Starry Sunset Watercolor Tutorial: Perfect for Beginners and Art Classrooms

Looking for a fun watercolor exercise that’s perfect for practicing washes? This tutorial guides you through creating a starry sunset painting with watercolor, ideal for art teachers working with students or for anyone just starting out with watercolor techniques.
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I often use this activity with my 11th-grade students, but it's easily adaptable for middle school or other grade levels. Whether you’re an art educator or a beginner exploring watercolor, this quick and enjoyable project will enhance your understanding of color blending and wash techniques.

Supplies Needed:

• Hardboard or a firm surface to tape your watercolor paper down
• Masking tape
• Pencil and eraser
• Watercolors (Yellow, Orange, Violet, Black, and White)
• Brushes (Large and Small)
• Water cup
• Paper towel
• 140 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper
• White tempera paint or acrylic paint for the stars

Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Set Up Your Paper:
Tape your watercolor paper securely to the hardboard, ensuring all edges are covered. Keep the tape on until your painting is fully complete and dry to prevent warping or wrinkling.

2. Sketch the Landscape:
Using a light pencil, sketch a simple horizon line with a few mountains. Keep the drawing light and avoid shading, as it’s just a guide for your painting.

3. First Wash:
Start by wetting the entire surface of your paper with clean water. Don’t worry about keeping the mountains dry — focus on the sky.
While the paper is still wet, paint a swath of yellow near the horizon, blending it into orange slightly above. These colors will form the warm glow of your sunset.
Next, mix a strong violet and paint the top portion of your sky, avoiding the yellow and orange areas as much as possible. Be generous with your color application.
4. Tilt and Flow:

Lift your board and tilt it in different directions to let the watercolors flow naturally. This creates beautiful gradients and blends. Blot any large puddles with your paper towel.

5. Lift Out Clouds:
Before the paint dries, use a wadded-up paper towel to gently press onto the wet paint, lifting the color to form wispy clouds. Repeat as needed until you have soft, natural-looking clouds.

Let the painting dry completely.

6. Second Wash:
Once dry, go back and intensify the colors by adding more pigment where needed, especially in areas you want to stand out. Focus on deepening purples around the clouds to create contrast. Let it dry again.

7. Paint the Mountains:
Now, mix a strong black or use India ink to paint the mountains. Vary the peaks and ridges for an interesting and dynamic look. Let it dry before adding a second layer to ensure the mountains are dark and defined.

8. Add the Stars:
For the final touch, load a brush with thinned white tempera or acrylic paint. Using your finger, flick the paint onto the sky to create tiny stars. You might want to practice this technique on scrap paper first for the best effect.
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Once everything is dry, carefully peel off the tape to reveal crisp, clean edges. Enjoy your beautiful starry sunset watercolor painting!

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​This exercise teaches important skills such as wet-on-wet techniques, color blending, and lifting, making it a versatile lesson for classrooms or for those starting to learn watercolor on their own.

If you enjoyed this free lesson, you may also enjoy my other free art education lessons on my website: ART EDUCATION

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