How to paint a Starry Sky: Step-by-Step watercolor Tutorial

The starry sky is a theme full of romance and mystery, making it a favorite subject for many artists to explore.

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Using watercolors to paint the night sky not only brings out its depth but also captures the beauty of the stars. Have you ever wanted to create your own starry sky masterpiece with watercolors? In this blog post, I’ll share simple watercolor techniques and steps to help you easily paint a mesmerizing starry sky.

Hope you have fun!

Supplies list

Watercolor Paper: Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolor Paper
Brushes: Escoda Perla #8 / Escoda Versatil #10
Watercolors: For this beginner step-by-step watercolor tutorial series, I use Schmincke Horadam 24 Half-Pan Set. You can choose any brand and find similar colors.
Colors:
Ultramarine
Indigo
Ivory Black
Manganese Violet

Masking Fluid：Schmincke

Masking Fluid

Before using watercolors, let’s first apply masking fluid to preserve the moon and some stars. I usually use the back end of a small watercolor brush to dot stars onto the paper. Alternatively, you can dip the watercolor brush into soapy water before dipping it into the masking fluid. Be sure to clean the brush bristles immediately after use to prevent damage to the bristles.

1. Sky Base Layer

I use a diluted mix of Lavender with a touch of Indigo to paint the base layer of the sky. Be sure to keep the paper sufficiently wet (you should see a sheen on the surface) because we’ll be using the wet-on-wet technique to add clouds next.

2. Clouds

First, mix Ultramarine and Indigo to create a blue that is slightly darker than the base color. While applying the paint, leave some areas unpainted to shape the clouds.

In the area around the moon, use the darkest shade of blue to better highlight the moon and stars. You can mix Indigo with Ivory to achieve this deep blue. Similarly, leave spaces to define the cloud shapes as you paint.

3. Adding More Depth

Here are some ways to add depth to the clouds:

Smaller Clouds:
After finishing the larger cloud shapes, switch to a smaller watercolor brush to add finer details. For instance, near the bottom of the painting, I mixed a bit of purple with blue to create smaller clouds.

Lifting Paint:
Use a clean brush to lift paint and create lighter clouds. Even if the surface is mostly covered in dark tones, you can still lift the paint to add another layer of cloud detail.

4. Removing Masking Fluid:

Once the sky is completely dry, remove the masking fluid.

5. Final Touches

After removing the masking fluid, you might find the moon and stars look too sharp and unnatural.

To soften this:

Apply a light wash of color over some stars to make them less prominent.
Use a watercolor brush to gently rub the edges of the moon and stars, blurring their sharp outlines.

You can also use a white colored pencil to add even smaller stars for more detail.

And that’s it!
Your dreamy night sky with clouds, stars, and a glowing moon is now complete!

Painting a starry sky with watercolors is a magical and soothing experience.
With the simple steps in this tutorial, you can create a stunning night sky filled with stars.

Thank you so much for following this tutorial, and I hope it brought you both guidance and joy in your watercolor journey.

If you have any suggestions or requests for future tutorials, feel free to let me know.

See you in the next tutorial!