Waterfall Painting: Learn to Paint a Breathtaking Waterfall with a Galaxy Night Sky
This step-by-step acrylic painting tutorial is perfect for beginners who want to create a mesmerizing waterfall surrounded by a galaxy-filled night sky. The technique utilizes a fan brush and simple brushes to achieve stunning results. Read on to discover the process!
For this artwork, I recommend using a 12″ x 16″ canvas. However, an 11″ x 14″ canvas will work just as well. The canvas should be painted black using Apple Barrel matte black paint. Alternatively, you can use a black canvas for a darker effect.
Materials Needed:
To create this stunning piece, you’ll need the following materials:
- Acrylic paints in various colors
- Brushes: fan brush, #12 flat brush
- Sponge
- White chalk
Step-by-Step Directions:
Follow these easy steps to bring your galaxy falls painting to life:
1. Paint your Canvas Black
Start by painting your canvas entirely black using a large brush. Use Apple Barrel matte black paint or any other black paint with a satin finish. Allow the canvas to dry completely.
2. Draw the Layout with Chalk
Using white chalk, mark the highest points of land at approximately four fingers down from the top of the canvas. Connect these marks with a rough line, representing the cliffs. Draw the waterfall by creating vertical lines that open wide at the bottom. Add layers of cliffs slightly above the canvas’s center, and draw a jagged line on both sides of the waterfall. Finally, draw a horizontal line slightly above the bottom to depict the water line.
3. Paint the Galaxy
To create the galaxy night sky, dip a sponge in titanium white and sponge a diagonal line across the canvas to represent the Milky Way. Sponge the white in other areas, allowing it to run dry for a more varied effect. Repeat the process with dioxazine purple and ultramarine blue, sponging them in the same areas as the white. Finally, add touches of mars black to deepen the sky and create a sense of depth. Splatter dots of titanium white using an art toothbrush to simulate stars.
4. Paint the Cliffs
Using a dry brush technique, paint the cliffs with a #12 flat brush and a mixture of titanium white and raw umber. Start by outlining the top line of the cliffs and then use vertical strokes to create texture and depth. Gradually add more titanium white to lighten the color as you move down the cliffs, emphasizing the contrast between lighter and darker areas.
5. Paint the Waterfall
To depict the waterfall, double load a fan brush with cobalt teal hue and titanium white. Gently stroke down using the full width of the brush, allowing the colors to blend on the canvas. Leave some areas of black visible to enhance the contrast. For additional definition, use a #12 flat brush to paint pure titanium white at the top of the waterfall, gradually blending it with the surrounding colors. Create splashes at the bottom using titanium white, applying short and choppy strokes.
6. Paint the Moon
Trace the shape of a moon using chalk and paint it with a #12 flat brush, using ultramarine blue and titanium white. Start painting from the bottom, gradually adding more titanium white to lighten the color as you move upward. For added dimension, outline the moon with a white paint pen.
7. Paint the Trees
Using the tip of a #12 flat brush, paint the trees with a mixture of mars black and raw umber, applying vertical lines on the top cliff and left side of the canvas. To create the pine tree effect, stamp the brush from top to bottom, gradually making the pine needles narrower toward the top and wider at the bottom. Add depth by layering darker tones of green.
Share Your Art!
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Share your stunning waterfall galaxy paintings with us. Feel free to share this post with other art enthusiasts who would love to try out this technique!
Note: The original images used in this post can be found at Paintxwiki.
