Plugins needed:
Ed Harvey Effects Package
Anti-alias Plugin
Steps:
1. open a blank image, 400 x 400
2. color the background black, and open a new layer
3. now we will create the planet texture...
Option1 -- create a planet texture similar to mine
a. in the new layer, apply clouds of your own specification (I recommend middle-high roughness and scale)
b. motion blur that layer about 50 ~ 60 px depending on how you want the surface of the planet.
Option2 -- import your own texture
a. import the image, make sure big enough.
b. convert to greyscale, since we are having some other modifications
4. you should have your textures ready. Now, use lens plugin or sphere plugin (I recommend 40 as the value)
5. carefully using the eclipse selection tool to select the sphere part (press shift to make sure it's a perfect circle)
6. invert selection and press delete
7. Anti-alias: amount 7, strength 900
8. voila, you have the main planet done! Continue follow the instructions if you want to make a ring around it.
9. select image->canvas size, put 800x800 as the size and choose "middle" for the anchor. Go to the background layer and fill black in the transparent areas (if any exist).
10. open a new layer. Use paint brush with white color to paint some gibberish at around center-top of the image. Anything is good. The height of it will determine the width of the ring.
11. radio-blur 360px
12. duplicate layer and merge the layer <- do it for about 3 or 4 times. This should make the ring more opaque.
13. radio-blur 30px
14. layer -> rotate and zoom. Twist angle: about 100, twist radius: about 70. Add some zoom and move the pan around if it will look better.
15. use eraser tool to delete the parts that should be behind the planet
16. use curves to add some colors to both the ring and the planet and you are done!
And of course, don't forget to add stars in the background!
EDIT: images added!
