In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create an abstract sci-fi scene. You'll learn how to combine different stock photos, create abstract elements, work with groups and adjust lighting effect.

We'll start this tutorial by setting up a night scene from a sky, two deserts images and starry textures. Then we'll add the planets, the model, apply some nebula textures as well as create some abstract elements and blend them all together using an adjustment layer, masking and brush. Finally, we'll add more lighting effect and adjust color of the whole scene. You'll need Photoshop CS3 or newer to follow this tutorial.

Tutorial Resources

• Model (Contains Nudity)
• Star background
• Sky
• Background
• Foreground
• Light effect
• Nebula 1
• Nebula 2
• Nebula 3
• Nebula 4
• Planet 1
• Planet 2
• Wire triangle

Step 1

Create a new document in Photoshop with the given settings:

Step 2

Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N to make a new layer. Hit G to active the Gradient Tool and choose Radial Gradient with the colors #384962 and #09131d. Drag a line from the top center to the bottom of our white canvas:

Step 3

Open the star background pack. I chose the image "starry 1" to drag onto our main document and change the mode to Color Dodge 100%:

Duplicate this layer three times and arrange them around the dark background to make the starry effect stronger and more visible:

Step 4

Place the sky image over the main document and change the mode to Soft Light 100%:

Click the second button at the bottom of the Layers Panel to add a mask to this layer. Use a basic, soft brush with black color, the opacity about 30-40% to reduce the cloud effect on the background:

Step 5

Drag the background image into our working document:

Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to remove the sky edges and blend it with the starry sky:

Step 6

I used an adjustment layer with Clipping Mask to darken the desert. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves:

Step 7

I used a Color Balance adjustment layer (Clipping Mask) to match the desert color with the background:

Step 8

Open the foreground image and place it in the foreground of our main document, transform it as shown below:

Add a mask to this layer and blend the foreground with the background:

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