My previous question wasn't clear enough. From a rendering point of view what kind of techniques are used in this image as I would like to apply a similar style (I'm using OpenGL if that matters): http://alexcpeterson.com/ My specific questions are: How is that sun glare made? How does the planet look "cartoon" like? How does the space around the planet look warped/misted? How does the water look that good? I'm a beginner so any information/keywords on each question would be helpful so I can go off and learn more. Thanks