Another Planet

image sea
image sky
image Planets1
image Planets2
image Planets3

Step 1.
We will begin with the size of our linen. At first – vertical location. Secondary, the pictures, which are prepared for our work, will help us to define the size.
Step 2.
We cut out a part of the picture with the sea landscape and place it on the canvas.

Step 3.
We’ll take sky from another picture. We’ll place it on the sheet, by means of Eraser Tool we will neatly touch up the line of connection between two pictures.

Step 4.
Something is missing on horizon. We’ll try to add mountains. We’ll insert them between layers with sky and sea (the layer with sea, certainly, is higher; so it will cover the lower line of mountains).

Step 5.
With Burn Tool we’ll darken mountains. Now look at the following tunings: Range-Shadow, Exposure-50%.

Step 6.
We’ll increase exposure to 70% and darken the upper area of water (kind of brush-soft, big size).

Step 7.
We’ll lower exposure to 60% and darken the lower part of sky. We have to work neatly, not to injure the clouds.

Step 8.
We’ll decrease the Size of brush, and Range of the Tool we change to Midtones. By one motion on the horizontal line (pressing “ctrl”) we’ll darken lower part of mountains.

Step 9.
Now we pass to sky. We place the picture of planet on the canvas. By means of Eraser Tool we’ll wipe up all superfluous areas, because clouds are nearer to us, and through them it must not be visible.

Step 10.
We change the Blending Mode of layer with the planet to Screen, Fill: 100%.

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Step 11.
The upper right corner seems empty. We’ll correct it by placing there another planet, but a little smaller.

Step 12.
We change the Blending Mode of layer with the second planet to Screen, Fill: 100%.

Step 13.
Now we’ll change the color of mountains by means of Brush Tool in color regime. The color of brush has to be dark blue, nearer to black.

Step 14.
In the options of layer we will lower Fill to 50%, to make mountains more transparent.

Step 15.
We’ll add the picture of another little planet. Than we dispose it above that big one, in order to seem that it is smaller, but nearer to us.

Step 16.
We change the Blending Mode of layer to Screen, Fill: 100%. With Burn Tool (Range - midtones, Exposure – 50%) we’ll darken the lower and upper part of firmament.

Step 17.
We’ll increase Exposure to 60% and we’ll make water darker.

Step 18.
We’ll return Fill: 100% in tunings of the layer with mountains that it was more comfortable to work with them.

Step 19.
We choose Eraser Tool and, pressing “ctrl”, we make one horizontal motion on the line of connection of mountains and water. Than we take Smudge Tool and we spread clouds neatly (by very short horizontal motions).

Step 20.
Well, mountains are selected somehow from the general picture. They are not enough detailed. We’ll correct this by means of Sharpen Tool.

Step 21.
In tunings of the layer with mountains we’ll lower Fill to 85%.

Step 22.
With Smudge Tool we’ll spread mountains a little (The motions must be horizontal!).

Step 23.
By means of the Brush Tool (using the same navy blue shade) with Opacity 20% we’ll paint out the foundations of planets (we make it on the clean layer).

Step 24.
We take Eraser Tool and wipe up neatly superfluous (those areas which we can’t see because of the clouds).

Step 25.
By means of the Dodge Tool (Range - highlights, Exposure - 100%) we will light up mountains. One smooth motion of brush will be enough for the desired effect.

Step 26.
Now we take Blur Tool and with one even horizontal motion transform mountains. To make it easier and quicker, you have to press “ctrl”.

Step 27.
By means of Eraser Tool you have to do lower part of mountains more transparent.

Step 28.
Between layers with sea and mountains we add a new layer, draw on it an even white horizontal line, in thick somewhere 5-6 pixels. Then we take Smudge Tool and spread it, converting into fog.

Step 29.
By means of Dodge Tool (Range- midtones, Exposure-50%) we will light up the overhead part of water.

Step 30.
It is time to work above the quality of our collage. It is more comfortable to do all these corrections on a whole picture. Therefore we save our collage as jpg file, and then open it in Photoshop. So, first we change adjustments of Brightness (-15) and Contrast (+5) – you do it in the Image- Adjustments- Brightness/ Contrasts menu.

Step 31.
Then we press “ctrl” + “B” and put tuning, as it is shown on pictures 1, 2, and 3. Into Image- Adjustments- Brightness/Contrasts and Shadow/Highlights menu we put tunings as it is shown on pictures 4.

Step 32.
Let’s take Dodge Tool (Range- Highlights, Exposure-18%) and will make some areas of sky brighter. We will add stars. For this purpose we take the ordinary brush of little size and draw them on all firmaments, except for areas, where we can’t see them because of planets and clouds.

That is all. Use your fantasy. I hope that this lesson was interesting.