In this Photoshop tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a sci-fi planet scene.

You’ll learn how to combine a space background with planets, add shadow and light, enhance the color, and more.

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Resources

• Planet texture
• Background

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Step 1

Create a new 2000×1200 px document in Photoshop and fill it with black. Open the background image and drag it into the black canvas using the Move Tool (V).

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Step 2

This selected detail will distract the final effect so it should be removed.

To do it, use the Lasso Tool (L) to select a part on the right and set the radius to 30 px :

Press Ctrl+J to duplicate the selected area. Move it to the left where the indicated detail located and flip it horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal).

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Step 3

Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to remove the hard edges and blend this part with the existing background.

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Step 4

This part looks darker than the existing background. To correct it, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves and increase the lightness. Set this layer as Clipping Mask.

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Step 5

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and reduce the Saturation value to -84 :

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Step 6

Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the background’s color:

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Step 7

Open the planet texture. You can see how to use this texture to make a planet in the following tutorial:
Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop.

Drag the planet into our main canvas using the Move Tool. Use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T) to stretch the planet a lot and place it in the bottom left.

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Step 8

To add some glow to this planet, double-click this layer, choose Outer Glow and Inner Glow. Set the color of glow to #fcfcfc .

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Step 9

Hit Ctrl+G to make a group of this planet. Change this group’s mode to Normal 100% and create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within the group. Name this group “planet 1”.

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Step 10

Make a new layer, use a soft brush with the color #000205 to paint the shadow of the planet. Leave the bright side on the front of the planet.

Step 11

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer and change the Midtones settings:

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Step 12

Add more planets to the main file. Duplicate and scale them in different sizes. Place the biggest in the top right and small others around, in the background and foreground. Remember to set these planet layers above the planet 1 group.

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Step 13

Create a group of these planet layers and use a Curves adjustment layer to darken them.

On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the bright part of the planets( which towards the light – see the planet 1 for reference) and leave the dark effect visible on their hidden areas.

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Step 14

Use another Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the planets. Paint on the shadow areas of the planets so they won’t be affected by this adjustment layer.

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Step 15

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the planets. Bring the Saturation value down to -80 :

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Step 16

Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to match the planets’ color with the background.

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Step 17

To add more light to the planet on the top right, create a new layer above the planets group. Use a soft brush with the color #f1f3f9 to paint on the bottom of the indicated planet.

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Step 18

Add a new layer and activate the Gradient Tool (G ). Use Radial Gradient with default colors (black and white) and change this layer mode to Soft Light 100 %. This step is to change the focus of the canvas to the middle area.

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Step 19

It’s time to add the light. Create a new layer on top of the layers and use a soft brush with the color #f7c590 to paint on the middle and the small planet on the top left. Change this layer mode to Hard Light 100% and use a layer mask to clean the effect on the top and bottom of the big planets.

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Step 20

Make another layer and use the same brush to paint some yellow light around the middle.

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Step 21

Make a Curves adjustment layer on top of the layers to change the light color of the whole scene a bit.

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Step 22

Add another Curves adjustment layer with the same purpose.

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Step 23

Use a Color Balance adjustment layer and adjust all the values of Midtones, Shadows and Highlights.

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Step 24

Add a Selective Color and work on Yellows , Greens and Cyans settings:

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Step 25

Use a Vibrance adjustment layer to enhance the final effect.

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And We’re Done!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.

In this Photoshop tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a surreal scene featuring an old man watching upside down city.

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You’ll learn how to combine several stock images together, adjust color, enhance lighting and more.

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Resources

• Sky
• Landscape
• City
• Man
• Birds

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Step 1

Create a new 1700×1441 px document and fill it with white. Open the sky image and use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to select the sky only and move it into the white canvas using the Move Tool (M) . Place it in the upper half.

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Step 2

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance and set it as Clipping Mask . Change the Midtones settings.

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Step 3

Browse the landscape image and place it in the lower half of the canvas.

Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to remove the sky and make the landscape blended with the existing sky.

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Step 4

Create a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #e64bc3.

Step 5

Make a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the landscape. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush with the opacity about 10-15% to erase the foreground as we’ve aimed to make this area a bit darker than the rest.

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Step 6

Add a Color Balance adjustment layer to match the landscape’s color with the sky.

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Step 7

Place the city image in the upper section of the main canvas and flip it vertically ( Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical) .

Add a mask to this layer to erase most of the sky .

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Step 8

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the city’s color.

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Step 9

Make a Curves adjustment layer to darken the left of the city. On the layer mask, paint on the right so it won’t be affected by this adjustment layer.

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Step 10

Create another Curves adjustment layer to brighten the right (light’s area) a bit. Paint on the left so it won’t be brightened by this adjustment layer.

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Step 11

Open the man image and isolate him from the background. Place him in the middle section of the field and use a layer mask to blend the bottom of the bench with the field.

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Step 12

To make the shadow for the man and the bench , make a a new layer below the man one. Hold down the Ctrl and click the thumbnail of the man layer to load his selection.

Fill this selection with the color #100b0f . Lower the opacity of this layer to 50% and flip it vertically. Use Ctrl+T to rotate this shadow to fit the light source from the sky.

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Step 13

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 4 px to soften the shadow. Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to reduce the shadow’s opacity on the top and bottom as shown below.

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Step 14

Create a new layer above the man one and set it as Clipping Mask . Use the Clone Tool (S) to remove the blades on the man’s back.

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Step 15

Make a Color Balance adjustment layer and alter the Midtones settings:

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Step 16

Create a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the man and the bench. Paint on the back/hidden areas so they won’t be affected by this adjustment layer.

Add another Curves adjustment layer to dark the back side of the bench. The selected areas show where to paint on the layer mask.

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Step 17

Make a new layer on top of the layers and change the brush to the bird ones. Use different brushes with the color #69064a to paint birds along the space between the landscape and the city.

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Step 18

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer on top of the layers and change the Midtones and Highlights values.

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Step 19

Add another Color Balance adjustment layer to enhance the color of the whole scene.

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Step 20

Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the left side of the canvas. Paint on the right side to keep its lightness.

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And We’re Done!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.