Create a Space Invaders Poster while learning how to use the the refine edge, poster edges and spherize tools using some textures and a few techniques.

Fresh tutorial just out of the clouds, use some textures and stock photos to create a nice space poster.

Step 1 – New Document
Open Photoshop and create a new document with a transparent background, I choose 1040×1200px to fit the dimensions of the site.

Step 2 – Space Girl Model
We’re going to use a stock image for the model, download the image Space Cadet - 3 by mjranum-stock, when you’ve downloaded the image open it in photoshop, stay on this document and double click on the layer with a little lock next on it and click OK.

You need to cut out the space girl from the image, I usually use the Pen Tool to cut out something but you can use the technique you prefer. If you’re not really good at cutting of the model you can use my file with just the model, Download it here. Drag the cut out model into the document we created in step 1, name the layer Space Girl, place de model in the bottom right corner and resize it with the Free Transform Tool Ctrl+T.

Step 3 – Model and Refine Edge
Select the Space Girl layer and make a selection of it, Ctrl+Left click on the little preview thumbnail next to the layer, go to Select – Refine Edge or Alt+Ctrl+R, this tool helps you correct the edges of any selection you’ve made, enter those parameters in the box, of course you maybe need to play a little bit with the parameters to fit my result.

Keep the selection on and create a layer mask on the Space Girl layer, click on the layer mask icon in the layer panel or go to Layer – Layer Mask – Reveal Selection. This will allow you to modify the image without a loss of the original image.

Step 4 – Poster Edges Filter
Select the Space Girl layer and place the model in the down right corner, then duplicate this layer, name the new layer Space Girl Edges and go to Filter – Filter Gallery and select the Poster Edges filter. Play with the parameters till you like the result. Change the blend mode of the Space Girl Edges layer to Darker Color.

Select a the Brush Tool (B) with a big soft brush, make sure your foreground colour is set to black, put the opacity to around 30% and paint on both Space Girl and Space Girl Edges layer mask on the centre of the helmet area, this will hide some parts of the helmet.

Step 5 – Helmet Reflection
Download a planet style image, I choose a stock image from Caprica Stock by Moonchilde-Stock, open the image in photoshop, drag it into the poster document, name the layer Planet in Helmet and resize it so it’s a bit bigger than the helmet.
Then go to Filter – Distort – Spherize and enter those values. If the effect is not good enough, apply the filter again.

Place the image just in front of the helmet and create a layer mask on the Planet in Helmet layer. Select the Brush Tool, with a soft brush and black for the colour and paint on the layer mask to erase to part of the image around the helmet.

Create a new layer and select the pen tool, draw a shape to make the reflection in white and lower the opacity to 10%

Step 6 – Background
Now we’re going to add texture to make the background, first download the space texture Space 1 by SadMonkeyDesign-res, open it in photoshop and drag it into the poster document. Name the layer Space Background and place it behind the other layers. Use the Free Transform Tool Ctrl+T to resize and rotate it.

Step 7 – Planet
Download a planet image, I’ve choose a planet made by superiorgamer, you can find it here, name the layer Planet Earth and place it in the bottom left corner, resize and rotate it. Create a layer mask on the layer and with a soft brush soften a little bit the edges of the planet.

Duplicate the Planet Earth layer and use the same Poster Edges Filter we used in Step 4, play with the parameters, click Ok and change the opacity to 60%.

Step 8 – Text
Select the Text Tool (T) and pick a font, I choose the Neon Font, type some text, I used a different layer for each words. When you’re done select your text layers and press Ctrl+Alt+E, this will merge the text layer in a new layer. Apply some Drop Shadow and Colour Overlay Layer Style to the layer by double clicking on the layer, Name the layer Star Text when you’re done.

Duplicate the Space Background layer and place the duplicated layer in front of the Star Text layer, resize and rotate it. Next Right Click on the layer and select Create a Clipping Mask.

Step 9 – Highlights
Select the Brush Tool (B) and with a big soft brush with around 300px, make sure the foreground color is set to white an the opacity to 50% in the brush options. Go on the Space Girl layer and paint on the edges with a white colour.

And we’re done, I hope you liked the tutorial and learned some new techniques, If you’ve got any question leave a comment, send me your creation if you want I appreciate seeing what the readers do. You can download the PSD source file: http://drawingclouds.com/dC_Files/Tutorials/Space_Invaders_Poster/Space_Invaders_Poster_PSD.rar

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