Create an incredible space effect in Photoshop. How to paint space with watercolors and gouache
"Every atom of our body
was once a star."
Vincent Freeman
A week ago on our creative Instagram @miftvorchestvo we launched a competition for the best completion of the task from the notebook “642 ideas on what to draw”. The task sounded simple - space. A lot of creative and creative works. You can see them all by tag. We publish best works and give step-by-step master class how to learn to draw space.
Best works for competition #642ideicosmos
“If you can’t fly into space, make it come to you.” Author of the photo - @al.ex_kv.
"And when darkness sleeps beside you, And the morning is far away, I wanna hold your hand and guide you..." Parov Stelar ft. Lilja Bloom - Shine. Photo by @julia_owlie.
Are they really cool? 🙂
Step-by-step master class
If you did not participate in the competition, but also want to learn how to draw space, save these somewhere step by step instructions, what and how to do so that it turns out bright and beautiful.
1. In order to draw the Universe, only 3-4 colors are enough. At least that's the amount you can start with. Important: The sheet for watercolors must be very dense so that it does not wrinkle from water and so that the paint spreads beautifully and evenly.
2. The outline can be drawn solid with a simple pencil to designate the area that you will wet with water. Wet part of the allocated space.
3. Apply paint to the wetted area. Try to make the contours beautiful.
4. Wet the rest of the space with water and apply a different color of paint. Selectively add bright pops of color throughout the design. The drawing must be wet so that the paint spreads beautifully.
5. Once the design is completely dry, apply the stars. This can be done with white or yellow paint using an old toothbrush.
6. Some stars could be drawn more carefully.
Photo for the master class from the site kitty-ink.tumblr.com.
If you sprinkle salt on a wet drawing, the structure of space will turn out even more interesting. The salt will absorb some of the paint, and if you shake it off after it has completely dried, there will be beautiful white dots and clouds in place of the salt.
On our creative Instagram @miftvorchestvo we will regularly hold competitions on notebooks “642 ideas, what to draw”, “642 ideas, what to write about” and “642 ideas, what else to write about” (new!). Subscribe to keep up to date with everything creative, interesting and creatively fun.
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IN this lesson we'll show you how to create an incredible space-themed composition using elements taken from National Aeronautics and Exploration Administration outer space(NASA) images.
Skillfully using a variety of techniques, such as adding depth to the image through the use of multiple layers, applying transparency, as well as deft manipulation of tools such as: Twisting e (Twirl), Spherization(Spherize) and filters Plastic(Liquify filters), we will show you that achieving the desired result is much easier than you thought. Along the way, we'll also show you how to create a custom star brush using a method that you can later adapt to create your other custom brushes.
This tutorial uses stunning images from the Hubble Space Telescope. This is an excellent image resource even for creating works with non-space themes. Always choose to upload images to highest quality and use TIFF images.
Note: Some images are missing from the tutorial source. In the archive you will find an alternative version of materials for completing the lesson.
Step 1
Let's start our work by creating a new document of size Width(Width) 1500 pixels and Height(Height) 2000 pixels. Fill our base layer with black: Editing - Filling(Edit > Fill) or Shift + F5 and select black color in the dialog box. Now let's use the tool Ellipse(Ellipse Tool (U)) to draw a circle approximately in the center of our document. Doesn't have special significance what color it will be, since this circle will only serve as a guide for us in the first steps of our work, in the future it will need to be removed, so you can make it like in the screenshot.
Step 2
Download the Carina Nebula 'Mystic Mountain' image. Next, use the selection tool Oval area(Elliptical Marquee tool), set it to feather radius(feather radius (shift+f6)) 100 px to soften the edges. Click on the image and drag to select a fragment of the image approximately as shown in the screenshot. Copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) this fragment into your main document on top of the created circle.
Step 3
Transform the inserted image fragment using the tool Free transformation(Free Transform tool (Ctrl + T)), compressing the width of this fragment approximately three times. Then place what you got to the left of our reference circle. Next use the command Filter - Distortion - Spherization(Filter - Distort - Spherize), and then apply the command Filter - Distort - Twist(Filter - Distort - Twirl) to create a ripple effect. Experiment with these filters until you get something like a curved flash at the edge of your reference circle, as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 4
Download images of other nebulae from http://hubblesite.org. In these images, repeat steps 2 and 3 using multiple selections different sizes from these two images. The basic idea is to use these curved flashes to form a ring-like shape. Once you have succeeded in forming this ring-shaped structure, you no longer need the guide circle layer, and accordingly you can delete it.
Step 5
Now, we will add even more of the same flashes so that we have something more similar to some kind of nebula. We'll do this using the same methods, simply repeating steps 2 and 3, but this time, styling our new flares so that they appear as if they are breaking out of the ring and crossing it.
Step 6
To add a depth effect, work on each flash layer individually and try adjusting the opacity level for each layer. Lowering the opacity will create the effect of flash fragments falling into our black background. Next, try blending the intersections between flashes using the tool Eraser(Eraser tool (E)) and a soft brush for each layer to make it all look more natural. The main goal here is to create an organic feeling of movement.
Step 7
Now, we'll move on to processing our background layer by adding what I call "space particles" to it. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) on top of the black background layer(background), then take soft brush(soft brush (B)) and select Blue colour as shown in the screenshot below, setting it as main(foreground color). Using alternately high and low values opacity(opacity), paint over the entire document, but mainly focus on the top right and bottom left corners.
Step 8
Let's add another layer above this, set it as background colors(background color) black. Then we use the command Filter - Rendering - Clouds(Filter - Render - Clouds). Next, adjust the Levels (Ctrl + L) to make the effect lighter. Then add an adjustment layer Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Color tone/Saturation(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Hue/Saturation). Saturation(Saturation) set to +6, Brightness(Lightness) -15.
Step 9
Reduce opacity(opacity) of the layer you created in step 7 to 10%, thereby creating a very subtle effect for the background layer. Now let's create something like a vapor trail in the lower left by duplicating one of the darkest and most transparent of the flare fragments you created earlier and move it away from our created ring nebula. Move this layer down below all the layers, but so that it is directly above the layers with “cosmic particles”.
Step 10
Select Plastic filter(Liquify filter (Shift+ Ctrl + X)). Apply the settings below:
- Brush Size(Brush size) 300
- Brush Density(Brush Density) 0
- Brush Pressure(Brush pressure) 100
- Brush Rate(Brush speed) 0
- Turbulent Jitter(Vibration) 50
- Reconstruct Mode(Reconstruction Mode): Revert(recovery)
Next, work with the tools Pucker Tool(Wrinkle / "S" key) Bloat Tool(Bloating / "B" key) and Turbulence(Turbulence / T Key) along our created vapor trail until you achieve a result that suits you. Graphics tablet would make this task much easier for you as it allows you to have much better control over the brushes you are working with.
Step 11
To seamlessly blend the steam trail with our background and space particles, desaturate it by pressing Ctrl + Shift + U, then set blending mode(blending mode) for this layer Screen(Screen), and level opacity(opacity) reduce to 20%. Repeat steps 9 to 11 several times to create many of these vapor trails around our composition.
Step 12
For this composition, since it is space themed, we need to add some stars by creating a "star brush". Upload an image and change it height(height) up to 2500 pixels (Ctrl + Alt + I). Next, invert the image (Ctrl + I) and desaturate it (Ctrl + Shift + U).
Step 13
Adjust the Levels (Ctrl + L) as shown in the screenshot. Select the entire image and apply the command Editing - Define Brush(Edit - Define Brush). Name your custom brush 'Star Brush'. It should now appear at the very bottom of the Brushes palette.
Step 14
We return to our composition, select our newly created brush, having previously set it as colors foreground (foreground color) white. Now, add a new layer on top of all the others. To quickly change the size of your brush while working, use the keys with square brackets, in the Russian layout these are the letters X and B. Next, click once on different places to place our stars. Also, if suddenly you didn’t like the location of the stars somewhere, you can use the tool Eraser(Erase tool (E)) with a soft brush to remove these unnecessary fragments.
Step 15
Our nebula still looks a little muted, so let's add a new adjustment layer Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Brightness/Contrast(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Brightness/Contrast). Brightness(Brightness) +60, Contrast(Contrast) +10. Create another new layer and paint over it different colors over the entire document using a soft brush as shown below. Install opacity(opacity) of this layer is 70% and blending mode(blend mode) Overlap(Overlay). This will improve the overall color of the image. All is ready. Congratulations!
While listening to a new song jazz performer MaryAnna “Purple spaceship”, I wanted to create something cosmic in a glamorous style in Photoshop. Then I went to the Internet to search for photographs of the performer. After looking through many resources, I finally found what I needed - a photo provided by photographer Alina Magdalyuk. To complete the lesson, you can use your own photo or take the one I found from the archive.
Lesson materials:
Step 1. So, open our photo. In order to create for him new background, let's first get rid of the existing one. I cut out a girl using a tool Pen (Feather ), hair using the function ColorRange(Color range) and tool Background Eraser(Background eraser). You can do this in any other way known and convenient to you.
Step 2. Now we need to understand what gives us an idea of space... The first thing that comes to mind is various planets, many stars... Yes! Stars are exactly what we need! On the Internet I found a photo provided for free use by Skywalker79. Open the photo with stars in Photoshop. Now, since our composition will be vertical, let's rotate the photo to a vertical position. To do this, select the layer with stars and go to the menu Image>RotateCanvas>90o(Image > Rotate Canvas >900) . Now let’s drag this background into our main document and place it under the girl’s layer (call it “Stars”), you should get something like this:
Step 3. So now we have something cosmic in the background. But he looks somehow separate from the girl, and she’s still in zero gravity, which, you see, doesn’t look very pretty. Since our goal is to create a glamorous background, let's change the color of the stars, for example, to purple. Make sure the Stars layer is active, then press Ctrl+U to open the window Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation), check the box next to the parameter Colorize(Toning) .
Please note that the background color with the stars has changed, which means that our function is ready for use, now just move the sliders to select the required color, its saturation and brightness, and then click OK. For my work I set the following values:
Hue(Color tone): 302
Saturation(Saturation): 44
Lightness(Brightness): -41
Here's what happened:
Step 4. It's a beautiful color, isn't it? The only thing I don’t like is that our dress seems to be transparent, and in some areas it shows through the old background:
Using a tool Pen(Pen) select the required areas, right-click inside any created path, and select from the menu that appears MakeSelection(Create selection) Featherradius(feather radius) set to 1. Now press Ctrl+X to cut out the selected areas, and then Ctrl+V to paste them as a separate layer (note that it is better to place the layer with the cut out parts above the layer with the girl). If the pieces move after insertion, return them to their original position using a tool Move(Move). Now let's change Opacity(transparency) of the layer with pieces of fabric up to approximately 50%. This is how it should turn out:
Step 5. Well, what kind of star can we have without a stage! To do this, let's go back to the "Stars" layer, activate it and press Ctrl+J to create a duplicate. You should have two layers with starry background, we work with the top one, for convenience, call it “Scene”. Then flip the “Scene” layer vertically by going to the menu Edit>Transform>FlipVertical(Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical) and, using the tool Move(Move), move it down halfway. Then let's go to the menu Edit>Transform>Perspective(Edit>Transform>Perspective) and transform it as shown in the image below (I removed the main background to make it easier to see how to apply perspective).
Step 6. It seems to me that if the stage is oval, it will look better. To make our scene take an oval shape, we will use the tool. Let's use it something like this:
Now press the key combination Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection and erase with the tool eraser(Eraser) excess (it is better to use an eraser with soft edges). This is roughly what it should look like:
To keep the scene from looking too harsh, apply a little Gaussian blur to it ( Filter>Blur>GaussianBlur(Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur)) . A value of 0.4 was enough for me.
Step 7 For realism, let's add a little shadow and reflection to the scene. To create a reflection, we need to make the layer with the girl active and duplicate it (Ctrl+J) (before duplicating, I had to slightly reduce the size of the girl in order to place the reflection below and leave space on top for the inscription). Now we work with the layer that will be located below (that is, with the original). Make it active and go to the menu Edit>Transform>FlipVertical(Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical). Place the resulting image as shown in the picture.
As you can see, the reflection is not very realistic. Go to the menu Edit>Transform>Warp(Edit>Transform>Warp) and deform our future reflection so that it touches the entire foot. Then, when everything is ready and you are happy with the result, install Opacity(Transparency) of the layer about 55% and erase with the tool eraser(eraser) with soft edges unnecessary details. You should end up with something like this:
Step 8 Look at the original photo, the shadow is barely noticeable and extends away from the girl. We will try to depict the same thing in our work. To do this, create a new layer above the scene layer and call it “Shadow”. When creating the shadow for my image, I used a 50px soft edged black brush, then set Opacity(transparency) of the “Shadow” layer to 39%. This is what it should look like:
Step 9 I think the composition lacks a little dynamics. Let's do this: go back to the "Stars" layer and duplicate it once (Ctrl+J), call this layer (top) "Shine". Now let's go to the menu Filter >Blur >RadialBlur(Filter>Blur>Radial Blur) and set the settings as in the image below:
We will get the following:
Now apply a mask to the “Shine” layer:
Select a black soft-edged brush and erase the area behind the girl and a little around her. This is what my mask looks like:
And here's what we have with the image:
Step 10
Now let's move on to the girl's layer. Double click on it to open the window LayerStyle(Layer styles). Activate the option OuterGlow(Outer Glow) and set the following settings:
Blendmode(mixing mode):Screen(lightening)
Opacity(Transparency): 46%
Color(Color): 4e174e
Size(Size): 46
And this is the glow we get:
Step 11 Not bad at all, in my opinion, but a little boring. Let's dilute this composition with an interesting lighting effect. To do this we need to use the tool Rectangle(Rectangle), set it to mode ShapeLayers(Outline layer). It doesn't matter what color you draw the rectangle, we'll still change the color for it later.
Draw a rectangle like this (don't forget to place it above all layers):
Right-click on the resulting rectangle icon in the layers palette and select ConverttoSmartObject(Convert to Smart Object) . Name this layer "Stripe". Install Fill(Fill) for this layer to 0%. Double click on it to open the window LayerStyle(Layer Styles) . Select an option GradientOverlay(Gradient Coverage) and set the following settings:
This is what your rectangle should look like with these settings:
Convert the rectangle to a smart object again. Well, now give free rein to your fantasies! You can duplicate this rectangle several times, change the size, transparency, blending modes of some copies and arrange them the way you like best. Finally, rasterize the layers with rectangles (right-click on the layer > Rasterize(Rasterize)) and erase their edges with a soft eraser so that they are not so rough. This is how it happened for me:
Step 12Attention, if you are working with a different photo and a different scale, then these settings must be set individually, otherwise a similar effect will not work.
Now let's add the inscription at the top. I chose the font EkaterinaVelikayaOne .
The font is very beautiful, but to make it fit our composition, let's give it some style. To do this, double click on the layer to open the window LayerStyles(Layer styles). Set the following settings:
This is what you should end up with:
Step 13 Finally, you can add a few more stars on the letters, on the girl and around her. Create a new layer above all layers. Select the standard Star 70 brush, set its size to 50 and randomly place some stars. Then create another layer, also place some stars, but set the opacity of this layer to about 60%. After I applied all these effects, it seemed to me that the edges of the scene were still a bit sharp against the general background, I selected the tool EllipticalMarquee(Oval selection area), set in its settings Feather meaning(Feather) by 30, and then repeated in step 6.
That's all! Thank you for your attention. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I will be glad to see your options in the comments to the lesson!
In this tutorial we will create a space scene in Photoshop.
In this tutorial we will learn how to create a sci-fi scene with planets, spaceships and nebulae in Adobe Photoshop. You will learn how to create space background from scratch, like in a simple way make a planet and arrange it space elements using mixing techniques. You will also learn how to adjust contrast and color, create glow effects, and increase depth of field.
Step 1.
Create a new document in Photoshop 3000 x 2000 pixels with the following settings:
The background color must be black.
Step 2.
Press the keyboard shortcut Control + Shift + N to create a new layer. Select Brush - Brush Tool (B) with soft edges and choose the base color #8c92ae. Draw something like this in the middle of the document.
Change the blending mode of this layer to Hard Light).
Step 3.
Create a new layer and, using a soft-edged brush, paint some colorful spots on the canvas. You can use the colors you want, but don't forget. that we are creating a bright background, so try to choose bright colors. I chose the following colors: #378c6c, #c20707, #cf53c8.
Try not to fill the entire canvas with splashes of color - leave a little space to emphasize shadows and depth.
Step 4.
Create a new layer, change the foreground color to #44595b and use a soft brush to paint a little around the edges and corners of the canvas.
Change the blending mode of this layer to Hard Light.
Step 5.
Create a new layer and press D to set the default foreground/background color (black and white). Use the Lasso Tool (L) to make a selection on the canvas and set the Feather parameter to 60 px:
Go to menu Filter> Rendering> Clouds (Filter> Render> Clouds)
Changing the blending mode of this layer to Color Dodge
Step 6.
Create an Adjustment Layer (Adjustment Layer) and use it like Clipping Mask to make the effect softer. Click on menu Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels:
On this layer mask, use a black soft brush to bring back the brightness to some areas, as shown below:
Step 7
Duplicate the clouds layer and place this layer above the first clouds layer and the adjustment layer Levels. Go to Filter > Render > Different Clouds:
Step 8
Create an adjustment layer Color Balance (Ctrl + B) to change the final color slightly.
Step 9
Next, let's start creating stars. Create a new layer and change the foreground color to #72c6fd. Using a hard brush, paint stars all over the canvas, but do not forget to change the brush size:
Double click on the layer, select effect Outer Glow and set the glow color to white:
Step 10
Create an Adjustment Layer Adjustment Layer - Curves, place it above all layers to change the color of the effect.
Step 11
Open the picture with the nebula. Drag the picture onto our main canvas using Move Tool (V) and enlarge the image using Free Transform Tool (Control + T):
Change the layer blending mode to Linear Dodge:
Step 12
Add a mask to this layers and use soft black brush to soften the effect and make it less pronounced:
Step 13
Color balance - Color Balance (Ctrl + B) in mode(to do this, when creating a layer, check the Use previous layer to create Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask to slightly change the color of the nebula.
Save the resulting result in the format JPG for further usage.
Step 14
Create a new document 2200 x 1600 pixels and set the background color to black. Open the space background you created earlier and drag it onto the new canvas using the Move Tool (V).
Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to paint around the edges of the layer. You should end up with something like this:
Step 15
To do middle part more pronounced, create a new layer and, using a soft white brush, paint over the layer in this area. Change the blending mode of this layer to Soft Light:
Step 16
Open the planet texture. Use the tool "Stamp" - Clone Tool (S) to remove the four black lines from the image.
Step 17
Select a tool Elliptical area - Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) and draw a circle. Click Filter > Distort > Spherize.
Step 18
Right-click on the selected area and select Copy to a new layer (Layer via Copy). We will get the base for the planet on a new transparent layer (if you turn off the visibility of the background layer, you will see the resulting result).
Step 19
Drag the planet into our main document and adjust the size using transform (Control + T). Place the planet in the center of the document.
Step 20.
Next create an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation (Adjustment layer > Hue/Saturation) in mode Clipping Mask and set the parameter Saturation to – 87:
Step 21
Use an adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) and darken the image.
Create a mask of this layer and using a soft black brush, erase a little around the edges of the planet to lighten the edges.
Step 22
Create an adjustment layer Color balance (Adjustment layer > Color Balance) and change settings Midtones as below:
Step 23
Create a new layer in mode Clipping Mask. Select the color #b68fa4 and use a soft brush to paint some parts of the planet. Change the blending mode of this layer to Soft Light.
Step 24
Create another layer in the same way as above and color the planet with #b6eadd. Also change the blending mode of this layer to Soft Light.
Step 25
Add two more planets on either side of the central one and make them much smaller in size.
Step 26
Select the layers with these planets and click Control + G to group them. Install group blending mode Normal).
Make a new layer above the small planets layer. Using soft black brush with Opacity 70-80% to draw a shadow at the bottom of the planets.
Step 27
Create an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation (Adjustment layer > Hue/Saturation) and reduce the Saturation to – 86.
Step 28
Use an adjustment layer Color balance (Adjustment layer > Color Balance) to change the color of the planets.
Step 29
Now we will add color and light to our scene.
Create a new layer above the planets group and using soft brush with color #b6eadd, paint a spot of color at the top center of the scene. Change the blending mode of this layer to Soft Light.
Step 30.
On a new layer, draw another spot of color on top of the big planet, selecting a different one color #b68fa4. Also change the blending mode of this layer to Soft Light.
Step 31
Create a new adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) on top of the layers and increase the highlights.
On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to tone down the brightness in the lower parts of the planets and scene.
Step 32
Open the image with spaceships. Select three ships from similar angles and add them to the scene. Duplicate and rotate them towards the big planet. Don't forget: the closer the ship is to us, the larger it should be.
Step 33
Group the ship layers and set the Group Blending Mode to Normal (Normal) with opacity (Opacity) 100%. Use an adjustment layer for this group Hue/Saturation (Adjustment layer > Hue/Saturation) to discolor ships.
Step 34
Create an adjustment layer Color balance (Adjustment layer > Color Balance) and move the slider closer to blue (cyan) and blue (blue) colors as below:
Step 35.
Use an adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) to darken the ships.
On this layer mask use soft black brush to brighten top part ships, because she must be brighter than the bottom one.
Step 36
Add another adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) to brighten the highlights on the top of the ships.
On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to add some shadow to the bottom of the ships.
Step 37
Create a new layer and use a soft white brush to add more highlights to some of the ships. Change the blending mode of this layer to Overlay).
Step 38
Open images with asteroids. Select different asteroids and place them around the big planet, copying and resizing them so that they are smaller than the planets. Turn the light parts of the asteroids towards the light.
Step 39
Add some asteroids to the bottom left corner of the scene and make them larger than the rest. Apply to all of them Gaussian Blur with a radius of 8 pixels to add depth to the scene.
Step 40.
Group all the asteroid layers. Then use a Color Balance adjustment layer (Adjustment layer > Color Balance) to make their hue close to the hue of the rest of the scene elements.
Step 41
Create an adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) to darken the group.
On the mask of this layer, use a black soft brush to return the glow to some parts of the asteroids.
Step 42
Create another adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) to brighten the asteroids even more.
On this layer's mask, use a black soft brush to bring back the shadows of the asteroids, especially in the parts hidden from the light.
Step 43
Create a new layer and take a hard brush with the color #eebde2. Add little dots to make lights spaceships. Don't forget: the larger the ship, the larger the dots should be.
Step 44
To make a glowing trail for the ships, create a new layer and use a soft brush with color #7b3e51 to place a point on the canvas. Reduce brush size and place another dot of color #d69e96 in the center of the previous one. You should end up with something like this:
Convert this layer to Smart Object, press Control +T and right-click select Perspective. Make the object look like a footprint. Place it at the bottom of the spaceship.
Step 45.
Duplicate the trail several times and add it to other ships.
Step 46
Create a new layer and change its blending mode to Lightening the base (Color Dodge). Next, use a soft brush with the color #eebde2 to paint a highlight of the light trail at the very bottom of the ships.
Step 47
Create an adjustment layer Curves (Adjustment layer > Curves) and brighten the sight of the rear sights, especially in the top center area.
On this layer's mask, use a soft black brush to paint around the edges and bottom of the large planet to give a nice contrast to the scene.
