In this tutorial, I will show you how to create dark, sci-fi landscape photo manipulation in Adobe Photoshop.
First we create the base scene using two images. After that we will add stars and planets. Then we add misty mountains and a rock in the middle of the composition. We will use several adjustment layers to change the color and contrast of the entire scene. And finally, we will create a lighting effect.
If you are looking for resources for working with photos, including brushes, textures, 3D models and photos, you can find them on the elements of Envato Elements and Envato Market (for a fee).
1. How to create a baseline landscape
Step 1
Create a new 1920 x 1080 px document and fill it with white:
Step 2
Open the landscape image and use the tool Magic wand 
(Magic Wand Tool) (W) to remove the sky and leave only the terrain on the layer. Move it to our document. Using the Tool Move
(Move Tool) (V), position this image at the bottom of the canvas. Convert this layer to Smart Object (Smart Object).
Step 3
There are some undesirable details on the surface of the earth. To fix them, create a new layer and apply it as Clipping mask (Clipping Mask): right-click and select Create clipping mask (Create Clipping Mask). Use Tool Stamp 
(Clone Stamp) (S) to remove specified parts.
Step 4
Create an adjustment layer: go to Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Color balance (Color Balance) and change the settings Medium tones (Midtones):
Step 5
Create another adjustment layer: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Hue / Saturation (Hue / saturation) and bring the value Saturation (Saturation) to -82:
Step 6
Add another Curves Correction Layer: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Curves (Curves) with settings as in the image below. On the layer mask with a soft round brush of black color, with low opacity (about 10-15%), paint over some patches of land:
Step 7
Create a new layer above all layers: main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer), change layer mode to Overlap (Overlay), opacity 100% and fill with 50% gray:
Activate the tool Burn tool 
(Darkener) (O) with settings: Range (Range) – Mid tones (Midtones), Exposure (Exposure) – about 25% to darken the left edge of the landscape. You can see how I did it in Normal mode, and the result in mode Overlap (Overlay).
Step 8
Open the sky image. Use Tool Rectangular Selection
(Rectangular Marquee) (M) to highlight the sky and place it in the upper half of the main canvas. Set this layer below the terrain group layers and reduce it. Opacity (Opacity) up to 50%.
Step 9
Create an adjustment layer Curves (Curves) for a layer with the sky and darken the image: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Curves (Curves). On the layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the blackout in the middle of the sky, as we will try to make the light source there.
Step 10
Add another adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) to darken the left side of the sky, as it is slightly brighter than the right. Paint over the mask of the correction layer with a black soft brush on the right and in the middle to show the light areas.
Step 11
To make the left edge darker, create a new layer and, using a soft brush with color # 8f939d, paint the sky portion to the left. Change the blending mode of this layer to Multiplication (Multiply), opacity is 100%.
Step 12
Use adjustment layer Color balance (Color Balance): Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Color balance (Color Balance) and change the settings Medium tones (Midtones) to make the sky more purple:
2. How to add stars
Step 1
Place the image with the stars on top of all layers, and change the layer blending mode to Linear Dodge (Linear Dodge) with 100% opacity.
Step 2
Create another adjustment layer: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Hue / Saturation (Hue / saturation) and set the setting values as in the image below to discolor the effect:
Step 3
Use the Levels adjustment layer to reduce the brightness: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Levels (Levels). Move the settings sliders like in the example below:
Step 4
Click the second icon at the bottom of the panel. Layers (Layers) to add a mask to the sky layer. Use a soft black brush to erase the stars on the surface of the planet and reduce the visibility of the effect of the stars in the sky.
3. Add planets
Step 1
Open the texture of the planet. Study this lesson to learn how to make a planet. Drag the planet onto our canvas and place it in the middle, sliding to the topmost edge. Duplicate this layer twice and reduce the planets, and then arrange them on both sides of the large one.
Step 2
Add a layer mask to two small planets and, using a soft black translucent brush, make them faded, dissolving in the sky.
Step 3
Double-click on the layer with the big planet, select the layer styles:
Inner shadow (Inner Shadow) – set the color of the shadow # f4f5f6 and External glow (Outer Glow) – set the color of the glow white.
Step 4
Select layers with planets and click Control-G to create a group for them. Set this group to mode Normal (Normal) 100% and use adjustment layer Hue / Saturation (Hue / saturation) in a group to reduce the color of the planets.
Translator’s Note: in earlier versions of Photoshop, the group overlay mode is changed from Skip to Normal and in the group above all layers add a correction layer that will affect only the layers in this group.
Step 5
Create a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the color of the planets: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Color balance (Color Balance), set the settings Medium tones (Midtones), as in the image below.
On a layer mask, use a soft black brush to reduce the effect of magenta on small planets.
Step 6
Add adjustment layer Curves (Curves): Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Curves (Curves) with settings as in the image below to darken the planets. Paint the mask on the adjustment layer with a soft black brush on the lower parts of the planets.
Step 7
Use another adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) to add more light to the bottom of the planets. Paint black the top of the planets to hide the effect of this adjustment layer.
Step 8
Create another adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) to make the largest planet more foggy and dissolved in the sky.
Translator’s Note: on the layer mask of the selection area, paint over black to remove the blur effect.
4. How to create background mountains
Step 1
Open the image of the mountains. Separate the mountains from the sky and add them to the left in our landscape. Decrease opacity (Opacity) of this layer to 70%.
Step 2
Duplicate this layer and flip it horizontally. Editing (Edit) – Transformation (Transform) – Flip horizontally (Flip Horizontal). Move it to the right side and reduce its opacity to 90%.
Step 3
Add a mask to each of these layers and use a soft black brush to remove excess areas on the ground and reduce the opacity of the mountains against the sky.
Step 4
Create a group for layers with mountains and use an adjustment layer for this group. Curves (Curves), to change their illumination in accordance with the overall landscape.
5. How to add a rock
Step 1
Open the image of the rock. Separate the rock from the background and place it in the middle of our work. Use a layer mask and a medium soft black brush to erase the bottom of the rock and mix the stone with the soil.
Step 2
Create an adjustment layer: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Hue / Saturation (Hue / saturation) for a layer with a rock and decrease the value Saturation (Saturation) to -66.
Step 3
The rock looks too bright compared to the background, so add a correction layer. Curves (Curves) to darken it, set the settings as in the image below:
Step 4
Create a Color Balance Adjustment Layer: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Color balance (Color Balance), set these settings here Medium tones (Midtones):
Step 5
Create a new layer above all layers: main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer), change layer mode to Overlap (Overlay) with an opacity of 100% and fill with 50% gray.
Use Tools Dodge tool
(Clarifier) and Burn tool (Dimmer) to draw bright edges for the contour of the rock, where it should be lit, and also to draw more texture details for the rock.
Step 6
Create an adjustment layer Curves (Curves) to make the contour of the rock softer and more diffuse. Leave this effect at the edges, and paint the middle of the rock with a soft black brush on the mask of the adjustment layer to maintain contrast and shadow.
6. How to perform basic settings
Step 1
Create an adjustment layer Gradient Map on top of all layers: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Gradient map (Gradient Map) and select colors # a58869 and # 94ece5. Change layer mode to Soft light (Soft Light) with opacity of 90%.
Step 2
Create a new adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) to make the edges of the landscape darker. Paint over the middle of the image with a soft black brush on the mask of the adjustment layer to maintain brightness.
Step 3
Create a Photo Filter Adjustment Layer (Photo Filter): Layers – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Photo filter (Photo Filter) and select the color # 1200ec:
Step 4
Create a Color Balance Adjustment Layer: Layers (Layers) – NewCorrection layer (New adjustment layer) – Color balance (Color Balance), set these options here. Medium tones (Midtones) and Sveta (Highlights):
Step 5
Add another adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) to increase the light in the middle. Paint the edges on the layer mask with a black brush so that they do not suffer from this adjustment layer.
Step 6
Create another adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) to increase the contrast for the whole scene. The selected areas show where to draw the layer mask.
7. How to make a light effect
Step 1
First create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color # b1c0d9 to make a stain on the canvas. After that, change the brush color to # cddbf3 to make a smaller spot in the middle of the previous one.
Convert this layer to Smart object (Smart Object): Layer (Layers) – Smart Objects (Smart Objects) – Convert to Smart Object (Smart Object), and use the Tool Free transformation (Free Transform) (Control-T) to make it longer and thinner.
Add a mask to this layer so that the line fades out in the rock and looks like a crack in the stone.
Step 2
Create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color # f5f7fb to paint another bright spot. Use Tool Free transformation (Free Transform) (Control-T), and the layer mask to make the bright spot look like a thin beam.
Step 3
On a new layer, use a soft brush with color # cddbf3 to paint the light area in the middle. Change this layer mode to Overlap (Overlay), 100%.
Duplicate this layer to make the light stronger.
Step 4
To make a light shine, grab the Tool. Rectangular Selection (Rectangular Marquee) to highlight the shape of the square, and set Shading radius (Feather Radius) by 2. Use a large soft brush with color # cddbf3 to create a spot on the right side.
Press Control-D to deselect, and use the Tool. Free transformation (Free Transform) (Control-T) to make the flare much more subtle (transform this layer into a Smart Object before transforming). Move it to the gap in the rock.
Use the layer mask to remove the upper and lower parts of the flare, making it stronger to the left of the light gap.
Step 5
Use a small brush with color # ff89aa to paint along the line of light. Set the layer blending mode to Hard light (Hard Light) with opacity 100%.
Step 6
Use the same brush to paint around the light gap. Change the mode of this layer to Soft light (Soft Light) 100% and partially hide on the layer mask so that the red effect looks very light.
Step 7
Create an adjustment layer Vibration (Vibrance) on top of the layers to complete the final effect.
Congratulations, you did it!
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and learned something new for your own projects. Feel free to share your results or leave comments in the box below. Enjoy working in Photoshop!
