Using a few simple steps, I will show you in this tutorial how to create a planet-like abstract.
Start by creating a 400x400 pixel image at 72px/in. Also make sure the image is transparent.
Using the Elliptical Marquee Tool and holding the 'shift' key, create a circle accross the center of the image. We will call this layer Base.
In a new layer above the Base layer, use the Elliptical Marquee Tool again (without holding 'shift' this time) to create a selection similar to the one below.
Right-click on the selection and select 'Feather'. This feather will be 40px. Now, hold (Ctrl for Windows or Command for Macs), 'shift', and 'alt' simultaneously while clicking on the thumbnail of the Base layer in the layers palette.
In the new layer we made previously, fill the selection with a color. I'm going to use #CC9966. Press Ctrl/Command + D to deselect the selection. Here's what you should have:
Now repeat the same process a second time with a smaller selection and another new layer. For the fill color, I'm going to use a color closer to white. In this example, I'm using #FFCC99.
Now again for one last time, let's repeat this process (don't forget to make another new layer!). In this case, hold 'shift' when making the selection to get a perfect circle. The feather this time will be 20px, and we won't click on the thumbnail of the Base layer after applying the feather. We'll also use white #FFFFFF as the fill color for this step, but we fill it twice with white.
Now for the last step, create a new layer and drag it under all of the other layers in the layers palette. Fill this layer with black #000000, and there is your planet abstract!
You can use some of the concepts in this tutorial to create 3D effects in Photoshop. You can also experiment with different colors and adding textures to the final product. Have fun!
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