Space

The moon (Part 2)

INTRODUCTION

This is the second part of the tutorial on how to create a realistic moon in Pixelmator. If you skipped the first part, you can find it here.

The Gradient Tool, the Brush Tool, effects, and other features of Pixelmator are used in this tutorial.

RESOURCES
 
PXM File

STEP 1

First, open the PXM file from the first part of this tutorial and group all of the existing layers in the Layers palette (Control-click > Group). Then, draw the basis for the moon. First, create a new layer and name it “Moon.” Make a circular selection with the Elliptical Marquee Tool and use the Paint Bucket Tool to fill it in with the beige color (color code – #ddd3c6). Then, blur the top and bottom parts of the image so that it blends in with the background. To do that, choose the Blur group in the Effects Browser (View > Show Effects), and double-click the Motion thumbnail. Set Radius to 2 px and Angle to 90º. Click OK.

STEP 2

Now, let’s add some texture to the moon’s surface. First, create a new layer and name it “Surface.” Then, Control-click it and choose Create Clipping Mask from the shortcut menu. Next, choose the Generator group in the Effects Browser and double-click the Clouds thumbnail. Click OK. Finally, transform the cloud’s layer (Edit > Transform) and position it as in the example below.

STEP 3

Add some scratches on the moon’s crust. Choose the Stylize group in the Effects Browser and double-click the Rain thumbnail. Set Strength to 10% and Angle to 0º. Then, click OK.

Next, add a bump in the surface texture to make it appear three dimensional. Choose the Distortion group in the Effects Browser and double-click the Bump thumbnail. Then, set the Radius to 300 px and Scale to 50%. Use the rope to point to the center of the moon, just as in the example below. Click OK. Finally, change the “Surface” layer’s Blending to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 70%.

STEP 4

Lighten the colors of the moon and add some horizontal scratches. To do that, duplicate the “Surface” layer and choose Edit > Rotate 90º Right. Use the Move Tool to reposition the layer. Finally, change the Blending to Soft Light. The result should look similar to the image below.

STEP 5

You can use the Brush Tool to add some dark maria on the moon’s surface. First, create a new layer and name it “Brush 1.” Then, select the Brush tool and show the Brushes palette (View > Show Brushes). Open the Action pop-up menu in the palette and choose Grunge. Double-click the brush that is located first from the left in the second row and increase its size to 150 px. Then, use the Brush Tool to add strokes of black as in the example below. Finally, change the “Brush 1″ layer’s Blending to Color Burn and reduce the Opacity to 30%.

STEP 6

Apply the Bump effect to the “Brush 1” layer and use the same settings as in step 3. The darker maria should look as if they were carved into the moon’s surface. To make it so, duplicate the “Brush 1” layer and invert the duplicate’s colors (Image > Color Adjustments > Invert). Then, select the Move Tool and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the “Brush 1 copy” layer 1 px down and to the right. Change the “Brush 1 copy” layer’s Blending to Overlay and reduce the Opacity to 20%.

STEP 7

Now, add a shadow on the right side of the moon. First, create a new layer and name it “Gradient 1.” Then, Control-click “Gradient 1” and choose Create Clipping Mask. Finally, use the Gradient Tool to fill the layer with a gradient, just as in the example. The tip below explains how to create the gradient used in this step.

Tip: To create the gradient used in step 7, first, open the Gradients Palette (View > Show Gradients). Then, click the Action button and choose New Gradient from the shortcut menu. Double-click the new gradient to show Brush Settings. Then, click the right color stop and change its color to black. Next, click the left color stop and reduce its Opacity to 0%.
 

STEP 8

Add a white gradient on the left side to make the moon pop out. First, create a new layer,  name it “Gradient 2,” and turn it into a clipping mask. Then, follow the instructions from the tip in step 7 to create a new gradient. Only this time, use a white color instead of black. Finally, fill the “Gradient 2” layer with the gradient as in the example below and change the layer’s Blending to Overlay.

STEP 9

Now, scatter some craters over the moon’s surface. First, create a new layer named “Craters” and turn it into a clipping mask. Then, show the Brushes palette (View > Show Brushes) and choose Artistic from the Action pop-up menu. Double-click the brush that’s located first from the left in the first row and change its settings as in the example. Then, use the Brush Tool to add strokes of black on the moon’s surface. The result should look similar to the image below.

STEP 10

Now, apply the Bump effect using the same settings as in step 3. Then, change the “Craters” layer’s Blending to Soft Light and reduce the Opacity to 60%.

Next, make the craters appear carved into the moon’s surface. To do that, duplicate the “Craters” layer and invert the duplicate’s color (Image > Color Adjustments > Invert). Then, select the Move Tool and move the duplicate layer 3 px down and to the right. Finally, reduce the “Craters copy” layer’s Opacity to 50%.

STEP 11

Add a shadow behind the moon to complete the composition. Create a new layer named “Shadow” and position it below the “Moon” layer in the Layers palette. Use the Brush Tool to add strokes of black behind the right part of the moon. Use the image below as a reference. Then, choose the Blur group in the Effects Browser and double-click the Blur thumbnail. Set Amount to 20 px and click OK.

CONCLUSION

Congratulations, you’ve just created your own personal moon! You can create various planets by simply playing with different colors and effects. Have fun!