How To Add Stars In Photoshop

Create A Starry Nighttime Sky In Photoshop

Learn how easy information technology is to fill your night skies with a field of stars in Photoshop! You lot'll larn how to create stars in Photoshop, how to add a glow and color to the stars, and how to blend the stars effect with your images!

There'due south cypher quite equally peaceful equally beingness outdoors at night, looking upwardly at a clear sky, and seeing an countless field of stars stretching off in all directions. And there are few things equally frustrating as trying to capture those stars with your camera. Competing lights from the city or other nearby sources can throw off the exposure and push your stars into darkness. And with our planet ever spinning, capturing that faint star light with long exposures often results in a blurry mess.

Thankfully, equally we'll run into in this tutorial, it's easy to add stars to your images with Photoshop! And since we're creating the stars ourselves, we have complete control over just how "starry" the sky appears. In fact, the techniques we'll be learning here are the same ones used to create star-filled backgrounds in movies. So while the results probably won't fool any astronomers in the family, this star upshot is more than than realistic enough for pretty much everyone else.

I'll utilise this image that I downloaded from Adobe Stock:

The original paradigm. Photograph credit: Adobe Stock.

And hither's what the terminal stars upshot will await similar when nosotros're done:

The concluding result.

Let's get started!

How to create stars in Photoshop

For this tutorial, I'grand using Photoshop CC simply every step is compatible with Photoshop CS6. You can also follow along with my video of this tutorial on our YouTube channel. Or download this tutorial equally a print-readyPDF!

Step 1: Add together a new blank layer above the image

Get-go, we'll learn how to create stars in Photoshop, and and so nosotros'll learn how to blend the stars with your image.

Let'due south start in the Layers panel where we see our image sitting on the Background layer:

The Background layer is currently the just layer in the document.

We'll create the stars on a separate layer higher up the image. To add a new layer, press and concur the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key on your keyboard and click the Add New Layer icon:

Clicking the Add New Layer icon.

In the New Layer dialog box, name the layer "Stars", and so click OK:

Naming the new layer "Stars".

And back in the Layers panel, the new "Stars" layer appears:

The Layers panel showing the new "Stars" layer.

Step 2: Fill the layer with blackness

We demand to make full the "Stars" layer with black. Go up to the Edit menu in the Menu Bar and choose Fill:

Going to Edit > Fill.

In the Fill dialog box, modify the Contents option to Black, and then click OK:

Changing "Contents" to Black.

And Photoshop fills the layer with black, temporarily blocking the prototype from view:

The effect subsequently filling the "Stars" layer with black.

Step 3: Add some noise with the Add Racket Filter

To create the stars, we'll add together dissonance using Photoshop'due south Add Noise filter. Get upwards to the Filter menu, choose Noise, and then choose Add Noise:

Going to Filter > Noise > Add Noise.

In the Add Racket dialog box, fix the Amount to 50%, and make sure that Gaussian and Monochromatic are both selected:

The Add together Noise filter settings.

And so click OK to close the dialog box, and Photoshop fills the layer with random noise:

The upshot afterwards filling the 'Stars' layer with noise.

Step 4: Blur the noise with the Gaussian Mistiness filter

Next, we need to blur the noise, and we can practice that using the Gaussian Blur filter. Get up to the Filter menu, choose Mistiness, and then choose Gaussian Blur:

Going to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

In the Gaussian Blur dialog box, set the Radius value to 1.5 pixels, and and so click OK:

Setting the Radius value to 1.5 pixels.

Stride five: Turn the noise into stars with a Levels paradigm adjustment

To plow the dissonance into stars, we'll use a Levels image adjustment. Become up to the Image menu, choose Adjustments, and then choose Levels:

Going to Image > Adjustments > Levels.

Dragging the white point slider

In the Levels dialog box, click and drag the white bespeak slider all the way to the left until you reach the right border of the histogram:

Dragging the white point slider to the correct border of the histogram.

This brightens the noise and makes the brightest areas white:

The outcome later on dragging the white point slider.

Dragging the blackness point slider

Then click and drag the blackness point slider towards the right. The farther you drag, the more than you'll darken the darkest areas of racket, eventually pushing those areas to pure black. Continue dragging to the right until well-nigh the noise has disappeared. The remaining noise becomes our stars:

Dragging the black point slider to the right to darken the noise.

You may need to go back and along a few times with the white and blackness sliders until you're happy with the stars outcome. I ended up using a white betoken value of 94 and a black point value of ninety. When yous're done, click OK to shut the Levels dialog box. And here's my outcome:

The initial stars event.

Calculation a glow to the stars

At the moment, our stars just look like white dots. Let's help them expect more like stars by adding a faint glow. And so once we've added the glow, we'll add some color.

Step half dozen: Brand a re-create of the "Stars" layer and proper noun it "Glow"

In the Layers panel, make a re-create of the "Stars" layer past dragging it down onto the Add New Layer icon:

Duplicating the "Stars" layer.

Photoshop adds the copy above the original and names it "Stars re-create":

The new "Stars copy" layer.

Double-click on the name "Stars copy" and rename the layer "Glow". Printing Enter (Win) / Render (Mac) to take it:

Renaming the layer "Glow".

Pace seven: Add more blurring with the Gaussian Mistiness filter

With the "Glow" layer selected, go support to the Filter card, choose Mistiness, and in one case once more choose Gaussian Blur:

Going to Filter > Mistiness > Gaussian Blur.

This time in the Gaussian Blur dialog box, increase the Radius value to four pixels. This will mistiness the stars and they'll wait too faint, but we'll fix that next:

Increasing the Radius value to 4 pixels.

Step 8: Burnish the stars with Auto Dissimilarity

To brighten the stars, go upwardly to the Epitome card and choose Automobile Contrast:

Going to Paradigm > Auto Contrast.

This makes the blurred stars too bright:

The outcome after applying the Machine Contrast command.

Step 9: Lower the opacity of the "Glow" layer

So to darken the issue, only lower the opacity of the "Glow" layer in the Layers console until y'all see just a faint glow around the stars. An opacity value of xx-25% should work:

Lowering the opacity of the "Glow" layer.

Here's a closer view of my stars showing the faint glow around them:

The result subsequently adding the glow to the stars.

Adding colour to the stars

Next, let'south add some color to the stars, and we'll do that using a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Stars often appear as either blueish or a carmine-orangish, so we'll showtime past calculation blue.

Step x: Add a Hue/Saturation aligning layer

In the Layers panel, click the New Fill or Aligning Layer icon:

Clicking the New Fill or Aligning Layer icon.

And then choose Hue/Saturation from the list:

Choosing a Hue/Saturation aligning layer.

Step 11: Select "Colorize" and set the Hue to 220

The options for the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer appear in Photoshop'south Properties panel. Showtime, select the Colorize option, and then set the Hue value to 220 for a light blue. Y'all can also increase the intensity of the color by raising the Saturation value, but I'll go out mine fix to 25:

The Hue/Saturation options in the Properties panel.

Step 12: Change the adjustment layer'southward alloy manner to Colour

Dorsum in the Layers panel, the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer appears above the "Glow" layer. To change the color of the stars without affecting their effulgence, change the blend way of the adjustment layer from Normal to Color:

Changing the blend mode of the adjustment layer to Color.

And here's my stars now colored in blue:

The event after colorizing the stars blue.

Step thirteen: Make a copy of the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer

Along with blue, nosotros'll likewise add some orange to the stars. In the Layers panel, make a copy of the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer by dragging it downward onto the Add New Layer icon:

Duplicating the Hue/Saturation layer.

Footstep xiv: Change the Hue value to 40

And in the Backdrop panel, change the Hue value for the second Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to xl. Get out the other options the aforementioned:

Changing the Hue value to twoscore.

Back in the Layers panel, nosotros see the second adjustment layer sitting in a higher place the original. Notice that the blend way is already set to Color:

The Color blend style is already selected.

And hither nosotros see my stars, at present colored in orangish. The problem is, they're all colored in orangish, and we've lost all of our blue stars. And then we'll fix that next:

The result after colorizing the stars orange.

Step 15: Apply the Clouds filter to the layer mask

A overnice feature of adjustment layers in Photoshop is that they include a built-in layer mask. To add randomness to the color of the stars, so some announced blue and others orange, we'll apply Photoshop's Clouds filter to the second adjustment layer's mask.

In the Layers console, make sure the layer mask for the top adjustment layer is selected by clicking the layer mask thumbnail:

Selecting the adjustment layer's mask.

The Foreground and Background colors

Before we apply the Clouds filter, also make certain that Photoshop's Foreground and Groundwork colors are ready to the defaults, with white as the Foreground color and black equally the Groundwork color. If they're not, press the letter D on your keyboard to reset them:

The default Foreground (upper left) and Background (bottom correct) colors.

Tip: How to apply a more intense Clouds filter

The Clouds filter volition fill the layer mask with random areas of white, black and greyness. Merely by default, the result is more grey than anything else. To push button more of the effect to pure white and pure black, printing and hold the Alt (Win) / Choice (Mac) key on your keyboard. And so with the key held downwards, go up to the Filter menu, cull Render, and and so choose Clouds.

Annotation that on a Windows PC, yous'll need to keep your mouse button held down from the moment you click on the Filter card until y'all accomplish the Clouds filter, otherwise the card will keep disappearing on you lot:

Going to Filter > Render > Clouds while holding Alt (Win) / Option (Mac).

With the Clouds filter applied to the layer mask, nosotros now have a overnice mix of blue and orangish stars:

The upshot subsequently applying the Clouds filter to the layer mask.

How to view the layer mask in the document

To view the layer mask itself in the document so you can encounter what the Clouds filter has done, press and hold the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) central on your keyboard and click the layer mask thumbnail:

Clicking the mask thumbnail while belongings Alt (Win) / Choice (Mac).

And here nosotros see the random design that the Clouds filter created. The white areas on the mask are where the orange colour from the top Hue/Saturation adjustment layer is visible, and the black areas are where the bluish color from the bottom adjustment layer is showing through:

Viewing the effect of the Clouds filter on the layer mask.

To switch back to viewing the stars, agree Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and click again on the layer mask thumbnail:

Alt / Option-clicking a second time on the layer mask thumbnail.

This hides the mask and brings back the stars:

Hiding the mask and viewing the stars.

Related: Photoshop'south layer mask tips and tricks!

How to blend the stars with the image

So now that we've created the stars, let's acquire how to blend the stars in with the image.

Step 16: Place all iv layers into a layer group

The first thing nosotros demand to do is accept all 4 layers that make upwardly our stars upshot (the "Stars" and "Glow" layers, plus the 2 Hue/Saturation aligning layers) and place them into a layer group.

With the top Hue/Saturation aligning layer selected in the Layers console, printing and agree your Shift central and click on the "Stars" layer. This selects all four layers at once:

Select the top layer, then hold Shift and click on the "Stars" layer.

Then click on the bill of fare icon in the meridian right corner of the Layers panel:

Clicking the Layers panel menu icon.

And cull New Group from Layers:

Choosing "New Group from Layers".

Name the group "Stars", then click OK:

Naming the layer group "Stars".

And the new layer group appears higher up the epitome on the Background layer:

All four layers are at present inside the "Stars" group.

Pace 17: Alter the blend mode to Lighten or Screen

To blend the stars in with the epitome, modify the alloy way of the layer group from Pass Through to either Lighten or Screen. Depending on the image, Screen may give you a brighter result. If information technology'south likewise bright, become with Lighten:

Changing the blend mode of the "Stars" grouping to Lighten.

Lighten vs Screen - What'south the difference?

The difference between the Lighten and Screen blend modes is that Screen combines the brightness of both the stars and the epitome to create an even brighter effect, while Lighten only reveals the stars in areas where the stars are brighter than the image. In my instance, the Lighten blend mode helps to blend the stars more naturally with the light from the city and from the moon:

Blending the stars with the epitome using the Lighten blend mode.

Related: The Top five blend modes you need to know!

Step 18: Add a layer mask to the "Stars" grouping

To finish off the consequence, all we demand to practice is hide the stars in the areas where we don't desire them to appear, which is everywhere except the sky. And to do that, we'll paint those areas abroad using a layer mask.

With the "Stars" layer group selected in the Layers panel, click the Add Layer Mask icon:

Adding a layer mask to the "Stars" group.

A layer mask thumbnail appears, letting united states know that the mask has been added. And since the layer mask is filled with white, the stars remain visible throughout the image:

The white-filled layer mask thumbnail.

Step 19: Select the Brush Tool

Select the Brush Tool from the Toolbar:

Selecting the Brush Tool.

Step twenty: Ready your Foreground color to blackness

And so press the alphabetic character X on your keyboard to swap your Foreground and Background colors, making your Foreground colour (your brush color) blackness:

Press "X" to fix your brush color to blackness.

Step 21: Paint with black to hide the stars

In the Options Bar, make certain that the Mode (your castor's blend fashion) is set up to Normal, and that Opacity and Menses are both ready to 100%:

The Brush Tool options in the Options Bar.

Then simply paint over the areas in the image where you desire to hide the stars. To change your castor size from the keyboard, use the left and right bracket keys ( [ and ] ). The left bracket key makes the brush smaller, and the right bracket fundamental makes information technology larger.

Here I'chiliad painting over the city along the bottom of the image to hide the stars from that area:

Painting with blackness on the layer mask to hide the stars from in forepart of the city.

Viewing your layer mask

To view your layer mask and run across exactly where y'all've painted, printing and concord Alt (Win) / Selection (Mac) on your keyboard and click on the layer mask thumbnail:

Alt / Selection-clicking on the layer mask thumbnail.

And here we come across the areas on the mask where I've painted with blackness. The blackness is where the stars are now hidden, and the white is where they remain visible. To switch back to viewing the image, hold Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and click once again on the layer mask thumbnail:

Viewing the layer mask to run into where I've painted.

How to fix a mistake

If you make a fault and pigment away the stars in an area where you meant to keep them, press X on your keyboard to set your brush colour to white and paint over the surface area to bring the stars back. Then press X again to set your brush color to black and continuing painting over other areas.

Step 22: Clean upward the edges

Finally, if you look around the edges of your image, you may come across a few crude spots where information technology looks like in that location'due south too many stars clumped together:

The edges of the effect need to be cleaned up.

To clean up those areas, make your castor smaller by pressing the left bracket fundamental ( [ ) a few times on your keyboard. And and then, with black yet equally your castor color, paint along the edges to hide those stars:

Painting with a modest brush to hide unwanted stars along the edges.

The Stars effect - Before and after

To see a "before and subsequently" comparison of the Stars effect, you can toggle the "Stars" layer group on and off past clicking its visibility icon in the Layers panel:

Click the visibility icon to turn the Stars issue on and off.

With the layer group turned off, we see the original image without the stars:

The original image. Photo credit: Adobe Stock.

And with the layer group turned on, nosotros come across my terminal Photoshop stars effect:

The final upshot.

And in that location we have it! That'due south how to add stars to your images with Photoshop! Check out our Photograph Effects department for more tutorials! And don't forget, all of our tutorials are now available to download as PDFs!

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