Ever wanted to create your own galaxy? Okay, probably not. But now, you can create one using any old photo editor, and it doesn't even have to be photoshop! You will learn techniques on how to create a beautiful, textured galaxy like the one pictured above. Creating one is super easy, fun, and fast! All you need to do it are the following:

A computer (I used a Chromebook. Any computer will do, since the website we're using is online and not a downloadable software.)
befunky.com photo editor. I chose this one because it is free, easy, and has all of the tools we need, and more!
10 minutes of your time---if you're busy, save this for a rainy day!

Step 1: Opening Befunky.com Image Editor

On your web browser, search up "www.befunky.com/features/photo-editor/" (no quotes [""] needed!) or go directly to this link. When you first arrive, you'll see a homepage similar to the one in the first picture, showing all of the possibilities with befunky.com. Go ahead and hit "Get Started". This will take you to the editor! You'll see a picture of a red car, or possibly a different image. We aren't using this one, so find the button at the top (First of the four!) that says "Upload". Make sure you know where this is, because we'll need it in the near future.

Step 2: Finding and Downloading an Image

Now, we need a base for our galaxy, and I decided that a concrete-like texture would be nice for the texture and base of the galaxy. To get this picture, I went on Google and searched up "Texture". I had plenty of images to choose from, but I finally decided on a nice, layered-looking concrete image. I went ahead and saved the image to my computer for downloading. We can delete this later after we are finished.

Back at befunky, we needed to upload the photo we chose instead of the useless red-car image. To do this, go ahead and click that "Upload" button. A drop-down menu should appear. Hit the top choice, "Computer". This will open up your files. Choose the photo you downloaded and hit "Open" (on your Files screen). After a second or two of loading, your desired image should appear in place of the default image.

Step 3: Navigating the Editor

While befunky's layout is calming and simple, it still may seem a bit overwhelming with all of the tools. But fear not! I'll explain all of them, and tell you whether or not we'll be using it. NOTE: You may want to use other tools that I didn't use, and that's totally okay! Use whatever you want! That's why I'm explaining them all now. Most of the options we won't use, but it's good to know your way around the editor.

Step 4: Starting With the Galaxy: Coloring

This is the most important, can't skip step of the whole 'ible. We're doing the first color of the galaxy. To do this, click on the "Color" option. (The one I said was the main tool!) Next, choose your brush size, hardness, etc. Then, make a blob in the corner or the picture. I know you can't see it yet! We still need to set the color! Switch over to the other section in the menu. It is called adjust. Here you can mess around with the color until you find one you like. Messing with the hue will get the color, the saturation is the brightness, and the temperature is like a fluer, you see the radiant heat or whatever. Just messing with that helps, too! After you get the color you like, (the dab should change color!) go back to paint, and make random marks around your picture. Don't color it completely in, as we are going for a randomized look. Repeat this with other colors. I used blues, purples, and some aquas. I wanted a brighter galaxy, but to whatever!

Step 5: Exposure!

Here, now we learn about exposure! Now that we have the base of our galaxy, I want to toy around with it's properties and such. This is what exposure takes care of. It's like adding the blush to your makeup, it completes it. Decide what you want the Brightness, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, and Fill light to be. Then, choose your brush size, wight, etc. and touch up.

Step 6: Color Mixer

After you're done with exposure, go to Color Mixer. Color mixer chooses how much of each color goes into the picture. My recommendation would be blue has the most, then green, then red. But toy around with each until you find something you like!

Step 7: Beautify!!

Beautify is another property about lightness and color and such. Use it to make your galaxy darker or lighter. Like every other step, use the brush to add the beauty, but you don't have to beautify all of it. See what you can do with it! Random, random, random is the key to success here!

Step 8: Adding Text, Decals, and Other "Improvements!"

Once satisfied with your galaxy, you can choose to add text, decals, or anything else you like. I added the beginning text to a fairy tale, which leads you on a cliff hanger. But do whatever you like! Change the background (text box) on the text to whatever opacity you like. Change the colors, fonts, text style, whatever! Have fun!

Step 9: Saving and Downloading

Once your galaxy is complete, you need to download it to your computer! To do this, click the fourth button at the top. It is titled "Save". A similar dropdown menu should appear, and choose computer again. This will open up another menu, which has how you want to title it, save it as (PNG, JPG) and the quality of the image. Once you've made your selections, hit "SAVE", and if on Chrome, your File window should appear. This gives you one last chance to change the name. Finish it off by clicking "Save".

Step 10: Final Thoughts

Hey guys! Thanks for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed this. I'm entering it into the Epilog Contest, and I want to tell you guys what great use I'd put that laser cutter or 3Doodler to. With the laser cutter, I'd publish more laser cutting tutorials, engraving hints and tricks, and more projects altogether. I really want one, and I'm super excited to get my hands on one! With the 3Doodler, I'd publish projects on how to make buildings and huge models. I do have a 3Doodler that I adore, but the White Tube came out and I need to fix it. I've been dying to get my hands on a 3Doodler 2.0.

Well, I hope that inspired you to vote. Oh, and by the way, here are how the galaxies came out. The two last pictures are another galaxy I did.

Don't forget to comment, favorite, and subscribe if you liked this post. If you do attempt this, then I'd love to see a picture of your finished product. Thanks and I hope you had a fun time learning!