How To Draw Stars In The Sky
Drawing stars in the sky is an age-old craft, but it’s one that’s easily mastered with some practice. A good artist should be able to create beautiful nightscapes in no time. Here are a few tips to help get you up-to-speed in rendering starry skies.
1. Choose Your Sky
Think about the kind of sky you want to paint. Will it be a realistic night with a few faint stars, or an ethereal sky sprinkled with luminous constellations? Knowing the kind of sky you’re aiming for will help when it comes to painting it. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even explore the universe and try to recreate galaxies and nebulas.
2. Layout Your Canvas
After choosing your sky, it’s time to prepare the canvas. Start with a black or dark blue background, then draw a few circles with white or light-colored paint to represent stars. Most of the time, stars should be varying sizes and intensities, so start with an outline and take time to add detail and shading.
3. Create Texture with Glitter
For an extra sparkle, use glitter-based mediums to add texture to your stars. This can really bring life and vibrancy to your sky and will add a unique dimension to the overall look. Simply layer glitter onto your background and star outlines, concentrating near brighter stars and working outward.
4. Choose Complimentary Colors
Complimentary colors can take your sky from ordinary to extraordinary. Try blending metallic and iridescent hues like pink, purple and orange. Even a hint of color will give your stars a 3D and extra-illuminated look, while still keeping it soft and beautiful.
5. Add Nebulas and Galaxies
When you’re done creating your solid stars, it’s time to get creative and explore deeper territories. Start by introducing a few bright galaxies, with a hint of color. Next, add a few wispy nebulas—which look like a smoky version of cumulus clouds—working them outwards till they fade away. Once you’re done, your stars in the sky will bring about an entirely new view of the universe.
6. Outline with Light Colors
Take your stars from ordinary to breathtaking by outlining them with light-colored paint. If your canvas includes a lot of bright stars, then try to add some white around them for the extra sparkle. On the other hand, if you have a lot of faint stars, select a soft hue—like lilac or light pink—to give them a subtle glow.
7. Make Use of Negativity Space
Don’t be afraid to make use of the ‘negative’ space on your canvas. Created by omitting a few stars in certain spots, this area of emptiness can either add minimalism or contrast to the painting. If you want the night sky to look tranquil and mesmerizing, try introducing few expanse areas of darkness to give an ethereal glow to everything else.
8. Make Use of Shadows
Another great way to add depth to your stars is by making use of shadows. By placing lighter stars in front of darker stars, it creates a greater sense of parallax, which adds dimension and realism to the painting. To complete the effect, add a few blurred and hazy shadows for a realistic look.
9. Introduce Small Details and Highlights
Finally, to add an extra touch of magic to your painting, don’t forget about the small details and highlights! For instance, drawing a few shooting stars arcing through the sky brings about a whimsical and vivid aura. Additionally, sliding a few crisp highlights across the stars will enhance the brightness and make them look like they’re twinkling.
10. Perfect Your Painting
To get the best results while painting stars in the sky, it’s important to pay close attention to the details. Tweak the size, shape and brightness of the stars, making sure they look realistic. Check that everything is proportionate, and don’t be afraid to adjust the shadows and highlights. Taking the time to make the right refinements will make your painting look polished to perfection.
