Photoshop Tutorial: How to Create a Space Girl Photo Manipulation

Start working by opening in Adobe Photoshop CS4 a space photo like this one:

In today’s tutorial I will show you how to create a space photo manipulation by mixing stars and different Photoshop techniques. Layered PSD file included. Let’s get started!

Find a stock photo with a model represented on it, I used this photo from deviantart. I would like to thank the author of this photo:

Remove the background using your favorite tools like Pen Tool (P), Magic Wand Tool (W), Magnetic Lasso (L) or even a simple Filter>Extract and insert the image on a new layer in our main document.

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Glow

We’ve got the next inner glow effect around girl:

Click now on the bottom part of the Layers panel on Add layer mask icon and choose after that the Soft Round brush of black color (Opacity 15%)

Using Soft Round brush paint on the mask to hide the girl’s legs as shown:

Create a new layer and select for it a Soft Round brush of yellow color (Opacity 10%) to paint the layer:

Set Blending mode for this layer to Saturation

Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between the layers of the yellow brush and the layer containing the girl (on the Layers panel) to create a clipping mask

Now we have the content of the layer containing the yellow color only visible within the content of the layer containing the girl

Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush with #0000FF color (Opacity20%).

Paint the background as shown and place this layer under the layer with the girl on it:

On the next new layer we’ll apply the above used brush to continue painting the background with the color #00B4F6 (Opacity20%). This layer will be situated under the girl’s layer:

Create a new layer and apply here the Soft Round brush to paint the bottom part of the picture with violet color (Opacity 20%)

Set the Blending mode to Screen for this layer

Use again the Soft Round brush and paint with blue color on background. This layer will be situated under the layer containing the girl:

Next there will be used again the soft brush with green color this time and Opacity – 20%.

Create a new layer and apply on it the Soft Round brush to paint on the background as shown.

The brush’s color is yellow (Opacity 15%). Place this layer under the girl’s layer.

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Overlay

On the next new layer we’ll use the Soft Round brush of white color (Opacity 20%) to represent several lines, like those from below. This layer needs to be situated under the girl’s layer:

Set the Blending mode to Overlay for this layer

Let’s create the next new layer and apply on it the same soft brush of white color (Opacity 15%) to make lighter the girl’s body. This layer needs to be placed lower than the girl’s layer:

Next we’ll make the girl’s arm look more illuminated. In this case we’ll create a new layer and use here the Soft Round brush

Paint firstly with red color (Opacity 15%) the necessary element and then use the color #FDCD9E

Click now on the bottom part of the Layers panel on Add layer mask icon and choose after that the Soft Round brush of black color

Paint on the mask to hide the illuminated part just to have visible the girl’s hand.

Next we need to combine in a group all the earlier created layers (press CTRL button to select the necessary layers and then hold on the left mouse’s button while dragging the selected layers on Create a new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel).
Next we’ll represent several rectangles above the girl’s figure, applying in this case the Rectangle Tool (U). The lines will be turned over with the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command.

Set the Fill to 12% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Linear Dodge. Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select Inner Shadow

Set the Stroke

We’ve got the next effect on the rectangle:

Make two copies of the layer with the rectangle. Choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to place the copies the same way indicated below. Set a different Fill parameter on the copies’ layers.

Next we’ll represent the fracture of the girl’s image. In this case make the girl’s layer active in Layer panel, press CTRL button and click on the layer containing the rectangle. We’ve got a selection.

Choose after that the Move Tool (V), click and move the selection with arrows keys to get the same position as in the picture below. This operation needs to be done for each rectangle.

Make a copy of the fractured layers and choose for these layers the next filter - Filter>Blur>Gaussian blur. Remove preliminarily the Inner Glow effect from Layer Style.

We’ve got the next blur:

Set the Opacity to 38% for these layers:

Now we need to create a new layer and choose a Soft Round brush to represent the small stars. We need to customize our brush in Brushes panel (F5), select the Brush Tip Shape. Click and drag any of the sliders to change the Diameter and brush Spacing as show. The Preview window displays the changed brushstroke.

Go to Shape Dynamics:

Also change the Scattering settings:

Using customized brush represent the small stars.

Set the Blending mode to Overlay for this layer

Create a new layer and select a Soft Round brush of black color (Opacity 80%)

Paint using soft brush the picture’s edges:

On the next new layer we’ll apply the earlier customized brush of white color to insert more stars:

Set the Blending mode to Overlay for this layer

Select Create new fill or adjustment layer from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Hue/Saturation.

Drag the slider to the right to increase the Saturation of the color range.

Click again Create new fill or adjustment layer from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Curves to adjust the curve shape as shown to make a little color corrections.

Finished!