Nebula background

[jerry533482]

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

I've seen some awesome space pics, and I've noticed that they usually include a nebula in the background. So, I've decided to make a basic tut for this. Please note that this lesson is a guideline; we will not be creating any advanced deep-sky objects (I have made some other tuts on this if you're interested: A galaxy tut; and a star tut).

 

You will need 1 plugin for this:

- Color Filter

 

The outcome:

 

1. Create a new image. I chose 800x600 because it's easier to manage. Fill the canvas with black or press ctrl+shift+I to invert colors(assuming that you're background was initially white).

 

2. Add noise to your heart's desire. These will be the stars in the background. If you stick with a 0 for saturation, a high intensity, and very low coverage, The effect will be more realistic.

 

3. If done correctly, it should look like this:

 

4. Create a new layer. Make sure your primary color is black and your secondary is white. Go to effects>render>clouds. Keep the sliders at their default settings, but change the blending mode to difference.

 

5. Repeat(ctrl+F) a couple times. It should look like this when you're done:

 

6. Go to effects>color>color filter. Slide the nub to the color you want your nebulae to be, and press OK.

 

7. And finally, go to layer properties for the current layer(you should be on the second layer). Change the blending mode to glow, and slide the visibility bar to the left until you can see the stars in the background with relative ease. Hit OK.

 

You're done! You now know how to make a good background for your space pictures. Good luck on the creations, guys.

 

[dragonG1]

Very easy and simple tut! I will surley use this when I try my attempt at my first spacescape.

[Leoholbel]

Well, first of all thanks for the tut!!!

So here it goes:

/*click image to full size*/

Note that I didn't want the nebula to be all over the image, so I created a new layer, filled it with a B&W gradient, copied it to the clipboard and used the alpha mask plugin to create transparency over some parts of the image but not over others, in a soft way.

I liked this outcome.

Thanks!!

[jerry533482]

Awesome, Leoholbel. :wink:

[Mcpaulo]

Thanks! This was really useful! Here's my outcome:

Though keep in mind that I'm fairly new to PDN, and not very good at that! I also added some text, if that's alright.

[1Austin1]

Sweet! I'll make one in a sec.

[1Austin1]

How's that?

[jerry533482]

Cool.

[aarenlainey]

This is really a nice tutorial which will help me out to make my space stuff. I have tried many things before this tutorial to make spacescape but didn't found any easy and simple like this.Now I will keep this things is mind and will used this for the next time.

[jerry533482]

like Leoholbel said, you don't have to cover the whole background. Although his method seems useful, you could probably do the same thing with the B&W gradient.

Hmmm,.....perhaps a multicolor gradient would spice things up. Just some ideas.

[Axle]

i like, i like, it is a very simple tutorial for something that looks great. i just saved it as a HTML doc so that i will remember to try it,

[Urnemanden]

Nice tutorial! The way you explain everything step by step, makes it easy to give extra touches to the results. What started with being a planet ended up as a "Monstor" from a golden black hole. I call my picture "Gold-dust"

The structure of the basic output is also very easy to create a seamless skymap of. For the future I think I'll use it if I'm going to create a outer-space track someday. Thank you!

Edited April 10, 2010 by Urnemanden

[Adamodell]

Good job Urne. I might try it if I have the time.

[Helena]

Thank you for the tut! Hear is my try with sparkles:

[Phantom001]

Hi everyone, I'm brand spankin new to the site, so far I think paint.net is the bomb. In regards to this tut, I couldn't get the color filter plugin so what I did was follow the tut exactly but I used color balance+ in adjustments to create an almost identical effect, then for fun I put a twist affect on it trying to create a black hole effect sorta, and here is my end result. Thanks for the tut, I will diff be checkin out your other space tut's. Thanks

[D3T0N4T0R]

That. Is. AWESOME! I've been trying to figure out how to do this for a while- thanks for the tut!

My Result:

(Click for the big version)

EDIT: Doesn't seem to be showing up. Didn't even realise that I'd attempted this. Soooooo, Here's my (slightly more recent) one:

Edited October 2, 2010 by D3T0N4T0R

[paul_nicholls]

Thanks so much for the tutorial jerry533482

For anyone who couldn't download the plugin from the original link, I managed to find the colour filter plugin here:

<snip>

EDIT: @jerry533482 - since your other two star and galaxy tutorials have 'timed out', do you have those anywhere else?

cheers,

Paul

Edited July 14, 2010 by pyrochild
Kindly refrain from linking to illegal ripoff sites. Thanks.

[paul_nicholls]

Here is my Nebula attempt

I added an extra layer, and did the same for a reddish colour on top of the blue one

cheers,

Paul

[paul_nicholls]

This post has been edited by pyrochild: Today, 02:52 PM

Reason for edit: Kindly refrain from linking to illegal ripoff sites. Thanks.

Oh! Sorry about that pyrochild, I didn't even realize...I thought it was legit

Thanks for the warning

cheers,

Paul

[Zuka]

Here's my go at it (I couldn't get that plug-in):

[jerry533482]

Thanks so much for the tutorial jerry533482

For anyone who couldn't download the plugin from the original link, I managed to find the colour filter plugin here:

<snip>

EDIT: @jerry533482 - since your other two star and galaxy tutorials have 'timed out', do you have those anywhere else?

cheers,

Paul

You mean like they haven't been replied to in a while so they're hard to find? Just go to the tut index and look for them. There are some threads from 07' and earlier in there. You should have no trouble finding them.

[TheGuitarist]

Cool tut! Couldn't download plugin, so just did my best. Here's mine.

Edited August 23, 2010 by TheGuitarist

[Ego Eram Reputo]

....Couldn't download plugin, so just did my best.

Link fixed.

[Painterryu]

Do you merge the layer or not?

[scofield]

Hi, here is myne:

I make it using my own steps