This artwork is part of our mammoth 161-page eBook which is an extremely detailed exploration of the techniques and design approaches behind creating epic and lavish digital artwork relating to the theme of Space and Science-Fiction. The series is divided into three main categories: Planets & Starfields, Transport and Environments, and spans across 12 in-depth chapters in total. The tutorials on offer cover a multitude of techniques and useful tips and tricks to painting all aspects of space and deals with the tools in Photoshop used to create such effects.
In essence, painting space art can be said to be no different than painting a natural landscape. Once the basics of art, lighting and colour are applied, the final image produced is all down to establishing the right mood, composition and ambience (applied atmospheric perspective), along with a good dose of imagination!
So to start off this new series of space-related painting tutorials, let us begin with the jewels in the night sky: the stars! The same feeling of hope and grandiose magnitude that we get from looking up at a night sky can be epitomised by a song called “The Impossible Dream”, from the musical/film “Man of La Mancha” (Don Quixote):
To love, pure and chaste, from afar, To try, when your arms are too weary, To reach the unreachable star! This is my Quest to follow that star, No matter how hopeless, no matter how far, To fight for the right Without question or pause, To be willing to march into hell For a heavenly cause!