Open a new document in Photoshop and choose size for your picture. I usually choose canvas size somewhere between 1000x1000 and 2000x2000 px. Bigger resolution consumes more memory, but if that’s not an issue for your PC then I suggest working with higher resolutions. In the end, it helps if you can scale down a bit your finished planets, because details will be sharper and the whole look will be better. Try it for yourself and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Of course, that works only with higher resolutions. Ok, now let’s get back to this tutorial.

1. Fill the background with black color. Make new layer (Layer / New / Layer…) and name it however you want. For this tutorial I’ll go with Shape. Use Elliptical Marquee tool (Slika1) to select an area on your canvas. Hold Shift while making a selection for perfect roundness. Use as much space for selection as you can. Just don’t go from edge to edge because the atmosphere will be added later and you could use some space between selection and canvas edge. Use Bucket tool (press G on your keyboard) and fill the selection with black color.

2. Create new layer and name it Texture. Now pick a soft 300px brush and bring down Opacity on 25% and Mode on Linear Dodge. In Brush menu select any texture that you like. Pick some dark color and start painting until lighter areas begin to appear.

3. Create new layer, name it Texture2 and set blending mode to Liner Dodge. Choose different texture and color and paint some parts. After you’re satisfied with the result, create a new layer.

4. Name it Texture3 and set blending mode to Multiply or Color Dodge. Again, use different texture and color and paint those parts where you can give terrain some variation. If the terrain starts to look too dark, duplicate Texture layer and set it to Linear Dodge. It’ll add some brightness.

5. Flatten layers with textures (select Texture3 layer, hold Shift and click on Shape layer and then press ctrl+E) and name it Texture. After that, use Spherize tool (Filter / Distort / Spherize…) and set Amount on 100%. Click ok. Use it again, but this time set Amount on 50%. This will add some more roundness to the planet.

6. Duplicate planet layer, name it Detail and use ctrl+shift+U to desaturate. If the texture is little blurred, use Unsharp Mask (Filter / Sharpen / Unsharp Mask…). Set Radius on 1.0px, Threshold on 0 levels and Amount on value that you see fit. Then use Emboss filter (Filter / Stylize / Emboss…). Set Height on 1px, Amount on 500% and Angle by your choice.

7. Duplicate Detail layer. Hide the copy and select the original Detail layer. Use Levels tool (Image / Adjustments / Levels…), set these values, change blending mode to Linear Dodge and hide it. Unhide the copy, use Levels again but with these values  and change blending mode to Multiply. Unhide the other layer and change opacity until you’re satisfied with the result.

8. Make new layer and name it Atmosphere. Make sure that it is on top of the other layers. Grab Bucket tool, fill it with black and change blending mode to Screen. This way black will not be visible. Click on the layer with right mouse button and select Blending Options… Go to Outer Glow and set Blend Mode to Normal. Choose Opacity and Color as you see fit for your picture. Do the same with Inner Glow. I suggest you go through other options and try out some of them.

9. Make new layer and name it Shadow. Select again soft brush (300px) with the same settings as it was in step 2. Choose black color and start making the shadow. The choice is yours regarding its position. Make sure that the shadow should be lighter near the center of the planet and darker and eventually pitch black near the rim. One last bit, before the end…

10. Atmosphere is visible only where light falls on planet. If you try to just erase the glow effect, you can mess up inner glow. Just try it for yourself. So, here is how we’re going to do it. Select Atmosphere layer and create new layer above it. Hold Shift, click on Atmosphere layer again and press ctrl+E. This will merge these two layers but now we can erase that extra glow without the chance to mess it up. Change blending mode to Screen. Use soft Eraser and erase glow from the far side of the planet. Gradually lower opacity of eraser as you approach illuminated side to get more shaded look.

And that is it. Feel free to experiment with colors, levels, textures and other stuff.

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