Be it through books full of weird facts, abstract art, or even television shows like My Strange Addiction, I've always been attracted to the strange and surreal. I just love the disconnectedness, the oddity, the fact that the surreal so often entirely differs from my comparatively dull life. It's something to experience and explore, and rarely makes sense, which is what makes it so awesome. Another fascination I've seemed to have since I was a kid is learning about astronomy. I was definitely one of those geeky kids, who watched programs on space exploration and distant worlds to satisfy my curiosity. These two passions are why for my free choice project, I decided to go in a different direction than past projects and create somewhat of a surreal scene.
To achieve this look, a lot of shadow and lighting effects had to be used. For this reason, I relied heavily on layer masks, using the gradient tool to form a very hazy, soft spotlight on the tree and surrounding area. I also wanted the planet to be almost glowing, yet somehow distant and cold, so I used outer glow around the planet and a cool-toned filter to contrast the somewhat warmer foreground. Other touches included darkening the tree, creating a shadow though distortion and perspective, working with the coloring of the foreground, and adding in some fading stars. I wouldn't say that this project was incredibly difficult, but it definitely challenged my skills with lighting and creating a certain aura within the scene. I'm pretty happy with the outcome, and really enjoyed creating such a surreal, distant scene. I think my 8-year-old self would be proud.
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