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alyn — Advanced planet creation

Published: 2004-10-31 16:17:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 153657; Favourites: 1495; Downloads: 67728
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Description My next big project unveiled, and something for the watchers.

I get about at least a note a day asking me how I create planets, that mostly brought on by Icarus's Wish. There's only so many times you can redirect people to Greg Martin's and Dinyctis's tutorials before thinking, "can't I show them my own way?". Greg Martin's Capturing Heaven tutorial gave me the kick up the arse I needed. His profound words relating to the complexity of planets, and how they're simply not given enough love in their creation for the majority of artists stirred me, and hence I've written this.

Every page comes with a snippet of science theory behind it, from my on meagre understanding of the subject (I've tried to ensure that I know at least a bit about what I'm preaching, please inform me of any mistakes and if you are correcting me, make sure you're correct too). Knowing the subject definitely helps you on the way to bettering your techniques.
Every page also comes with some related links to other tutorials on the subject, and some general tips to help you and give you ideas.

Contents -

Index -> Texture construction and introduction
Application -> Texture application
Lighting -> Planet lighting techniques and styles
Clouds -> Cloud creation and ideas.
Rings -> Planet rings
City lights -> City light ideas
Conclusion -> integration of your planet and conclusion.

7 Pages packed with info, spread over 3 weeks of drafting, writing, refining.

Even if you're pretty confident with your abilities in space art, I urge you to at least give it a runthrough. Why? you might learn something, little tricks and tips that you hadn't thought of.

Advanced critique encouraged, why? - if you think something could be improved in its wording or anything in any way... incorrect info or whatever, then go for it. Don't try and rewrite the techniques, but feel free to offer helpful suggestions, I'm all ears.

this will be available on the web sometime in the very near future, just sorting out with some very kind volunteers some hosting arrangements.

---- edit

Tutorial now online, but please read the notice above the links.
Related content
Comments: 234

Ov3RMinD [2004-10-31 17:08:32 +0000 UTC]

Great, Alyn!!!
*has no time to comment cuz he dl's the tutorial and cant wait to read it* XD

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

martango [2004-10-31 17:04:25 +0000 UTC]

holy peanuts batman, this is awsome, Like how this is all layed out, and how you did it, and how you showed stuff, but dident fully explain how you did it to aviod people just breazing though it and to make excate copies of what you made

thanx for making this alyn, you own>

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redcancer- [2004-10-31 17:03:36 +0000 UTC]

I love you man. so generous teaching the public your secrets....

+respect

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San1ty [2004-10-31 17:03:11 +0000 UTC]

finally the master unveiles his secrets

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Twizt3d-ArDizT [2004-10-31 16:56:52 +0000 UTC]

thankz dude. you are my jesus

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Twizt3d-ArDizT [2004-10-31 16:56:13 +0000 UTC]

thankz dude. you are mu jesus

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Fractured-Visual [2004-10-31 16:55:12 +0000 UTC]

awesome so now i can learn how to do this stuff now

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Blackheart6004 [2004-10-31 16:55:08 +0000 UTC]

At last, I can finally continue on my space scapse. Thanks

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Hendi5689 [2004-10-31 16:54:22 +0000 UTC]

w00t!! a day early lol good job bro

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pimpFX [2004-10-31 16:53:19 +0000 UTC]

ty!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

DGenXtreme [2004-10-31 16:53:10 +0000 UTC]

YAY!!! THANK YOU ALYN!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Dallion-Devoid [2004-10-31 16:52:50 +0000 UTC]

I forgot to go to sleep last night, so I'm going to sleep now,
but first I'll congradulate you quickly on this tute. I've only
scrolled over it over 30 seconds, and it's looking very good.

I'll comment again in more detail if need be, other than that,
just because of the work behind this alone, I will give you a
well deseved fave.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

MadmansMelody In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:48:37 +0000 UTC]

thanks for sharing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

oggyb In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:45:53 +0000 UTC]

Immensely detailed - I'm sure this will help many people. I've only skimread it though yet so expect another comment with con. crit. when I've swam it's depths

Og.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

oggyb In reply to oggyb [2004-10-31 19:28:43 +0000 UTC]

...said I would so I will

On the creation of a texture to craft a planet you've given at least some insight into why planets look boring or same-old and I think that's what gave me an immediate interest in this first section. It could have been a been-there-done-that excercise but you go over the subtleties that one needs when drawing a natural object... something I've started to do more and more with my art... I felt like I was getting somewhere without even reading the whole section.

The part I appreciated the most, however, was the planet rings. Techniques I would never have thought of you presented in an easily decipherable way. Not too much depth into the photoshop button-pressing, which would have got in the way I think. "It's all about the appearance" is a vibe I noticed throughout the tute and I think you emphasised that point well with the rings because if one were to use a tutorial simply as a means to an end we would see more of the same forever more (I'm not guilty of that - I've never tried them ).

There's not much more to say really... I'm sure there are hundreds of space-artists eager to make use of this and I think it'll help them (at least me) to produce, no, create, something worthy of respect.

Thanks and congrats!

Og.

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alyn In reply to oggyb [2004-10-31 22:59:44 +0000 UTC]

thanks a lot, oggy

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Oreon In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:44:55 +0000 UTC]

I really wanna say thanks for this tut, I've been having real trouble trying to create a complex planet for my most elaborate peice yet. I'd like to post the link to you when I'm finished so you can see how it turned out

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Omicron- In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:41:09 +0000 UTC]

havnt even read it yet, but you are God alyn!

fav!

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xX-the-Stranger-Xx [2004-10-31 16:35:02 +0000 UTC]

At long last the master himself has revealed his grand secrets to the world.
Much appreciated. I only knew how to create basic planets. Funny. I got this message EXACTLY when I finished my latest abstract spacescape.

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Ladyofspira [2004-10-31 16:29:34 +0000 UTC]

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prs-- In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:27:37 +0000 UTC]

Thanks dude!

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ABdesigns In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:26:00 +0000 UTC]

sweet job man!

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hypnotic In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:23:17 +0000 UTC]

checking out, thanks for making it

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

adit [2004-10-31 16:22:52 +0000 UTC]

thanks sooo much!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

e4st-c0re [2004-10-31 16:22:38 +0000 UTC]

YAY! TY TY TY TY TY TY TY

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b0w13 [2004-10-31 16:22:07 +0000 UTC]

wow, i could try and make a planet now.... Thanks Alyn!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

flameturret [2004-10-31 16:21:42 +0000 UTC]

I cant believe u just submitted this i just done my first large scale planet scene and submitted it less than an hour ago

thanks tho
excellent tute

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pinkcookie In reply to ??? [2004-10-31 16:21:01 +0000 UTC]

althought i dont do this kind of art, im interested so ill give it a read

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

tubamann [2004-10-31 16:20:25 +0000 UTC]

Yay I really want to read this now. <3

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zyclone [2004-10-31 16:19:59 +0000 UTC]

*drools* alyn i love you.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tul In reply to zyclone [2004-10-31 17:13:13 +0000 UTC]

who doesn't?

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

zyclone In reply to tul [2004-11-01 19:45:33 +0000 UTC]

hmm... i don't know

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

danielcraggs In reply to tul [2004-10-31 23:24:29 +0000 UTC]

Good point.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0


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