Step 1: Open up an image or artwork file in Photoshop of any size and/or format.  In our example we have used a screenshot from a real time strategy game called Warcraft.  Create a new layer on top of the others and make a straight white line along the Y axis using the line tool.  You can also use the rectangular marquee and Edit > Fill it with white if you prefer to work that way.  Whatever you decide, make the line as wide as your intended beam.

Step 2: With the line layer selected in the layers palette, choose Layer > Layer Style > Inner Glow from the main menu and duplicate the settings on the right. Ensure the blending mode is set to normal, and that the color appropriate to the intended color of your beam.  Ensure that the size of the effect is small so that your beam is only colored around the edges.  When you have done this, press OK.

Step 3: Duplicate your line layer by selecting Layer > Duplicate from the main menu, and create a blur with Filter > Blur > Radial Blur.  Duplicate the settings on the right. Set the blur slightly to the left of the ion beam (take a little time to adjust with the position and strength of the blur so that it's more like a half glow when you're done).

Step 4: Duplicate the blurred layer again, and flip it horizontally with Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontally. Now merge the two blur layers together (you should be left with a lightly glowing layer).

Step 5: Duplicate the blur layer once more and give the bottom blur layer a Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur >  Gaussian Blur).   Make the blur strong so that it looks like a larger glow. Once you have done this, set the top layer blending mode to color dodge and layer merge downwards. Set the merged blur layer's blending mode to color dodge, and merge down again. You should be left with a glowing beam much like the one on the left.

Step 6: Create a new layer on top of all the others and, using the brush tool with a white color, draw a ball with an energy trail.

Step 7: Repeat steps 2 to 5 on the energy ball to give it a glow similar to that present on your beam layer.   When you have done this, merge your beam and energy ball layers together.

Step 8: Now give your ion beam a different angle of your choice using the Edit > Transform tools.  This is all fairly simple, but make sure your ion beam is the selected layer, or you may move the wrong layer!   Once you are happy with your beam placement, create a new layer on top of all the others called 'explosion' or something similar.   Use the Polygon-Lasso tool to create a basic angular shape, and then Edit > Fill the shape with white to create a very basic explosion shape.

Step 9: Its now time to add a little character to our basic explosion.  Lose your selection and then run Filter > Distort > Wave, hitting randomize a couple a times until you get a weird shape. Press OK, and immediately afterwards run Filter > Noise > Add Noise, increasing the strength until you are left with a speckled white (ensure monochromatic is ON).   Round off your character-building exercise with Filter > Stylize > Diffuse, making sure the mode is set to normal.   Press OK.

Step 10: Repeat steps 2 to 5 on the explosion to give it a glow similar to that present on your beam layer. This time, however, DON'T FLIP YOUR LAYER HORIZONTALLY... or you'll end up with a right mess!

Step 11: Duplicate the explosion layer and set the duplicate's blending mode to color dodge. Run Filter > Distort > Wave again, pressing randomize a few times to give your explosion a different look than the original. Hit OK and merge both explosion layers together to create something akin in our creation on the left.

Step 12: Now put the explosion layer below the beam layer, duplicate it and put the duplicate above the beam. Set the duplicate's layer blending mode to Pin Light and set the opacity to 75%.  Merge All your beam and explosion layers together and set the blending mode to taste (I find the 4 coolest options are normal, color dodge, vivid light, and screen). And that's it - You now have a completed Ion Beam!

I will leave you at this stage, but don't forget that this effect is highly modular, and goes well with light swirls, abstract swirls, sparkles, etc.  Just keep adding detail and see what you can create!

This tutorial was written by Andantonius. If you have any questions feel free to E-mail him at Jneimeis@hotmail.com. Please do not take credit for this tutorial. Thank you.