Learn to paint vibrant space galaxies with stellar results! Paint an easy galaxy painting as a beginner with pro results. I share my four simple steps to create a simple vibrant watercolor galaxy!
Painting a watercolor galaxy as a beginner watercolor artist can seem daunting at first, but it can definitely be a rewarding process, even from the start! You don’t need to have galaxies down to a science to paint one. To my suprise, watercolor galaxy paintings are surprisingly forgiving and flexible subjects to paint, seeing as there is a universe of possibilities out there to paint. This means your creation likely exists out there in space, in some form, colors and all.
Before you Begin your Galaxy Painting
Start by collecting the right materials to make a great watercolor galaxy painting.
I have a comprehensive list of materials I use to create my watercolor galaxy paintings. Here, I list the most essential materials for getting started:
- Deep Blue/Purple watercolor paint (for bright galaxies)
- White acrylic paint or bleedproof white paint (for the stars)
- 100% Cotton Cold-Pressed Watercolor Paper (to absorb lots of water)
- Watercolor paintbrush (any size)
- Painter’s Tape or Washi Tape (to keep watercolor paper from buckling)
Get Your Space Ready
Tear your watercolor paper into your desired size. I love painting mini watercolor paintings, since galaxy paintings can take a lot of paint to complete. They require many layers, also causing the paper to warp if you don’t anchor your paper down with tape. Make sure the paper is pulled tight against your surface to prevent warping when wet. The tape also preserves a nice crisp line for your end result!
Get your paints ready to use, either on a palette or in pans, and get a large glass of clean water for cleaning your brush. You are officially ready to begin.
Galaxy Painting Step-By-Step
Here are some steps on how to pain easy galaxy paintings yourself!
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Add clear water to your galaxy center
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Introduce a small amount of yellow watercolor paint to the edges of its center
- Add stronger yellow pigment to your page
- Introduce a light blue around the galaxy’s center
- Add a bright color for interest, like purple or yellow-brown to select areas
- Add darker and darker blue towards the edges of your paper
- Let the paper dry and repeat with more and more pigment on your brush
- You can add additional texture in your galaxy, by adding blooms to the center of your watercolor galaxy. Do this by dropping clear water into the center of your galaxy (creating blooms on purpose) and letting the semi-wet pigments around the blooms to bleed into the center a bit. This creates cloudy star formations in your galaxy!
- Use a toothbrush with some acrylic paint mixed with some water and flick the paint onto your painting. Move all valuables out of the way first! You want to move your thumb across the bristles from the top of the toothbrush towards the handle in a quick movement so that the paint flicks onto your painting. Angle the brush so the paint goes in the direction you want it to! Allow your painting to dry fully before removing the tape. Pull the tape away from the center of your painting to avoid ripping your paper.
step 1 add clear water to center
Step 2 introduce light blue wash on edges
step 3 go darker in blue or purple pigment as you approach the edges
step 4 introduce your darkest pigment in the corners of the page for your galaxy
step 5 add depth by putting more pigment and less water in wet on wet technique
step 6 create blooms by dropping clear water in the center
step 7 add dark colors in wet paint to allow pigment to bleed towards center
Step 9 allow paint to fully dry before using toothbrush to spray your creation with acrylic or bleed proof white
Be proud of yourself for completing this step-by-step watercolor tutorial! I hope you share your work using #watercolorminis on all social media. We would love to see what you created!