How to Create a Space Woman Portrait with Adobe Photoshop

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create a space woman using a variety of photo manipulation techniques. You'll learn how to work with space elements, make abstract things, paint lighting effect, enhance colors and more

Preview of the Final Result

Tutorial Resources

Step 1

Create a new 2560x1440 px document in Photoshop and fill it with black. Open the space background 1 image and drag it into the black canvas using the Move Tool (V). Convert this layer to a Smart Object.

Step 2

Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to this layer. Hit B to activate the Brush Tool and select a soft round one with black color. Lower the opacity of this brush to 30% to reduce the opacity of the background., especially the sides of the canvas.

Step 3

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels and set it as Clipping Mask to decrease the visibility of this background.

Step 4

Place the stars image over the canvas and change this layer mode to Screen 100%. Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to reduce to visibility of the stars on some parts below:

Step 5

Make a Levels adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to change the contrast and lightness of the stars.

Step 6

Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change the color of the stars.

Step 7

Open the model image and cut out her from the background using your own method. Place her onto the middle of the canvas and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to erase the top of the model to make the top fade into the back background and use a hard brush to remove the body and the lower of her neck.

Step 8

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

Hit O to activate the Dodge and Burn Tool with Midtones Range, Exposure about 10-15% refine the light and shadow on the side of the cheek, neck and chin. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode.

Step 9

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and bring the Saturation values down to -83.

Add a Color Balance adjustment layer and alter the Midtones and Highlights settings:

Create a Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the chin, cheek and behind the neck. Use a soft black brush with the opacity about 30% to erase the rest and reduce the lightness on some parts which are bright already.

Step 10

Open the light effects pack and select the image 1. Place it onto the bottom of the neck and the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T) with the Warp mode to make the light circle thinner as shown below.

Change this layer mode to Screen 100% and use a layer mask to erase the part behind the neck.

Step 11

Duplicate this layer and move it to the middle of the forehead. Use Ctrl+T to reduce its size and distort it a bit to fit the form of the forehead.

Step 12

Select the image 2 to add to the neck of the model with the same method. Change this layer mode to Screen 100% and use a layer mask to hide the part covering the neck.

Step 13

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change the color of the light circle: