---
url: /dex/no-21/
title: "Add contrasting light effects to a photographic image - Part 1 | Dex | The Graphic Design School"
template: dex-single
priority: 5
wordCount: 1124
lastModified: 2026-05-22T23:31:54.525Z
category: courses
site: "The Graphic Design School"
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---

# Add contrasting light effects to a photographic image - Part 1 | Dex | The Graphic Design School

> Photoshop exercise: apply contrasting coloured gel-like lighting to photos to create a unified branded look.

**Keywords:** contrasting light effects, photographic image, colour light effect, Photoshop layers, layer effects, colour gels, colour lighting, mask model, graphic design, photoshoot, image library, brand consistency, beginners Photoshop tutorial, intermediate Photoshop tutorial, advanced Photoshop tutorial

Week 21: Add contrasting light effects to a photographic image - Part 1 Create a colour light effect on a Photoshop image to replicate the effect achieved by photographers using colour gels on lenses during a photoshoot. Beginner + Add contrasting colour lighting (eg. red/pink and blue; orange and green; yellow and purple) to a single image using Photoshop layers and layer effects. The image should have a singular item/person as the focal point to be lit. Intermediate + Add contrasting colour lighting (eg. red/pink and blue; orange and green; yellow and purple) to a series of images using Photoshop layers and layer effects. The images should have a singular item/person as the focal point to be lit. Think how these images can be used as part of a website image library for a particular brand - they need to have the same look and feel, and colour treatment to work across a brand. Advanced + Add contrasting colour lighting (eg. Now add a background colour behind the models/focal point. Time Allocated + 30 Minutes for Beginner: Mask model in the image, and apply contrasting lighting to the model, left and right. 60 Minutes for intermediate: Mask model in the image, and apply contrasting lighting to the model, left and right. Apply this same technique to a series of images (at least 3). 75 Minutes for advanced: Mask model in the image, and apply contrasting lighting to the model, left and right. Add a different colour background to the images that have been masked. Design Goals + Make an image have a distinct look and feel using uniform colour lighting and direction of the colour lighting to replicate a colour gel that a photographer would use to make a shot special. Constraints + Use Photoshop layers and blending modes to create your colour lighting effect. Make sure you use 2 contrasting colours for right and left lighting respectively. Resources + Blackwork & Tattoo: Image by Jake Davies on Unsplash Software + Adobe Xd Website Design Adobe Photoshop Smart Objects, Path Tool Upload + SoftwareDifficultyShow All Week 45: Create 3D Designs with Illustrator Week 44: Social Media Template Design for Clients Week 43: How to Create a Brand Campaign with Assets Week 42: Create Beautiful Type Design Editorials for Print and Web Week 41: Create Beautiful Type Design Editorials for Print and Web Week 39: Create promotion and brand materials with your own optical art design piece in Adobe Illustrator Week 38: Create a beautiful image design by merging two images seamlessly together in Photoshop Week 37: Create your own kaleidoscope print in Photoshop Week 36: Create a live animation for handwritten text in Adobe After Effects Week 35: Create an animated pattern of your logo in Adobe After Effects Week 34: Textile Design - Part 2 Creating Print Textures Week 33: Get Started with a Basic Animation in After Effects Week 32: Textile Design - Part 1 Repeat Print Week 31: Use the width tool to create your Own Curvy Letter Week 30: Create a punchy typographic Xmas gif, then we show you how to embed in your email signature! Week 29: Using Adobe Dimension & Photoshop To Create Striking Packaging Week 28: Draw & Apply your Own One-Line Art to a Mockup Week 27: Social Media Series: Learn to shoot, style and edit an image for your social media channels Week 26: Social Media Series: Absolute Beginners Design & Present an Instagram Mockup Week 25: Create a World Cup animated GIF in Photoshop to promote your event Week 24: Create a Seamless Pattern in Photoshop and Apply it to Your Mockups - Part 2 Week 23: Create an Identity Using Engraved Effect on Images - Part 1 Week 22: Create a website prototype in Adobe Xd - Part 2 Week 21: Add contrasting light effects to a photographic image - Part 1 Week 20: Create Wonderful Waves with the Twirl Tool Week 19: Create a Dripping Text Effect in Illustrator Week 18: Create a live animation for handwritten text in Adobe After Effects Week 17: Create a Band Artwork using Photoshop Liquify Tool Week 16: The Best Illustrator Brushes Tutorial Ever Week 15: Create a Retro Style Surf Poster Week 14: Create a Corny Holiday Sweater Knit Animated GIF Week 13: Use Adobe Dimension to create a Perfect Packaging Showcase Week 12: Create Surreal Compositions in Photoshop Week 11: Create an Asian-inspired vintage style poster/postcard and ink-effect logo Week 10: Create Patterns with Photoshop, Pattern Bombing, Apply Patterns to Mockups Week 9: Layered Effect With Illustrator & Photoshop Week 8: Gold Typography in Illustrator Week 7: Stamp Tool & Clipping Mask in Photoshop Week 6: Envelope Distort in Illustrator Week 5: Paper 3D Collage Week 4: Create a Mosaic of Beautiful Polygons Week 3: Create Your Own Mockup Week 2: Head Icons Design Week 1: Hand Lettering in a Shape Learn More About DEX Who is this for? + Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced level designer. There is a brief to suit you. Follow the instructions in the brief to the letter. How do I submit my work? + Once you're done upload your image to share. We may upload your image to our new Instagram page, be sure to include your Insta handle (@username) so we can credit you. If you don’t have an Instagram account, you can just type in your name. Leave your details blank if you like. What is a good size for the images? + Please make sure your image is of good resolution, it shouldn’t exceed more than 5mb or thereabouts. png, jpeg, svg all acceptable formats. By uploading your image you're giving us permission to publish it. Can I subscribe to this awesome concept? + If you would like to receive an email from us each week with the brief and video, be sure to subscribe at the top right of this page. We won’t share your information or be spammy. What if I want to go further? + If you love what we do, and think you would like to try your hand at becoming a designer. Check out our courses here. Can I contribute? + If you would like to become a regular video contributor, let us know. Even though we offer them for free, we pay contributors. Or if there is a technique that you would really like to learn, email us a visual, and any ideas you may have. Can I contact The Graphic Design School + Anything else you need or want to ask contact us at: info@thegraphicdesignschool.com Can I be a voice of TGDS? + If you want to spread the good word to your design friends feel free to share this page on social media ;)