Spent 6 months adding glow effects to my landscapes before realizing a simple soft blur did way more

I was stacking layers and blending modes for HOURS on each piece until I tried a gaussian blur on a duplicate layer set to 50% opacity and suddenly the lighting looked like an actual sunset instead of a neon sign.

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_chen6d ago

Hang on - that glow effect was building depth, not just brightness. A blur smooths things out but it kills the sharpness that makes digital art pop.

kim.hannah6d ago

Blurring the glow kills the contrast that makes the eyes see depth in a gradient.