# @phlearn on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=FnVJaN35ovU
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70442730-phlearn-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c7cae5615a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-01T16:34:41.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** PHLEARN (@phlearn) — https://gondola.cc/phlearn

## Caption

The 2017 classic has been completely reimagined! Re-recorded from scratch in Photoshop 2026, this step-by-step course shows you how to combine over 18 images to bring an entire sci-fi world to life using zero AI shortcuts — just advanced manual compositing.

Over 6 hours long and built for intermediate to advanced users, this course focuses heavily on three-dimensional depth: you'll build the scene layer by layer from the elements farthest from camera to the front, learning about light, color, and how real-world atmosphere affects distant objects. You'll learn how to combine background photographs, mask and light distant planets, paint distant mountains into glowing cities, hand-paint custom light and shadow, build a custom Photoshop brush, composite foreground people and animals into the scene, and finish with motion blur, color grading, and matched grain across every layer.

COURSE SECTIONS
0:00 Course Overview and What You'll Build
0:57 Building the Background Plate
1:13 Adding Planets to the Sky
1:25 Creating Distant Mountain Cities
1:46 Hand-Painting Light and Shadow
2:02 Creating a Custom Photoshop Brush
2:17 Adding Lights to the City
2:32 Compositing Nighttime City Photos
2:47 Cutting Out and Placing the Animal
3:07 Adding and Blending the People
3:43 Final Touches and Color Grading

This course includes:
18 Sample Images
1 Sample PSD
1 Photoshop Brush
1 PDF Guide

Watch the full course here:
https://phlearn.com/tutorial/create-an-epic-composite-a-dark-force-2026-edition/

PHLEARN PRO: Get instant access to this full course and our entire catalog of Photoshop, Lightroom, and photography tutorials. Check out PHLEARN PRO at phlearn.com/pro

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What is PHLEARN PRO?
● Instant access to over 1,000 Photoshop and photography tutorials
● New tutorials added every week
● Download sample images and project files to follow along
● Ask questions and get feedback from a community of creatives

Follow PHLEARN:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phlearn/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/phlearn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/phlearn

#Photoshop #PhotoshopCompositing #PHLEARNPRO

## Stats

- **Views:** 4,184
- **Likes:** 174
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 14

## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

phlearnpro, photoshop, photoshopcompositing

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