spacescape - Montclair High Arts

> 1: spacescape
> objective(s):
Students will create a spacescape that includes a background starfield, nebula, planet and satellite (moon) using only
selections and brush tools along with filters and effects.
> curricular focus:
This lesson emphasizes the effective use of Filters and Effects, layer management and Layer Blending Modes
> specifications:
save as: Space_Lastname.psd
dimensions: 35-50 square inches (for example: 8"x5.5", not 30"x40")
resolution: 300 dpi
mode: RGB
contents: Transparent
> instruction:
• slideshow of various actual starfields, nebula, planets
• slideshow of various professional and student project examples
• tutorials on creating various elements of project (stars, nebula, planet)
> procedure:
• set document size and specs (see Specifications above)
• follow the detailed tutorial that begins on page 2
> requirements:
• file specifications are adhered to
• all elements are realistic
starfield
varied brush sizes create strong depth of field (the larger the brush the fewer the stars)
arrangement and brush sizes are accurately random and create a strong depth of field
created starfield is accurate to actual images of stars
nebula
shapes utilize soft feathering; transparencies integrate well to create color mixing
color are accurate to what we see in the visual spectrum (no greens appear)
created nebula is accurate to actual images of nebulae
gaseous planet
color selections are monochromatic or analogous (no green)
shadow curve and density are realistic
color bands and their blending are accurate to actual images of Jupiter
Earth-like planet
realistic land transitions (vegetation versus non-vegetation)
includes accurate cloud cover
shadow curve and density are realistic
created Earth-like planet is accurate to actual images of Earth (excluding actual shapes of land masses)
moon(s)
realistic and creative
visually enhance overall composition and do not compete with main subject (planet)
shadow matches planet's precisely
• all layers are appropriately named and grouped
> 1: starfield tutorial
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• small stars
create a layer named Small Stars and fill it black
select a small brush (size 4-6 at 0% hardness)
click randomly throughout composition
be careful not to move the mouse as you click as it will create streaks
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 several-many
(see example 1 to the left)
try duplicating layer to double the amount of stars
go to Edit: Transform: Rotate and rotate it 180o (or 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 it (see example 2)
• medium stars
create a layer named Medium Stars and fill it black
select a slightly larger brush (size 8-10 at 0% hardness)
use same procedure as Small Stars but create less than 1/2 the number of Small Stars
set the Blend Mode to Screen (see example 3)
try duplicating layer to double the amount of stars
go to Edit: Transform: Rotate and rotate it 180o (or free rotate)
don't forget to set the Blend Mode to Screen
try dropping the opacity of this layer to create more of a sense of depth
decide if this is an improvement or not; if not, simply delete it (see example 4)
• large stars
create a layer named Large Stars and fill it black
select a slightly larger brush (size 12-15 at 0% hardness)
follow same procedure as medium stars but create much fewer than Medium Stars
set the Blend Mode to Screen (see example 5 and 6 for a possible duplicated Large Stars layer)
• nearby stars
create a layer named Lens Flare 1 and fill it black
got to Filter: Render: Lens Flare: 105mm Prime
set Brightness to 10-25
use the Burn tool to get rid of residual lens flare circles to leave only the light source
set the Layer Blending Mode to Screen
use the Move tool to aesthetically place the Lens Flare star
repeat steps until you have the look you want (you will only need about 4-6 total)
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
you must hold SHIFT to maintain proportions (see example 7)
• group layers
select all star layers
go to the Layer palette pulldown menu and select New Group from Layers
name layer group as Starfield
> 1: nebula tutorial
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• important!
Remember that the nebula is
nothing more than a middle
ground visual enhancement and
should not compete with your
foreground planet and moon.
The planet and moon(s) are the
centerpieces of the composition
and should dominate in the
frame. The moral of the story is,
keep your nebula subtle.
• create nebula color 1
decide what color you are going to use for your initial nebula layer
(red, magenta, blue, violet, etc.- do not use green)
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
fill layer black
set foreground color to desired nebula color (keep background color black)
run Difference Clouds 3 times (Filter: Render: Difference Clouds: Ctrl F: Ctrl F)
use the Burn tool to remove unwanted areas (do not let clouds cover entire canvas)
use a large Brush (400-600px) at 0% Hardness
be artistic!
do not create a straight stripe
create a swash of clouds that ebbs and curves naturally and organically
(see example 1)
go to Blending Options (double click on layer) and increase Blend If: This Layer's right bracket (Alt+Click on right part of pyramid only) until desired elimination of black is achieved; set layer Blend Mode to Screen
(see example 2)
• create nebula color 2
create additional nebula layer(s)
follow steps listed above but set Blend Mode to Hue to create color mixing
when burning away unwanted areas you want to have something similar, but unique to first nebula layer
(see example 3)
• explore nebula layer combinations
try lowering the Opacity of the nebula layers to soften the blending
try shuffling nebula layers to see if they interact more effectively in a different order
make sure the bottom Layer Blend Mode is Screen
try experimenting with other Layer Blend Modes for top colors
remember: bottom color layer must always be set to Screen- (or you won't see stars)
if your nebulae are interfering with your lens flares, you may need to move the nebula layers below lens flares
(see examples 4 and 5)
• nebula example:
> 1: gas planet tutorial
• create gaseous planet
constantly refer to Jupiter images to see the "look" you are going for in terms of color, banding and details
create a new layer named Planet
decide on colors
keep color scheme simple
use monochromatic or analogous schemes
do not mix warm and cool colors
keep colors desaturated- do not use high intensity colors
make large circular marquis in center of frame
marquis should be as large as possible without touching any frame edges
this large size will enable you to create details more easily
fill marquis with your base color (meaning predominant color)
for example: the base color of Jupiter is beige; the base color of Neptune is medium blue
create color bands
constantly refer to Jupiter images as a reference for the look you are trying to replicate
use soft Brushes (low-to-medium Hardness values)
create bands horizontally
utilize strong variety of band thicknesses and band values (lights and darks)
do not create a regular pattern!
do not paint it curved (we will use Spherize filter later to create 3D look)
use Smudge tool or Liquify filter to create interesting edges between color bands
use a variety of intereactions between bands (some fade, some ripple, some swirl)
avoid excessively vertical spikes (lack of terrain and rotation combine to flatten the bands)
be careful around marquis edge- do not accidentally pull in empty pixels from outside of the selection
variety is key!- variety of band thicknesses, band values and band interactions
create storm details
must have one predominant giant storm and at least three smaller storms
use ellipses, not circles
do not simply use Twirl to create these- it will look unrealistic
spherize planet
create Marquis of planet shape by pressing Ctrl and clicking on the layer thumbnail
go to Filter: Distort: Spherize (use default 100%)
create planet shadow
see Shadow Tutorial for more details
planet and shadow clean-up
carefully check along the outside edge of the planet and shadow for slight misalignment
if you can see a razor thin line from your Planet layer, select your Shadow layer and nudge it once with the keyboard cursor to cover it up
consider rotating planet so bands and shadow aren't perpendicular
go to Edit: Transform: Rotate (avoid drastic angles)
merge Planet and Shadow layers
select all layers that create final planet (Planet and Shadow) and duplicate them (hide original Layers)
merge the duplicated layers (go to Layer palette's pull-down menu and select Merge Layers)
rename merged layer Planet and Shadow
scale and locate planet (Planet and Shadow layer)
go to Edit: Transform: Scale
you must pull from corner while holding Shift to maintain proportions
move planet to desired location (consider bleeding it off the frame)
beware of residual ring of pixels left behind from scaling
once you scale and move planet, select inverse (Shift + Ctrl + I) and hit delete
• see gaseous planet examples (actual images and student art) on next page
> 1: gas planet tutorial cont.
• images of Jupiter
notice the monochromatic/analogous color scheme
notice the horizontal banding
notice the interacting along the edges of the bands
• student examples of gas giants
> 1: earth-like planet tutorial
• create Earth-like planet
create a new layer named Planet
make large circular marquis in center of frame
marquis should be as large as possible without touching any edges
this large size will enable you to create details more easily
fill marquis with your base water color (blue)
create land masses
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 grunge brushes to create a more realistic look
create ice cap at north and/or south poles
strongly consider using grunge brushes to help create terrain changes within land boundaries
create cloud cover
create new layer for clouds named: Clouds
use same techniques as nebula (white foreground, black background)
may need to go to make clouds "whiter"
go to Image: Adjustments: Brightness/Contrast to adjust to suit
use Liquify or Smudge to swirl clouds to look more like what we see in Earth photos
spherize planet and clouds
create Marquis of planet shape by pressing Ctrl and clicking on the layer thumbnail
go to Filter: Distort: Spherize (use default 100%)
run this filter for Planet and Clouds layer
create planet shadow
see Shadow Tutorial for details
planet and shadow clean-up
carefully check along the edge of the planet and shadow for jagged contour or slight misalignment
create a Marquis of the Planet and Shadow layer (Ctrl + Click on Layer thumbnail)
go to Select: Modify: Contract and select 2-3 pixels (this will slightly shrink your Marquis)
select inverse (Shift + Ctrl + I) and press Delete
create atmospheric glow
duplicate Planet layer, name it Atmospheric Glow and move behind Planet layer
go to Layer: Layer Style: Outer Glow
set Color to very pale yellow, very pale blue or white
set Spread to 0 and select an appropriate Size
with Planet layer visible on top, use airbrush eraser to eliminate glow within shadow
merge Planet, Clouds, Shadow and Atmospheric Glow layers
select all layers that create final planet (Planet, Clouds, Shadow, Atmospheric Glow) and duplicate them
merge the duplicated layers (go to Layer palette's pull-down menu and select Merge Layers)
rename merged layer Planet Merged
hide original Layers
scale and locate planet (Planet Merged layer)
consider rotating planet so bands are at an angle rather than strictly horizontal (avoid drastic angles)
go to Edit: Transform: Scale
you must pull from corner while holding Shift to maintain proportions
move planet to desired location (consider bleeding it off the frame)
beware of residual ring of pixels left behind from scaling
once you scale and move planet, select inverse (Shift + Ctrl + I) and hit delete
• see Earth-like planet examples (actual images and student art) on next page
> 1: earth-like planet tutorial
• images of Earth and Earth-like planet
notice the detailed edges where land meets water
notice the change in terrain (subtle changes in color for vegetation, arid and ice covered regions)
notice the details in the cloud cover
• student examples of Earth-like planets
> 1: shadow tutorial
• examine the shadow phases image below to determine which type of shadow you want
can be crescent (less than half ) or gibbous (more than half )
not permitted to do a half shadow or no shadow
• create crescent shadow using airbrush Eraser
create Marquis of planet shape by pressing Ctrl and clicking on the layer thumbnail
create a new layer and name it Crescent Shadow
fill the Marquis selection Black (in the Crescent Shadow layer)
go over the edges of the selection with a black Brush to fill in any missed pixels
erase the part of the planet you want visible with an Eraser brush
refer to Moon Phases image to select shadow (go to Image Resources: Shadows)
need a Brush that is larger than the planet to create the proper curve
remember you are only clicking with the mouse once to form a consistent smooth arc
set hardness to 70%-80% to create feathered edge between light and dark
adjust opacity of Crescent Shadow layer if necessary
• create gibbous shadow using Airbrush
create Marquis of planet shape by pressing Ctrl and clicking on the layer thumbnail
create a new layer and name it Gibbous Shadow
brush in your shadow (in the Gibbous Shadow layer)
refer to Moon Phases image to select shadow (go to Image Resources: Shadows)
need a Brush that is larger than the planet to create the proper curve
remember you are only clicking with the mouse once to form a consistent smooth arc
set hardness to 70%-80% to create feathered edge between light and dark
adjust opacity of Gibbous Shadow layer if necessary
• tips for creating accurate shadows
all shadows, crescent or gibbous, touch precisely at the north and south poles of your planet and moons
create a vertical Ruler Guide (Ctrl+R) by dragging a guide over the center of the planet (or moon)
make sure the edge of your brush's circle not only creates the right curve but intersect with the edge
of the planet and the ruler guide
use the shadow to cover up the part of the planet or moon you are least satisfied with
• tip for creating moon shadows
if all shadows have to match perfectly, then use the planet shadow for your moons
duplicate Planet Shadow layer
rename it Moon Shadow
scale to fit moon perfectly
turn off Snap
go to View: Snap and deselect
make sure to press Shift while scaling
• warning!- common error
you may see an error along the back edge where a tiny sliver of the planet is showing- this is not your fault but needs to be corrected
click on your Shadow layer and select Free Transform
Ctrl + T or go to Edit: Transform: Free Transform
pull the tab closest to that edge to stretch it until it covers the blemish (do not hold down Shift as you normally do to maintain proportions; we are intentionally distorting proportions)
> 1: moon tutorial
• create satellites (moons)
Earth-like planets are required to have one; gaseous planets are required to have at least two
be creative!- we find extremely wide array of moon surfaces in our own solar system
reference the Image Resources folder for great examples of different types of moons
the possibilities are endless so be creative but make sure we are still being realistic
remember that your planet is the center of interest so do not overpower it
use brushes, filters or any other Photoshop tool at your disposal to create your surface
shadow must match planet's precisely
includes amount and curve as well as opacity
scale and locate moon(s)
go to Edit: Transform: Scale
pull from corner while holding Shift to maintain proportions
make sure moon is small in comparison to planet (no bigger than 1/4 size of planet)
move moon to desired location (consider bleeding it off the frame)
beware of residual ring of pixels left behind from scaling
once you scale and move planet, select inverse (Ctrl + I) and hit delete
• images of actual moons in our solar system
• professional artist examples of moons
• student examples of moons
> 1: extra credit elements
• create extra credit elements (not required)
additional elements include:
galaxy
comet
asteroids
planet rings
planet or moon collision
supernova
black hole
other (approve with instructor in advance)
use an image resource as a guide on what your extra credit element should look like
remember- realism is paramount
online tutorials are permitted for extra credit elements only
warning! these still must look realistic- regardless of what you choose make sure you refer to image resources
do not submit your project without checking your extra credit elements with instructor
just because you have an extra credit element does not mean it is going to help your grade; re
member, this project is about realism so if your extra credit element does not look highly realistic compared to resource images either provided or found online, then it can hurt your grade
• strong student example of extra credit element (collision is highly realistic)
• weak student example of extra credit element (galaxy is not realistic)
> 1: common mistakes
Below is a list of the three most frequent deductions in regards to each individual element as well as the overall
composition. Read these carefully and double check your project for these issues before submitting.
• starfield
1.Brushes not set to 0% Hardness (stars glow so the edges must fade ad not be crisp)
2.not enough/too many stars along the edge of the document (creates a frame around composition)
3.too many large stars
• nebula
1.edges of nebula are too crisp; do not fade smoothly
2.nebula colors are too bright and saturated; compete with foreground
3.nebula colors do not blend effectively
• gas giant
1.colors are too intense
2.bands of gas lack variety in width
3.bands of gas lack variety in how they blend with adjacent bands (same technique is used throughout)
• earth-like planet
1.land masses lack realistic contours
2.land masses lack terrain details (forest, vegetation, desert, snow)
3.clouds simply look like a spherized Photoshop cloud filter or too bright/colorful
• moons
1.moons too big in comparison to planet (also, planet should never overlap a moon)
2.moon colors are too intense and distract from the planet
3.shadows do not match the planet precisely (amount of shadow, opacity, feathered edge)
• miscellaneous
1.scaling down planet and/or moons left behind a sliver of pixels (must be erased)
2.all layers are not named
3.location and scale of planet and moons creates ineffective balance of visual weight
> 1: fun astronomy facts
• our sun
Light from the sun takes over eight minutes to reach us, traveling at 186,000 miles per second (671,000,000 mph)
1,000,000 Earths would fit in the Sun
Our Sun will die in about 5 billion years and become a white dwarf, about the size of Earth
• stars
On a very clear night, a person can see approximately 3000 stars
Most stars (approximately 2/3) in the sky are binary stars, two stars orbiting each other
The star Betelgeuse is 1000 times larger than the sun; VY Canis Major is 500,000 times brighter than our Sun and one
billion times the size of our Sun
Supernovae can be so bright you could read by them at night
There are approximately 200 billion stars in our galaxy and there are approximately just as many galaxies which means
there are approximately 40,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the known universe (4 x 1022)
• planets
One thousand Earths can fit inside Jupiter
Jupiter is bigger than the rest of the planets combined
Neptune is blue due to methane in its atmosphere that absorbs red wavelengths, but reflects blue wavelengths
Saturn's density is so low, it would actually float in the ocean (if it were big enough)
Saturn is not the only planet with rings- Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune all have ring systems as well
Due to virtually no atmosphere, Mercury's lit side can reach 800 degrees while the dark side can drop to -300 degrees
Venus revolves around the sun faster than it rotates- thus, it's year is shorter than it's day
Uranus rotates on an axis of 97 degrees, meaning it spins sideways
Astronomers have found 1000 planets orbiting other stars by detecting the wobble a star exhibits by an object orbiting
it, or seeing the star dim when a planet passes in front of it in our line of view.
• black holes
The gravity of black holes is nearly infinite, so strong that even light cannot escape, hence the name "black" hole
Black holes are created when enormous stars die in a violent supernova; there is so much mass left over that gravity
crushes it down to the size of a single point in space
Super-massive black holes are found in the center of nearly every galaxy
Black holes were theorized through mathematics decades before their actual discovery
• nebulae
Nebulae are enormous clouds of gas (mostly hydrogen and helium) and dust
Some nebulae are regions where stars are born while others are the remnants of a dead star being propelled into space
The far left cloud column in the Pillars of Creation (in the Eagle Nebula) is four light years tall (24 trillion miles); our solar
system would fit over 6000 times end to end within it