1. Start with a 300x300 image with a white bg.

2. Choose a dark color and a duller lighter form of that color. Make a gradient with these settings.


3. Make the gradient like this:


4. Goto Filter>Render>Difference Clouds


5. Press CTRL+I to invert it.


6. Its looking kind of light. Lets adjust the Levels to about this depending on your color choice.

It should have made:


7. Now we need a circle of lightning. Make a new layer for it. Were going to do the same exact thing, but with a dark similar color for the foreground and white as the background. Make the gradient.


8. I wont list all the steps again. Theyre the same.


9. Make more circles and lines at angles and get creative. Be sure everythings on a new layer. When you have 4 or 5, choose the darkest one for the background. Everything else use Select>Color Range... Then put Fuzziness all the way up and delete what you selected. Layer them how you want. Heres my finished product: