Stars

This is an incredibly simple method of creating background (i must stress that these are background stars, and cannot really be used for starfields) stars to add that classic touch to your space image. This tutorial has been optimised for maximum exploration methods, please feel free to expand and learn from this tutorial by changing values in the steps, or using curves instead of levels, or other effects to enhance your outcome. This tutorial provides the basic effect only, what you learn from this will be from your own experimentation.

I hope you find this useful.

Step one is simple, like the whole of the tutorial really.

All you really need to do is go to filters, and run a noise filter on a black background using the following values.

Amount = 10%
Gaussian
Monochromatic (checked).

This'll get some fairly faded stars in the background, but no variation, so next...

Step two - Variating

Go to levels control (either hit ctrl+l or go to image, adjustments, levels) and use the following values for the numbers at the top.

0, 0.25, 100.

Hopefully this should darken most stars into nothing, bring out some others for brightness variation, and leave you with a nice background set of stars. Simple innit!