How to create a Galaxy Portrait in Photoshop

"The near side of a galaxy is tens of thousands of light-years closer to us than the far side; thus we see the front as it was tens of thousands of years before the back. But typical events in galactic dynamics occupy tens of millions of years, so the error in thinking of an image of a galaxy as frozen in one moment of time is small.” In this Photoshop tutorial, we will learn how to create a Galaxy Portrait. First, we created a background then place a Model and blended it with Adjustment Layers. Next added some texture and planet. Finally, we use Camera Raw Filter.

Preview of Final Image

Tutorial Resources

Step 1

Now, let’s start by creating a new image file, go to the Menu bar and click File > New, and then input the following values on their respective fields

Preset: Custom
Width: 3080px
Height: 3080px
Resolution: 300px
Color Mode: RGB Color 8 bit
Background Contents: Transparent

Step 2

Now, place Background Go to File > Place and select Background Then place it to our work canvas and position the image with the transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd + T). Hold Alt + Shift and rasterize like the image below. In Photoshop CC only hold Alt to rasterize all sides together. Then go to Filter > Blur > Radial Blur and set radius to 3px.

Now create a layer mask and use Black soft round brush and paint on center area.

Step 3

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves"

Step 4

Add Adjustment Layer "Color Balance"

Step 5

Now, go to File > Open and select Model. Then use a Pen Tool(P) and start selecting woman. When we finish the selection press right-click on mouse and “Make Selection” then create layer mask. The simplest path you can draw with the standard Pen tool is a straight line, made by clicking the Pen tool to create two anchor points. By continuing to click, you create a path made of straight line segments connected by corner points.

Select the Pen tool.
Position the Pen tool where you want the straight segment to begin, and click to define the first anchor point (do not drag).
Click again where you want the segment to end
Continue clicking to set anchor points for additional straight segments.
The last anchor point you add always appears as a solid square, indicating that it is selected. Previously defined anchor points become hollow, and deselected, as you add more anchor points
Complete the path by doing one of the following:
To close the path, position the Pen tool over the first (hollow) anchor point. A small circle appears next to the Pen tool pointer when it is positioned correctly. Click or drag to close the path.
To leave the path open, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) anywhere away from all objects. To leave the path open, you can also select a different tool.

Step 6

Next, create a new layer below Woman layer and use a Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color black and start painting the shadow but first drop a flow to 10%. Blend mode change to Multiply.

Step 7

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves"

Step 8

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves" and press Ctrl/Cmd + I to invert. Then use Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color white and paint the left side.

Step 9

Add Adjustment Layer "Exposure" and press Ctrl/Cmd + I to invert. Then use Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color white and paint.

Step 10

Add Adjustment Layer "Gradient Map" Blend mode change to Hue with Opacity 12%.

Step 11

Now, create more lights. Create a new layer and press right click “Create Clipping Mask” Blend mode change to Overlay.

Then go to Edit > Fill and Contenst: 50% Gray and press Ok.

Now use Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color white and Brush Opacity set to 10-20%. Then start painting. Take a look at the example in the picture below how much you need to paint, where there is the most white color, draw the most.

Step 12

Next, place Texture Go to File > Place and select Texture. Then place it to our work canvas and position the image with the transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd + T). Hold Alt + Shift and rasterize like the image below. In Photoshop CC only hold Alt to rasterize all sides together and Create Clipping Mask.

Then Blend mode change to Multiply with Opacity 85%.

Use Brush Tool (B) Soft Round with foreground color black and paint on left side to delete it.

Step 13

Create a new layer with Blend mode Linear Dodge (Add) and use Brush tool (B) Soft Round with foreground color bright blue #699ba7 and paint some glow.

Step 14

Next, we add Clouds but first we need to import brushes. Select a Brush Tool(B) and right click on background. Now click on the gear icon and Import Brushes (Select a downloaded brush).

Now we can paint Clouds. Create a new layer and Foreground color use White.

Step 15

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves"

Step 16

Next, go to File > Place and select Stars Texture. Then create a layer mask and press Ctrl/Cmd + I to invert. Then use Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color white and paint on dress.

Step 17

Next, open Nebula Go to File > Place and select Nebula and repeat the same procedure as in Step 16. Now select Stars Texture and Nebula then put to folder (Ctrl/Cmd +G).

Step 18

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves"

Step 19

Now go to open Planet. File > Open and select Planet. Use Eliptical Marquee Tool(M). With the Eliptical Marquee tool, drag over the area you want to select. Hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the marquee to(release the mouse button before you release Shift to keep the selection shape constrained).

Right click on layer and select Blending Options. We now get an Layer Style options window.

1. Inner Glow

2. Outer Glow

Step 20

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves"

Step 21

Now in this step below planet layer place Stars, Go to File > Place and select Stars. Then place it to our work canvas and position the image with the transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd + T). Hold Alt + Shift and rasterize like the image below. In Photoshop CC only hold Alt to rasterize all sides together.

Blend mode change to Screen

Step 22

Now create a three separate layers and set blend mode to Linear Dodge (Add) with Opacity 35%. Use Brush Tool (B) Soft Round with foreground color blue #1e4a6e and paint on planet. Then on second layer use Color #627686 with biger brush and paint on planet. On last layer use the bigest brush and paint, the color code is #7999ac

Step 23

In this step place a Texture 2. File > Place and select Texture 2. Blend mode change to Screen with Opacity 20%.

Step 24

Go to open Particles, File > Open and select Particles. Use Rectangular Marquee Tool(M). With the Rectangular Marquee tool, drag over the area you want to select. Hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the marquee to(release the mouse button before you release Shift to keep the selection shape constrained).

Blend mode change to Screen.

Step 25

Add Adjustment Layer "Hue/Saturation"

Step 26

Create a new layer and set Opacity to 65% then use a Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color white and Size to max(5000px). Then paint left.

Step 27

When we finished all this, now merge all layers to one. Select the last layer and hold CTRL/CMD + SHIFT + ALT + E. Now we have a final layer, right click on mouse and select Convert to Smart Object. Then go to Filter > Camera RAW Filter. At its most basic, the Photoshop Camera Raw filter allows you to use the functions of the ACR interface at any time within Photoshop.

Step 28

Now in Camera Raw Filter, set the Value: Basic

Exposure: -0.25
Contrast: +10
Highlights: +11
Shadows: -15
Whites: -15
Texture: +10
Clarity: +10
Vibrance: +30
Saturation: -8

Curve

Highlights: +10
Darks: +5
Shadows: -7

Color Mixer

Hue
Reds: +40
Yellows: +16
Greens: -42

Saturation

Reds:-18
Oranges:-20
Yellows: -12

Luminance

Reds:-19
Oranges: -5
Yellows: -16
Aquas: -11
Blues: +4

Gradulated Filter

Exposure: +0.30
Highlights: -35
Shadows: -15
Blacks: -4

Gradulated Filter

Exposure: +0.10
Highlights: +19
Shadows: +13
Whites: +18

And finally, everything should look like this.

Final Results

Download the PSD

Galaxy Portrait Tutorial.zip