Create Your Own Universe!
I have listed the steps to paint a space scape as shown below.
Create a new canvas. Make it 300dpi, in RGB mode. Fill the background with black.
Nebula
- Create a new Layer and name it "Nebula 1".
- Select the Lasso tool. Go to the options bar and feather the tool by 60 pixels.
- Draw an irregular shape on the canvas where you want a nebual to appear.
- Load a colour in the Foreground colour chip.
- With the selection still loaded, go to Filter >Render >Clouds.
- Adjust the opacity on the resulting "Nebula" to make it more realistic.
- Create more nebula in different colours as needed.
If you wish, you can make a very dark blue nebula which covers the whole canvas. This gives the sky a texture for added realism. Make this layer's opacity very low.
Stars
- Use the Paint Brush to paint white spots all over the canvas.
- Use one size of brush per Layer: small stars one one Layer, medium stars on another, fewer large ones on another.
- Run a light Gaussioan Blur filter on the stars as needed.
- Adjust the star Layers' opacity if required.
- Select the Paint Brush tool. In the Brushed palette, click on Brush Tip Shape.
- Make a brush which is 3 pixels in diameter (assuming you are working in a 300dpi canvas).
- Make Hardness 100%
- Spacing: 1000%
- On the left of the brushes palette, select Scattering and set it to 1000% on Both Axes.
- Hit Enter.
- Paint all over your canvas with the resulting brush.
- This should make a fine texture of tiny dots.
- Adjust this Layer's opacity for realism.
- Fill your Background Layer with white
- Ad a new Layer above it, filled with black.
- Set this new Layer's Blend Mode to Hard Light
- Go Filter >Render >Lense Flare
- Adjust the Brightness as needed
- You can move the center of the flare in the preview window as needed.
- 105mm Prime usually makes for a nice star.
