Starburst Effects

When it comes to impact and relative simplicity, it is very hard to beat a skilfully composed starburst effect. Used by the advertising industry for decades, they are surprisingly eye-catching, and can make totally mundane objects appear much more enticing. There are, of course, several different methods for creating these effects. For the sake of this tutorial, however, I will cover the two most popular techniques, used to create hard-edged and soft-edged starbursts, respectively.