Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop

In this Photoshop tutorial I’ll show you how to create a sci-fi landscape scene with stars and planets.

You’ll learn how to blend different images together, make a planet and create lighting effects.


Final Image

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop


Tutorial Details

  • Program : Photoshop CS3 +
  • Estimated Completion Time : 60 minutes
  • Difficulty : Intermediate

Resources


Step 1

Create a new document in Photoshop with the settings below:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 1


Step 2

Open the landscape image. Use any tools you’re familiar with to isolate the landscape from the background and drag it into the white canvas using the Move Tool (V). Convert this layer to a Smart Object.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 2


Step 3

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and change the radius to 8 px:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 3

On this filter mask, use a soft black brush to erase the blur effect at the background and make it only visible at the foreground.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 4

This step is to add some depth to the ground.


Step 4

Drag the sky image into our working document and place this layer under the landscape one. Lower the opacity of the sky to 50%.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 5


Step 5

Create a Curves adjustment layer to darken the sky. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the middle area as we aim to make the main light there.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 6

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 7


Step 6

Make another Curves adjustment layer to darken the left of the sky again. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the right side:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 8

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 9


Step 7

To darken the left more, make a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #90949e to paint there. Change this layer mode to Multiply 100%.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 10

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 11


Step 8

Come back to the landscape layer. To remove an unwanted detail on the ground, make a new layer and set it as Clipping Mask.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 12

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 13

Active the Clone Tool (S) and use this tool to remove the indicated detail.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 14


Step 9

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer for the landscape one (set as Clipping Mask) and reduce the Saturation value.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 15

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 16


Step 10

Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to give some cyan/blue to the landscape to match the sky color.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 17

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 18


Step 11

Use Curves to darken the landscape. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the dark in the middle area which is near to the background light.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 19

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 20


Step 12

Make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 21

Active the Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 10-15% to darken the left edge of the landscape. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 22

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 23


Step 13

Open the planet texture. Make a new layer and use the Clone Tool to remove four black lines over the image.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 24

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 25


Step 14

Hit Cmd/Ctrl+Option/Alt+Shift+E to merge the background and the clone layer into a new one. On this new layer, use Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) to draw a circle:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 26

Go to Filter > Distort > Spherize:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 27

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 28

Right click this selection, choose Layer via Copy. We now have it on a new transparent layer.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 29


Step 15

Drag the planet into our sci-fi land document, place it onto the top middle.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 30

Double click the planet layer, choose Inner Shadow and Outer Glow:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 31

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 32

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 33


Step 16

Drag the planet again into our main file and resize it to be smaller than the first. Duplicate this layer and position them both beside the big planet.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 34


Step 17

Add a mask to each of two planets layers and use a soft black brush to make them faded into the sky.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 35


Step 18

Select all the planet layers and press Cmd/Ctrl+G to make a group for them. Change the mode of this group from Pass Through (default group mode) to Normal 100%. Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group to desaturate the planets’ color.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 36


Step 19

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

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 37


Step 20

Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the planets. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the bottom of the planets as they are the illuminated parts.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 38


Step 21

Use another Curves adjustment layer to increase the highlight on the planets. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the higher parts of the planets to keep the shades there.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 39


Step 22

Make another Curves ajustment layer to add more fantasy light to the planets. Use a soft black to reduce the light on the following parts:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 40


Step 23

Drag the nebula image into our document and change the mode to Linear Dodge 100%.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 41

Add a mask to this layer and clear the hard edges using a soft black brush.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 42


Step 24

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the nebula effect.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 43

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 44


Step 25

Use a Levels adjustment layer to darken the effect:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 45

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 46


Step 26

Make a Curves adjustment layer on the top of all layers. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase around the middle mountains on the background to make this area brighter than the rest.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 47


Step 27

Use another Curves adjustment layer to darken the whole scene a little. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to refine the scene contrast as shown below:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 48

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 49


Step 28

Use a Photo Filter adjustment layer to change the scene color.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 50

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 51


Step 29

Use Color Balance to continue changing the color.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 52

On this layer mask, use a soft black brush with the opacity about 30% to erase the landscape as I don’t want it to be so blue – it would look unatural.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 53


Step 30

Make a new layer and activate the Line Tool (U). Draw a line of 4 px and the color #bbccee from the bottom middle of the big planet to the top of the middle mountain.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 54

Add a mask to this layer and make the bottom of the line faded a little.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 55


Step 31

Double click this layer, choose Outer Glow and Inner Glow:

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 56

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 57

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 58


Step 32

To add more light to the scene, make a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #f1f3f6 to paint around the light part. Change this layer mode to Overlay 100%.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 59

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 60


Step 33

To create more glowing light, use a new layer and a soft brush with the same color to paint around the light line. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop 61


And We’re Done!

You can view the final outcome below. I hope that you enjoyed the tutorial.

Create a Sci-Fi Landscape Scene with Photoshop