DIGITAL Spacescape - An Illustration

In this assignment, you will be working as an ILLUSTRATOR to create a digital painting of a SPACESCAPE that includes a background starfield, nebula, planet and satellites (moons) using only SELECTIONS and BRUSH TOOLS along with FILTERS & EFFECTS.
 
This lesson emphasizes the effective use of FILTERS & EFFECTS, LAYER MANAGEMENT & LAYER BLENDING MODES.
Your OBJECTIVE in this assignment is to continue to familiarize yourself with:
  • The WORKSPACE
  • Using TOOLS - particularly the BRUSH TOOL & MARQUEE TOOL
  • Using FILTERS & EFFECTS
  • Improving LAYER usage
  • LAYER BLENDING MODES
  • and SAVING your files
Here you will find the steps to complete your exploration of the SPACESCAPE in ADOBE PHOTOSHOP.

create a New File

  • Choose Create New
  • Or go to FILE > NEW
  • Choose 8.5 x 11 @ 300 ppi
  • Name your FILE
  • Choose HORIZONTAL
  • Make your Background Contents BLACK
  • Click CREATE

​FILE INFORMATION
Save as: Spacescape_Lastname.psd
Dimensions: 8.5” x 11”
Resolution: 300 dpi
Mode: RGB

STARFIELD

The first step in your SPACESCAPE you will create the STARFIELD

​Use different sized BRUSHES to create a strong depth of field - remember, the larger the brush the fewer the stars.

1. SMALL STARS

  • Create a layer named SMALL STARS and
  • EDIT > FILL it with black.
  • Select a small brush
  • (size 6-8 at 0% hardness)
  • click randomly throughout composition to create each twinkling star
​
- You will need a lot of small stars to create a foundation for the background.
​
- Make sure placement is organic and natural - avoid evenly spacing stars!

- Some areas will have few stars where others might have many.

TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS...
You can try duplicating your Small Stars layer to double the amount of stars quickly!
  • ​Copy your SMALL STARS Layer by dragging it to the Create a New Layer button in the LAYERS PANEL
  • Go to:
  • Edit > Transform > Rotate
  • and rotate it 180 degrees - or try free rotate
Set the... 
Layer Blend Mode to SCREEN


Try dropping the OPACITY of this layer to create more of a sense of depth.

Start with 50% and adjust up or down from there for the best look. Decide if this is an improvement or not; if not, simply delete the layer.
BE CAREFUL(!) not to move the mouse as you click - it will create streaks!
Picture
Drag the layer down to the CREATE NEW LAYER button to copy a layer

2. MEDIUM STARS

The process for creating your MEDIUM STARS with be very similar to the SMALL STARS 
  • Create a layer named MEDIUM STARS and 
  • EDIT > FILL it with BLACK.
  • Select a small brush (size 9-12 at 0% hardness) 
  • ​click randomly throughout composition

You can try duplicating your MEDIUM STARS layer to double the amount of stars quickly!
  • ​Copy your MEDIUM STARS Layer by dragging it to the Create a New Layer button in the LAYERS PANEL
  • Go to: Edit > Transform > Rotate and rotate it 180 degrees - or try free rotate

​Set the Layer Blend Mode to SCREEN

Try dropping the OPACITY of this layer to create more of a sense of depth.

Start with 50% and adjust up or down from there for the best look. Decide if this is an improvement or not; if not, simply delete the layer.

3. LARGE STARS

Follow the same procedure as MEDIUM STARS but create much fewer stars than MEDIUM STARS layer
  • Create a layer named LARGE STARS and EDIT > FILL it black.
  • Select a small brush (size 14-16 at 0% hardness) click randomly throughout composition

4. NEARBY STARS
  • Create a layer named Lens Flare 1 and EDIT > FILL it BLACK.
  • Go to: Filter > Render > Lens Flare > 105mm Prime and set the BRIGHTNESS to 10-25
  • use the BURN TOOL to get rid of extra lens flare circles to leave only the light source
  • use the MOVE TOOL to aesthetically place the Lens Flare Star​
  • ​Repeat the steps until you have the look you want. 
  • You will only need about 6 NEARBY STARS
Each individual Lens Flare should look different from each other to help create a sense of
variety and depth
​
- Use different BRIGHTNESS amounts for each lens flare.

- scale each Lens Flare layer to create variety in size go to: Edit > Transform > Scale
5. NEW GROUP FROM LAYERS...
  • ​Select all the star layers by holding the CTRL key on the keyboard and clicking on each layer you want to select.
  • ​Go to the Layer Palette pulldown menu and select New Group from LAYERS...
  • Name layer group as STARFIELD
  • OR click the GROUP button on the bottom edge of the LAYERS PANEL

NEBULA

Decide what color you are going to use for your initial nebula layer - red, magenta, blue, violet, etc.
​
Create a NEW LAYER named for the color nebula cloud you plan to start with.
     - for example: if you are starting with blue name the layer BLUE NEBULA
​
If you are not sure where to start, click the button to see some examples...
  • Create a NEW LAYER named for the color nebula cloud you plan to start with
  • Locate your FOREGROUND & BACKGROUND colors on your TOOLBAR.
  • choose your FOREGROUND color and make sure your BACKGROUND color is BLACK!
​
  • FILL the Layer EDIT > FILL and choose BLACK
  • To create the NEBULA pattern use FILTER > RENDER > DIFFERENCE CLOUDS
  • Repeat this process until you get a cloudlike pattern - the last filter used is saved at the top of the list!
  • use the BURN TOOL to darken unwanted areas (do not let clouds cover entire canvas!)
DO NOT create a straight stripe

Create a swash of clouds ​that
​ebbs and curves naturally & organically

​Create additional Nebula Layer(s)

  • Follow steps listed above to create your second (or more) NEBULA
  • When burning away unwanted areas with the BURN TOOL, you want to have something similar, but unique to the first nebula layer.
  • Explore shuffling nebula layers to see how they interact more effectively in a different layer order.
  • Play around with different LAYER BLEND MODES on your second layer until you find one you like.
  • If your nebulae are interfering with your lens flares, you may need to move the nebula layers below lens flare layers

gas planet

Refer to Jupiter images to see the "look" you are going for in terms of color, banding and details
DECIDE ON COLORS
  • keep color schemes MONOCHROMATIC or ANALOGOUS 
  • DO NOT use drastic color combos (for example, reds, yellows and blues)
  • Keep colors desaturated
  • DO NOT use high intensity colors!

BASIC PLANET SHAPE

​Create a NEW LAYER and name it GAS PLANET
  • Make large circular marquee in center of frame using the ELIPTICAL MARQUEE TOOL - press and HOLD the SHIFT KEY on the keyboard to make a perfect circle!  This circle is know as a selection - you can only work within the inside of a selection.
  • Fill your circle SELECTION with your BASE COLOR For example: the base color of Jupiter is beige; the base color of Neptune is light blue.
  • Choose  the PAINTBUCKET TOOL found under the GRADIENT TOOL to fill in your selection.

Create COLOR BANDS
  • Use SOFT Brushes (low Hardness %) 
  • Create bands horizontally - don’t paint them curved
  • Create bands of various thicknesses that are random- do not create a regular pattern

STORMS and GAS CLOUDS
​

Try the SMUDGE TOOL and/or LIQUIFY FILTER to create interesting STORM-LIKE edges between color bands.
To continue to work on your planet, you need to make sure it is still selected - if it becomes deselected, you can easily select it again by holding down CTRL on the keyboard and clicking on the IMAGE PREVIEW in the LAYER.
To DESELECT your planet, go to SELECT > DESELECT to remove your selection
You must have one predominant giant storm and at least three smaller storms
​
SMUDGE TOOL
LIQUIFY FILTER
Make sure your planet is selected before you click on the LIQUIFY FILTER
FILTER > LIQUIFY...
Your planet should open in a new LIQUIFY window.  

planet shadow

There are 2 types of shadows you can place on your PLANETS - 
CRESCENT & GIBBOUS
Choose the one you like the best to use on all the planets and moons you create - don't mix!
Picture
CRESCENT SHADOW
A CRESCENT MOON has more SHADOW than PLANET - This type of shadow is made with the BRUSH TOOL
  • Make sure your planet is selected CTRL Click on the image preview
  • Create a new empty LAYER
  • Use your BRUSH to create the shadow
  • Make your brush slightly larger than your planet and use a HARDNESS from 25-75% 
  • Choose BLACK to paint your shadow
  • Set the opacity of your brush to 20-30%
  • Click your brush to apply paint - move a little and click again
  • Move across your planet until you like how it looks!
​GIBBOUS SHADOW
A GIBBOUS MOON has more PLANET and less SHADOW - This type of shadow is made with the ​ERASER TOOL
  • Make sure your planet is selected CTRL Click on the image preview
  • Create a new empty LAYER
  • Fill your selection with BLACK
  • Use your ERASER TOOL to slowly reveal the planet
  • Make your ERASER slightly larger than your planet and use a HARDNESS from 25-75% 
  • Set the opacity of your ERASER to 20-30%
  • Move across your planet until you like how it looks!

​M-Class PLANET

Here you can see that the M-Class planet is made of at least 3 layers
WATER LAYER
Make large CIRCULAR MARQUEE  in center of frame - it should be as large as possible without touching any edges

This large size will enable you to create details more easily create layer (named WATER) and fill it your base water color (blue)
LAND MASS LAYER
​Create new layer for land named: Land Mass

use small brush to create realistic edges of land masses
consider islands, peninsulas, lakes, rivers, mountains, ice caps, snow cover, etc.

start with a base color to build up from- what is the predominant color of your land? make land
color transitions represent various terrain (greens and tans)

use textured brushes to create a more realistic look create ice cap at north and or south poles (textured brushes can be found in the brush library)

strongly consider using textured brushes to help create terrain changes within land boundaries
CLOUD LAYER
Create new layer for clouds named: Clouds

Use same techniques as NEBULA LAYER only this time use:
WHITE foreground color & BLACK background color
​
Use the BURN TOOL to darken areas more, just like in the NEBULA.

Use Liquify or Smudge to swirl clouds to look more like what we see in Earth photos

Set the LAYER BLEND MODE to SCREEN so that the dark areas become clear.
SPHEREIZE M-CLASS PLANET
Spherize PLANET and CLOUDS
FILTER > DISTORT > SPHERIZE

Create Marquis of planet shape by pressing CTRL and clicking on the layer thumbnail to select an object on a layer
go to
Filter > Distort > Spherize (use default 100%)

Run this filter for Planet, Shadow, and Clouds layer
MOONS
You will be making 
  • 2 Moons for your Gas Planet
  • 1 Moon for your M-Class Planet
Use the same process to make your moons as you used on your planets
  • Elliptical Marquee
  • Fill with a color
  • Use your Textured BRUSHES for detail
  • Add a SHADOW
  • ​SPHEREIZE

WHEN YOU ARE DONE! - SAVE yOUR FILE AS A jpeg

In the MENU commands - ​
  • Choose FILE
  • then SAVE AS... (FILE > SAVE AS...)
  • then NAME your file properly Spacescape_LastName
  • then choose "Save as type" .JPEG (*JPG;*JPEG;*JPE)
  • JPEG OPTIONS window choose 8 HIGH with the slider
  • If MAXIMIZE COMPATIBILITY window opens,  choose OK!
​

​You can now turn in your work!

STUDENT WORK