How to create a spaceship in Photoshop. Goa'uld Death Glider.

Hey guys. Today I am going to show how to draw a spaceship.

To be more specific, a Goa’uld death glider.

This is a pretty lenghty tutorial (since I ve spent several hours to create this spaceship), made for intermediate-advanced users.

But I will try to make as shorter as I can:D.

 I will try to explain the technology used, as I really don’t have the time to create a “every-single-step described” tutorial.

In order to complete this tutorial, you must know how to use the pen tool at least on a basic level.

The main used tools are Burn, Dodge and the Pen Tool. Sounds pretty simple right?

Let’s get the party started!

First of all, of course, you must set up the canvas. So go to File->New and create a New Photoshop Document.

The size I used is: 1152 px x 862px.You can also create a new Photoshop document by pressing CTRL + N(shortcut).

Let’s create the cabin:

Using the Pen Tool, draw a guideline like this:

It is not important the width of line, as we are going to hide this layer later.(or delete)

Fill in the main shape with  #4a4a4a.

Use the Dodge and Burn Tools to create shadows and highlights:

Increase and decrease the size and range and the exposure for a realistic effect.

TIP: To create those lines of shadow and highlight with more accuracy, first create the shape with the Pen Tool,

And after that, right click, choose Stroke and apply a Dodge /Burn effect.

Example:

You got the idea right?

Repeat the steps until you will get the same effect as I did.

To create that grey-ish window, create the shape with the Pen Tool, right click -> Make Selection.

Now create a new layer and apply a gradient using this settings:

TIP: In order to get the same color, load this image into Photoshop, and, using the Color Picker, pick the colorsJ

Great. Now let’s proceed to the next part of our spaceship which is the area bordered with green:

Create new layer, and place it below the other layers.

Grab the Pen Tool, and draw a semicircle like the one in the picture above.

Stroke the path with a 3px hard round black brush. Now fill the remaining area with #4a4a4a.

Using the Burn and the Dodge Tool, create those highlights and shadows.

Neeext!

Creating the wheel:

Create new layer and place it below the others.

Draw the contur of this part, using the Pen Tool.

The Highlights and th Shadows are, again, created by using the Burn and the Dodge Tools.

Actually, for accuracy, I ve first drew the lines using the Pen Tool, and I stroked the Path with Dodge and Burn.

To create that curly effect, using the Smudge Tool, I have pushed those bits into the inner part of the shape.

Basically, I have repetead these steps through out the whole tutorial, but the least I can do for you to understand better what I did and make it easier for you, I will split up the ship into smaller parts, and guide you through the whole creating part by telling when to use what tool. Hope it makes sense:)

The next part drawn is the one bordered with green.

Same old same old. Create a new layer, place it under the others.

Grab the Pen Tool, and draw a similar shape. Right Click-> Make Selection.

Fill it in with #4a4a4a.

Grab the Pen again, draw those weird Goa’uld shapes, and Stroke the Path with Burn.

Create again a similar shape and stroke it with Dodge.

The other highlights/shadows are created using the Dodge/Burn tool, with a larger brush, and a smaller range of exposure.

Next part:

Once again, create new layer and place it under the others.

Create a similar shape (like the blue part) using the Pen Tool.

Right Click->Make Selection. Fill in the selection with #7184ab.

Guess what are you going to use to create those lines?:)

If you think “ pen tool path stroked with burn & dodge” than you are right!

To create that metallic effect, grab the Dodge Tool, and set the range to Highlights. Dodge that highlighted area a bit more than the other highlighted areas.

Does it make sense?

Super. We’ve finished with that part too.

NEXT!

We’ll create the little green bordered component of our spacecraft:

Create new layer and place it under the others.

Create a similar shape using the Pen Tool.

Right Click->Make Selection, fill it in with #4a4a4a.

Grab the Dodge Tool, with range set to Midtones, and 40% Exposure, create a highlighted zone that will cross the middle of your shape.

Now grab the Burn Tool and burn the area under the highlight, to give a roundness effect to your shape.

Use Burn and Dodge several times to emphasize the borders of the shape. The lines are created using Pen Tool Stroked paths.

As in : creating the lines with Pen Tool, right click, stroke the path with Burn/Dodge.

Next: Creating a part of the platform:

Create New Layer.

Place it under the others. Using the Pen Tool, create a shape like the red part in the picture:

Right-click->Make Selection and fill it with #7b90a6.

The lines on this platform are created in the same way as the previous ones:

1.  Using the Pen Tool, create the curly line. Right-Click on the path, select Stroke and use Burn.

2. Create a shape very similar with the previous one, only a bit larger. Right-Click on the path, select Stroke and use Dodge.

Create all the lines in a similar way. To create a metallic effect, use the Dodge Tool with range selected to highlights and an incresed range and brush.

Dodge the area a bit more than the others.

CREATING THE WING.

Create a new layer and place it under the others.

Create the wing path using the Pen Tool.

Right Click on the path and create selection. Fill it with #7b90a6.

Draw the lines in the same way like the previous ones.

Dodge a bit more the area where the wing meets the upper part, to create a better blending between those 2 parts.

Now dodge a bit the right half of the extern borders and burn the other half.

Draw a similar shape inside the main wing, and stroke the path with burn, in order to emphasize the shape of our wing.

Now we can proceed to the next step:

Create a new layer and place it under the others.

Create the triangle path using the Pen Tool.

Right Click->Make Selection and fill it in with # 252d27.

Use pen tool paths stroked with burn & dodge to create the lines on the triangle.

Use Dodge for the right part to create a roundness effect. Use a bigger brush size, and the range set to Midtones.

Now let’s create the links with the other parts.

If you've got this far without getting bored and actually understanding what I am trying to explain here,

you will know what is to be done next..

Create new layer and place it under the others. Create that L shaped path, using the Pen Tool.

Right Click->Make Selection and fill it in with # 252d27.

Use pen tool paths stroked with burn & dodge to create the lines and the shapes found on my picture links.

CREATING THE BIG WING.

Create new layer and place it under the others. Create the  path, using the Pen Tool.

Right Click->Make Selection and fill it in with #7b90a6.

In the same way as described until now, please create those lines on the wing.

To create the metallic effect, use Dodge with range set to Highlight, and an increased % of exposure.

Next thing to do is creating those dark rectangles-like on the wing:

Create new layer and place it under the others.Using Pen Tool, create those little rectangles and place them as shown in the picture above.

Next thing to be drawn is the bigger platform that links all this parts together:

Same technology used. Create new layer, place it under the others, create the path with the Pen Tool, right click -> make selection and fill it in with #7b90a6.

Using the pen tool and the dodge/burn tool to evidentiate those lines and formes as in the picture.

The weapon staff is created in the same way:

Next part to be drawn is the second wing. You will create it folowing the same steps as with the previous big wing:

Now duplicate the layer of your staff weapon. Rotate it and place it as shown in the picture below:

Great. We are now done with the spacecraft.

Let’s create the hyperspace:

Create a new layer. Place it under the others.

Set your foreground color to #FFFFFF, and your background color to #000ca7.

 Press Ctrl+A to select the entire canvas,and go to Filter->Render->Clouds.

You should have something like this:

Now go to Filter->Blur->Radial Blur and use these settings:

Burn out the darker parts to increse the effect and dodge the highlighted parted for the same purpose. Grab a 300px soft round brush, and set the opacity to 28%. Using different tones of green, aquamarin and purple, paint soft circles to obtain a more realistic effect.

The result:

That’s it! I honestly hope that you have found this tutorial useful, and you have managed to create a similar spacecraft. Afterall, all you need to do is use your imagination. That is what is about when using Burn and Dodge Tools, which are VERY powerful Photoshop tools.

Hope you liked it and..c’ya next time!

Bye folks.

Regards.