tutorial by @Mayor_McSteeze.

 

Part 1

Let's create an image similar to the one shown below:

 

Step 1. Create a New () canvas with the dimensions you need (I chose 600x600).

Set Primary Сolor to White and Secondary to Black.

 

Step 2. Draw a radial gradient ( & ) as shown below (the size can be larger or smaller):

 

Step 3. Apply Curves () adjustment with Luminosity like show below:

 

Step 4. Apply the Sharpen () effect (Effects -> Photo -> Sharpen) with the maximum Amount.

 

Step 5. Run Clouds () effect (Effects -> Render -> Clouds) with a small scale and roughness about 0.55 - 0.7. Set the Blend Mode to Color Burn.

 

We'll get an image like this:

 

Step 6. Duplicate () the current layer. 

Apply a Zoom Blur () effect (Effects -> Blurs -> Zoom Blur) to the top layer in the center of the vortex with a Zoom Amount of about 80-100.

 

Set the Blend Mode () to Negation for the top layer and merge () down this layer.

 

Step 7. Duplicate () the current layer.

On the top layer run Twist () effect (Effects -> Distort -> Twist) with the settings seen below:

 

Set the Blend Mode () to Lighten for the top layer.

 

Step 8. Apply the Twist () effect to the bottom layer by changing the Direction and, if necessary, the Amount.

 

Merge () both layers.

 

Now let's add colors to the image.

 

Step 9. Apply Curves () with the settings as shown below:

 

And we got what we wanted!

 

Play around with the R,G, and B curves to get the color you like.

 

Note: all settings given in this tutorial are very approximate and depend on your preferences.

 

Part 2

Other ways to color the image.

 

Besides using Curves () you can apply other ways of coloring, for example:
Color Balance by @BoltBait,

 

or Color Tint by @Ed Harvey,

 

or Gradient Mapping by @pyrochild with, for example, MiguelPereira's Rainbow preset (see Presets for Gradient Mapping), or with your own settings.

 

Similar coloring can be obtained by applying Trippy rainbow effect by @pavlik1307.

 

Another way to color the image is applying Color Dimmer effect by @Xhin.

  

 

You may be interested in applying another effect by @Xhin  -  Radial Prism effect.  Note: this effect is additional for the already colored image.

  

 

Once more example of applying gradients is using Multi Color Gradient by @romein.

Add a New Layer () to the Black&White image and apply Multi Color Gradient to the top layer.

Set the Blend Mode () to Color Burn for the top layer.

 

A similar result can be made with the Gradient Mapping.  Add a New Layer () to the Black&White image. Draw a Black&White Linear () Gradient () from the lower left to the upper right.  Apply Gradient Mapping with the settings as shown below:

 

You can download this settings from the zip file Gradient for Vortex tut.zip

 

Set the Blend Mode () to Overlay for the top layer.

 

Of course this is not all ways of coloring. Perhaps you will find your original way of coloring and share it with us.

 

Part 3

Applying effects.

 

Now that we've created the image and colored it, let's try to make it more diverse.
For example, apply to an image built-in Posterize () effect (Adjustments -> Posterize),

 

or Ink Sketch () effect (Effects -> Artistic -> Ink Sketch),

 

or Bulge () effect (Effects -> Distort -> Bulge).

 

You can also use other paint.net effects like my Reticulation effect (Effects -> Artistic -> Reticulation),

 

or Droste effect by @toe_head2001 (Effects -> Distort -> Droste),

  

 

and many other effects.  Huge opportunities you can get from G'MIC effect by @null54 - it all depends on your world perception and your fantasy.

 

Smudge by @pyrochild is another effect that will add a nice touch to your image.  Apply it to the top layer in step 7 (see Part 1) before applying the first Twist effect inside the area shown in red.

 

You will get this result:

 

Try this effect with different brushes and settings.

 

And finally, a little trick.  You might want to change the size of the dark spot in the center of the image or the size of the bright white ring around that spot.

In Step 3 of Part 1, apply the Curves () adjustment as shown below.

 

Point 1 allows you to change the size of the dark spot (left - increase, right - decrease).  Point 2 allows you to change the size of the bright ring around the dark spot.

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

[lynxster4]

Brilliant re-creation @ReMake considering all the images are gone!  

 

Well done!  I'll have to give it a go.  

[lynxster4]

Mmmmm...............hope I'm going to OZ.......

 

[Pixey]

Nice work @ReMake Great use of the clouds Plugin and the Twist 🍺

 

 

Great balls of fire 😱

 

 

[Roger the Dodger]

Thank you ReMake

for providing this superb tutorial, I can't wait to try it out.

Also, Pixey I really like your version of 'the Ring of Fire'

reminds me of Sauron in Lord of the Rings and Lynxster's too 😊

Kindest wishes

Roger the Dodger

Edited January 11, 2019 by Roger the Dodger
Typos

[Seerose]

 @ReMake!

 

Thank you very much for restoring this tutorial.  

Thanks also first tutorial writer @Mayor_McSteeze!  

Because it's so nice, I've got two versions.

 

 

*I mean the second picture is better done.

[Roger the Dodger]

Wow!

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by Roger the Dodger

[toe_head2001]

Just now, Roger the Dodger said:

Wow!

Roger the Dodger

 

Haha, the way that's written... it sounds like you're saying "Wow!" to yourself.

 

Perhaps, you should use a proper signature instead.

https://forums.getpaint.net/settings/signature/

[Roger the Dodger]

On 1/11/2019 at 10:23 PM, toe_head2001 said:

 

Haha, the way that's written... it sounds like you're saying "Wow!" to yourself.

 

Perhaps, you should use a proper signature instead.

https://forums.getpaint.net/settings/signature/

 

 

Ooooop! your're right I messed it up, I should have placed it in Seerose thread😉

Edited January 13, 2019 by Roger the Dodger
Wrong Name

[Woodsy]

I had to give it a whirl.😀

 

 

[ReMake]

@lynxster4, @Pixey, @Roger the Dodger, @Seerose, @Woodsy thanks for the reply and sharing your works.

 

@Ego Eram Reputo, @toe_head2001, @Eli, @Maximilian thanks for the rep points.

 

I am happy that we managed to get another tutorial out of the Graveyard.

 

Looking at the Seerose's images, I intend to extend this tutorial with some techniques and little 'tricks'.  To do this, I need some time to experiment with images. As soon as I'm ready, I'll publish the second part of this tutorial.

[Roger the Dodger]

Thanks ReMake, that would be really appreciated.

Looking forward to the second tutorial :-)

 

Kindest regards

Roger the Dodger

[Roger the Dodger]

[Seerose]

  @ReMake!

 

I didn't get that .  My pictures are good or not? 

 

I'm also impatiently waiting for new tutorials. Thank you so much.  

 

[ReMake]

14 minutes ago, Seerose said:

My pictures are good or not?

 

@Seerose, your images got 4 rep, of course they are good.  When I talked about your images, I meant a multi-color image.  Share the secret of creating a multi-color?

[Seerose]

 @ReMake!

 

Very simple, I worked background with rainbow colors. 

[ReMake]

2 minutes ago, Seerose said:

Very simple, I worked background with rainbow colors. 

 

I thought so. This is also one of the techniques. Thanks.

[Seerose]

@ReMake! I have to thank for the great tutorail.  

[Roger the Dodger]

5 hours ago, Seerose said:

  @ReMake!

 

I didn't get that .  My pictures are good or not? 

 

I'm also impatiently waiting for new tutorials. Thank you so much.  

 

Hi Seerose

 

Your pictures are excellent 

Kindest regards

Roger the Dodger😊

 

[Roger the Dodger]

[Roger the Dodger]

Thank you to Seerose, Lynster4 aand ReMake for you encouragement 😊

Kindest regards

Roger the Dodger

[ReMake]

Added Part 2. To be continued...

[HyReZ]

@ReMake

Well done and very useful for some upcoming projects. Here is my version:

Edited January 15, 2019 by HyReZ

[ReMake]

4 hours ago, HyReZ said:

Here is my version:

 

Fine work @HyReZ! Thank you.

[Seerose]

 @HyReZ! 👍

 

I don't dare wonder how they did it. Has the animation also been done with Paint net?

Thank you for sharing this with us!