(Before starting Reset your workspace by Window ---> Workspace ---> Reset Pallete Locations
* First of all start with a 750x750 image.
* Select the elliptical marquee tool. Set it's style to "Fixed Size" and Width and Height to 750 , 750 and click to create the selection
* And drag it in the center
* Create a new layer and name it "Water"
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Clouds
* Now goto Filter --> Distort --> Spherize {Amount : 100 ---- Mode : Normal}
* Lock the layers transparency by clicking on the small checkerboard icon in the layers windows
* Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur {Radius : 20}
* Goto Image --> Adjustments --> Hue/Saturation {Colorize : Yes ---- Hue : 218 ---- Saturation : 25 ---- Lightness : -20}
* Now create a new layer and name it Land
* Select the layer "Land" and ( Ctrl + Click on the water layer)
* Now goto Filter --> Distort --> Spherize {Amount : 100 ---- Mode : Normal}
* Image --> Brightness/Contrast {Contrast : 100 ---- Brightness : May range from 0 to -30 according to the size of the land}
* Select the Magic Wand Tool (W) { Tolerance : 32 ---- Anti-aliased : Yes ---- Other Options : No }
* Click on any black part of the layer "Land"
* Press delete.
* Now Ctrl + Click the "Land" layer.
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Clouds
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Difference Clouds {Press Ctrl + F until you get a balanced texture, usually 1 time}
* Edit ---> Fade Difference Clouds { Opacity : 50 ---- Mode : Normal}
* Press Ctrl + D to deselect the layer.
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Lighting Effects and use these settings
* Now create a new layer and name it Clouds
* Select the layer "Clouds" and ( Ctrl + Click on the water layer)
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Clouds { Don't worry if the planet is hidden }
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Difference Clouds {Once Only!!!}
* Press Ctrl + I
* Image --> Adjustments --> Brightness/Contrast { Brightness : -30 ---- Contrast : 95 }
* Lock the layers transparency by clicking on the small checkerboard icon in the layers windows
* Filter ---> Blur ---> Motion Blur {Angle : 0 ---- Distance : 120}
* Filter ---> Blur ---> Gaussian Blur {Radius : 4}
* Now goto Filter --> Distort --> Spherize {Amount : 50 ---- Mode : Normal}
* Select it's Blending mode as "Screen"
* Image --> Brightness/Contrast {Contrast : 60 ---- Brightness : 0}
* Set the opacity of the layer to 60
* Press Ctrl + D to deselect. {IMPORTANT !!!}
* Click on the "Water" Layer
* Goto Filter --> Render --> Lighting Effects and use the same settings but set the "Texture Channel" to "None"
* Do the same for layer "Clouds"
* Image ---> Canvas Size {Width : 800 ---- Height : 800 : Relative : No --- Anchor : Center }
* Click on the Background layer
* Press D and then press Alt + Backspace to fill the background
Now your planet should look like this
* Click on the layer "Land" and drag it to the New Layer button to duplicate it.
* Click on the "Add Layer Mask" button in the layers window.
* Filter ---> Render ---> Clouds
* Image --> Brightness/Contrast {Contrast : 70 ---- Brightness : 0}
* Now click on the "Land Copy" layer {Click on the thumbnail of the planet !!! not the cloud in the layers window}
* Goto Image --> Adjustments --> Hue/Saturation {Colorize : Yes ---- Hue : 139 ---- Saturation : 25 ---- Lightness : 0}
* Click on the "Land" layer
* Goto Image --> Adjustments --> Hue/Saturation {Colorize : Yes ---- Hue : 35 ---- Saturation : 40 ---- Lightness : -30}
* Click on the Background layer
* Filter ---> Noise ---> Add Noise { Amount : 70 ---- Distribution : Uniform ---- Monochromatic : No }
* Edit ---> Fade Add Noise ---> { Opacity : 50 ---- Mode : Dissolve }
* Filter ---> Blur ---> Gaussian Blur { Radius : 1}
* Image --> Brightness/Contrast {Contrast : 90 ---- Brightness : -35}
* Create a new layer just above the background and goto Filter ---> Render ---> Clouds
* Select the blending mode to "Screen" and "Opacity" to 50
* Goto Image --> Adjustments --> Hue/Saturation {Colorize : Yes ---- Hue : 238 ---- Saturation : 15 ---- Lightness : -15}
* Press Ctrl + E
Here is the final result
You can make it more realistic by smoothing the land layer with a blur brush tool...
And adding some lighting to the Water layer...
Like this....
Try making a planet following this tutorial and see how it ends up , post it here.
*This tutorial was not made by me . The rights are reserved to its righfull owner.