 Cosmic Sphere
- You will need this sunset image (or any sunset) to complete this tutorial. (Right click link and choose Save target as)
1. Open your image in Photoshop. Right click on the background layer
and duplicate it.
2. Click on the backgorund copy. Click Select=> all. Click Edit=>
copy.
 3.
We will make a texture pattern on a channel for our sphere. Click on the
channels panel. Click the button on the bottom to add a new
channel. The new channel called Alpha 1 will be added. Click
Edit=> paste. The image you will see will be a black and white image of
the original sunset.
 4.
Make sure alpha 1 is highlighted. Click Filter=>Stylize=>Extrude.
Set the Extrude as follows
- Pyramids
- size = 30 pixels
- Depth = 20
- level based
- uncheck mask incomplete blocks
 5.
Click Filter=> Distort=> Spherize. Set the following:
- amount= 100%
- Mode = normal
6. Click back on the Layers panel and activate the background copy by
clicking on the layer. You will see the color return to your image.
7. We will use the Alpha channel as a texture as we prepare our sphere.
Click Filter=> Render=> Lighting Effects. Set the lighting effects as
follows:
- Light type = Spotlight
- Light is on
- Intensity = 35
- focus = 69 (wide)
- Gloss = 0
- Material = 69 (metallic)
- Exposure = 0
- Ambience = 53 (positive)
- Texture Channel = Alpha 1
- Height = 53% (mountainous)
8. Select the elliptical marquee tool. Start dragging your marquee
from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. Once you have the
marquee, use the button at the bottom of the layers palette to apply a
mask to this layer.
9. Click Edit=> Transform=> scale. Set the width box to 75% and apply
the scale.
 10.
Set the background copy layer to
- linear light and
- opacity at 85%
11. Right click on the mask and select apply layer mask
 12.
Right Click on the background layer and select duplicate.
13. Click Filter=> noise=> Add noise. Set the noise to the following:
- amount = 10
- distribution = Guassian
- Monochromatic = checked.
 14.
Click Filter=> blur=> Radial Blur. Set the following:
- Amount = 100%
- Blur method = Zoom
- Quality = best
- Bluer center:
Click the blur preview and drag the center down so that the center of
the blur appears
3/4 of the way to the bottom from the top.
15. Set layer mode to Linear Light
16.
Next we will duplicate the sphere 4 times. Right click on the
background copy and select duplicate. Do this a total of 4 times so you
end up with 5 spheres.
17. Scale your spheres to
varying size and position with the top layer being the largest towards
the bottom of your canvas, and the bottom copy layer being the smallest
and arranged high.
-
 Top
sphere layer should be about 75% in width and height of the
original. Move to the bottom so that the midpoint is right at the
horizon.
-
 Next layer
should be 55 % in height and width. move to the middle left side of
your image. Add a mask. USe a 300 pixel soft brush black to paint on
the mask to hide the lower portion so it looks nested in the clouds.
-
 Next layer
should be 40 % in height and width. I placed mine blow the last yet
slightly behind the first. It should eclipse the horizon in the
picture so it looks like it is very close yet between the two bigger
ones.
-
 Next layer
should be 30 % in height and width. I placed it just above and
behind the first or biggest sphere. I added a mask and painted black
on the mask using a 200 soft brush to hide the lower third.
-
Next layer
should be 20 % in height and width. I placed it up in the upper
right corner. Added amask and painted black on the pask using a soft
100 pixel brush on the bottom third of the sphere.
 |
