My workflow was with Corel Painter 2015 using the new Particles brushes and Corel PaintShop Pro in a painting I call Spock Legacy.The Particles are fun and amazing you can use them to create space scene, flames, smoke,fractal art, fantasy art,sci-fi art what ever you can image .

"Spock Legacy"

Close up of the Enterprise

Using the Basic Round brush in Painters Tinting category for most of this painting.

Using the new Particles brushes in Painter 2015 call Flow Sparkler Glow  to emulate stars.

To emulate shooting stars I use the Gravity Grainy Orbiter brush.

To make flares of light in space I use the Particle brush call Flow Flare.

I jump into PaintShop Pro and use the Picture Tube for some additional flare with a different look.

In another version of" Spock Legacy" I use PaintShop Pro Sunburst effect under Illumination Effect.

To mimic  rays of  light my setting are shown up above.