Galaxy and Night Sky Painting with Acrylic and Watercolour

Posted by

Haanz Team

2026-10-23

On 2026-10-23

Haanz Art GuideFree, practical advice from the team at Haanz Art & Craft Materials

A glowing sky full of stars looks difficult, but it is one of the most forgiving subjects for a beginner. Galaxy painting is all about soft blending, dark colours and lots of tiny white dots, and small mistakes simply disappear into the clouds of colour. This Haanz Art Guide shows you two easy ways to paint a galaxy and night sky: with acrylic on canvas and with watercolour on paper.

What you need for galaxy painting

For the acrylic version:

A small canvas, such as the Bomeijia Canvas 20 x 20 cm.
Art Nation Black Gesso 500ml to give you a black ground, so your colours glow straight away.
Strong blues and pinks, such as Art Ranger Acrylic 75ml Phthalo Blue and Art Ranger Acrylic 75ml Magenta.
Plenty of white: Mont Marte Acrylic 75ml Titanium White.
A small piece of kitchen sponge, an old toothbrush and a round brush.

For the watercolour version:

Heavy paper, such as the Bomeijia W/C pad 300GSM A4, so the paper stays flat when it is very wet.
A watercolour set like Pentel Watercolour 12 Tubes.
A Sakura White Gelly Roll 08 (Medium Tip) for bright stars on dark paint.

Browse more paints in Acrylic Colour Packs and Watercolours. Prices change, so see each product page for today’s price.

Acrylic galaxy painting step by step

Prepare a black ground. Brush a coat of black gesso over the canvas and let it dry. Add a second coat if you can still see white.
Sponge on the first colour. Dip a damp sponge into phthalo blue mixed with a little white. Dab it across the canvas in a loose diagonal band. Leave plenty of black around it.
Add pink and purple. While the blue is still a little wet, sponge magenta into parts of the band. Where blue and magenta meet, they make purple. Keep dabbing so the edges look soft and cloudy.
Make the glow. Mix a very pale blue or pink with lots of white. Dab it lightly into the centre of the band to make the brightest part of the galaxy.
Deepen the edges. If the band looks too wide, sponge a little black back over the outer edges.
Splatter the stars. Thin some white paint with a few drops of water. Load an old toothbrush, hold it over the canvas and run your thumb across the bristles. Practise on newspaper first. Cover the area around the canvas, as the spray travels.
Add bigger stars. With the tip of a small round brush, dot a few larger stars. For a twinkle, paint a tiny cross through one or two of them.
Optional silhouette. When dry, paint a black line of hills, trees or a person along the bottom edge for a night sky scene.

Watercolour night sky step by step

Tape the paper down on a board so it dries flat.
Wet the paper with clean water using a large brush. It should shine, but not have puddles.
Drop in colour. Touch blue, purple and pink into the wet paper and let them spread and mix on their own. Keep a pale area in the middle for the glow.
Darken the edges. While still damp, add a strong dark blue or black around the outside.
Let it dry completely. On humid Sri Lankan days this can take a while, so be patient.
Add stars. Flick white paint with a toothbrush, or dot stars with a white gel pen. Gel ink shows clearly over dark watercolour.

Tips for a more realistic night sky

Mix star sizes. Lots of tiny stars, some medium ones and only a few big ones.
Let the black show. A galaxy looks brighter when there is dark sky around it.
Do not over-blend. Stop when the colours look soft. Too much dabbing turns everything grey.
Add a little neon. A touch of neon pink or blue in the brightest area can make the galaxy glow.

For more on blending wet colour, see Watercolour Techniques for Beginners. Love working on dark grounds? Read the White Gel Pen Guide and Your First Acrylic Painting on Canvas.

Frequently asked questions

Can I paint a galaxy without black gesso?

Yes. You can paint the canvas with black acrylic paint instead. Black gesso simply gives a smooth, even black ground in one step.

Why are my splattered stars too big?

The paint is too watery or the toothbrush is too full. Use thicker paint, tap off the extra and hold the brush a little further from the canvas.

Do you deliver islandwide?

Yes. We deliver across Sri Lanka in 2–5 working days, with cash on delivery, card or bank transfer. You can also visit our shops in Boralesgamuwa and Horana, open every day from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Not sure what to choose? Call / WhatsApp the Haanz team on 0711 515 515 and we’ll help you choose the right paints, canvas or paper for your galaxy painting.

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