How to make a watercolour planet

Painting your own watercolour planet is a great way to relax, get creative and have fun. Here is a step by step tutorial that you can try by yourself or turn it into an activity with friends and family. Let’s get started!

You’ll need:

water (abt 2 finger high is enough)
watercolour (any kind/colour you have)
watercolour paper (I’m using 300g cold pressed paper)
brushes (I’m using round, flat and wash brushes)

Also:

tape
pencil
paper towels
silver acrylic paint (optional)

Step1: Prepare your materials and workspace. You might want to paint on a surface that is easy to clean. Tape the paper on all sides so it doesn’t buckle. Create two mixes of colour in your mixing area; one with less paint and more water and other with more paint and less water. Keep one cup of water clean.

Step2: Lightly draw a circle. You can trace your favourite bowl or go free hand. Then wash your circle with a wash brush or a flat brush of your choice.

Step3: Use the colour mixed with more water and slightly wash you circle to give a soft background. Keep in mind that the more water you add the more translucent/lighter your colour will be. And we start with lightest colour, then darken as we add layers.

Step4: Add drops of your mix with more paint around your circle as you like. I’m using a flat brush because that’s my favourite, using a round brush might be easier or you can use whatever you have.

Step5: Use more colour and less water to make the drops darker than before. For the darkest part I’m using the paint straight from the pan. You can add your drops however you want and let them spread. If you want to lift some of the colour you can gently use a paper towel. Remember that this is your planet and it can be however you want it to be.