Space Atmosphere

Step 1

This Adobe Photoshop tutorial will guide you through creating a space scene.

First we will create the star field using Photoshop.

Open a new document in Adobe Photoshop with a black background. Apply the next effect to the layer "background": select Filter > Artistic > Film Grain.

Use the next settings when applying the "film grain" effect:

Step 2

Duplicate the layer "background" and set the "blending mode for the layer" to "Linear Light". This should be the result:

Step 3

Select the layer "background" and choose Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast with the next settings:

We will obtain the result:

Now the star field is more realistic and the stars are disproportional.

Step 4

Duplicate the layer "background copy" (right click in the Layers Tab and choose Duplicate Layer). Set the "blending mode for the layer" to "Multiply". With Eraser Tool (you can find it in the Tools Tab) delete an area like here (note: use a brush like "Soft Round 160 pixels"):

Step 5

Draw a rectangle in a new layer (above the layer "background copy 2") and set the rectangle background color to a dark blue. Set the "blending mode for the layer" to "Color Dodge" and the result should be this:

Step 6

On the layer "background copy" select Filter > Render > Lens Flare and place a little star like in the next picture. Make the stars one by one and with a different lens flare dimension of the effect. If you are careful with the details you can obtain a result like this or even better:

Step 7

Duplicate the layer "background copy" (this is the layer where you draw the stars) and set the "blending mode for the layer" to "Color".

Step 8

Duplicate the layer "Shape1" (set the background color to black and "blending mode for the layer" to "Normal") and add two lens flare like here (rasterize layered first; right click on the layer's name in the Layers Tab and select Rasterize):

Step 8

On the new layer apply the next effect: Filter > Blur > Radial Blur. When apply the effect use the settings:

And an intermediary result:

Step 9

Delete an area and set the "blending mode" to "Linear Light". With a little bit more attention to the details you can obtain a much better result :

We can continue our work and make a space combat scene:

Or you can make the star field more realistic. What I want to show you is how to do a realistic scene using just Adobe Photoshop:

Click to enlarge