The Method

1. If the layers panel is not visible, go; ‘WINDOW - Layers’

2.We will start by creating the body of the planet. In a new
window (Co-N) of say 20 x 20cms @ 200 ppi, make a new
layer (Co-Shift-N) and with the Eliptical Marquee tool
selected, draw (hold Shift to constrain the shape) a circle
and fill it (Alt-Backspace)/(Option- Delete) with white.
(hit 'D' to revert the Tool bar colour to default black,
then hit 'X' to toggle to get white).

3.Make a duplicate copy of this layer (Co-J), then (Co-I)
to invert this to black.

4. Go: 'Edit - Free Transform' to reduce the size of this
black circle and position it to approximate the view.
Remember to keep Shift held down to constrain the shape.
(below).


You should now have something like this?

5. Now we will blur the black circle to give the illusion of a
shadow. 'Filters - Blur - Gausssian blur'



6. Adjust the opacity of this layer to approximate the
image below. 'Layers palette - opacity'



7. You will see that because we have placed the black
circle near the bottom, that it overlaps the white one.
Here's how you can cut it out. Press 'Co and click the
white circle in the Layers Palette' . This will select it.
Now click the black circle in the Layers Palette.
We are going to cut through onto the black. So
'Co-Shift - I' then 'Co-X' to cut it out. Your Planet
should now look like this (below)?.



This gives a clean line around the black (using the
white circles circumference). We want the body of
the planet to be grey so that when we place it
against a background (later) and reduce the opacity,
the white rim still shows whilst the body vanishes.





8. Add a little bit iof Noise (Filter-Noise-Add Noise)
overall to give a bit of texture. Not much, say 6 or
7%. Monochrmatic and Uniform.

9. Now we will start on the Planet's rings. On a
'New layer 'Co-Shift-N' and with your Ellipse
Marquee, create a shape like this (below, it does'nt
matter what shape you create too much as we
will compress it later).



7. Fill this selection with White (Alt-Backspace)
/(Option- Delete).

8. Go Edit - Free Transform 'Co-T' & compress the
ellipse and rotate it to about 45 degrees (below).



10. Make a Duplicate of this 'Co-J', then 'Co-I'
to Invert it to black.



11. Now 'Edit - Free Transform' (Co - T) and resize
the black layer until you get similar to this (above)
Remember Shift to constrain shape!.

12. Repeat the above process (10) a few times to get
a number of rings. It is up to you how many you choose.



13. Then Link these Ring layers together by clicking
the small chains in the Layers Palette (below).

Top - More

Then 'Layers Palette - Dropdown menu (small black
triangle at top right of palette). 'Merge Linked'
This will flatten the rings into one layer, but will not
affect the planet.


14. Change the opacity of the rings (in the Layers
Palette) so that it looks similar to the Planet (above).
Leave this for the moment while we choose the
background image.

15. You have a choice of two images to use as your
background. The digital desert scene at the top of
the page, or the Cameleer at sunset (below). Open
the image 'bedouin_sahara.jpg' and Download the
image to your Hard Drive (Right Click/Control Click).
Then open it in Photoshop. Or open the image
'desertplanet.jpg' and do the same.



17. If you chose the Bedouin image, we will extend
the sky to make room for the planets. IF NOT GO TO
STAGE 22.

First simply double click the icon in the Layers Palette
and when the dialogue box appears, click OKAY.
This will unlock the background layer.

18. Next go: 'Image- Canvas Size - 40cms high'

19. We need to now create a new sky to fill in here.
We will do this as a gradient. Select a colour from
the top of the sky with your Eye Dropper tool (i),
then click (X) to change to background colour, and
do the same again with the Eyedropper (i) where the
sky meets the horizon. This will give you the lightest
and darkest colours. These will now become your
new Foreground and Background colours.



19. Draw a selection with your Rectangle Marquee
tool from the top of the new sky area to just below
the horizon. Then create a new layer 'Co-Shift-N' and
With your Gradient tool 'G'' drag the tool within the
still selected rectangle, from top to bottom, or vice
versa.




20. Click the Sahara pic and simply rub out the
existing sky that covers the horizon with the
Eraser Tool 'E'.



21. Add a small amount of noise to make it look like the
texture of the original pic.



22. Now drag the Planet and Rings from its window
to this image, with the Move 'V' tool. Click, hold
down your mouse drag until you see your cursor
change, then let go. Now link the rings and planet
together and adjust the opacity so it is similar to
the image (below).

23. With the Eraser Tool 'E' start rubbing out the
areas of the rings that go will be behind the planet,
and over the ground. We are creating the illusiuon
that the rings wrap around the planet.



If you like you can make duplicates of the Planets
body, reduce them in size to create a couple
of Moons.



That is it. You have created an amazing spacelike scenario.




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