• 88 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Planet Painting Ideas

Three ideas, each a planet, rocket or alien canvas, its colors and the step that makes it work.

Planet Painting Ideas

More filters
Show all 88
  1. Three overlapping planets, the far one painted firstBlack canvas, orange, blue, tan, white. Overlap toward the front and keep the nearest brightest.
  2. Saucer lights mirrored in a still black lakeBlack, navy, yellow, pink, gray. Dot the lights, then repeat them below as short wavy strokes.
  3. Mercury's bright crater rays streaking from one impactGray brown, cream, black. Pull thin pale lines out from one crater with a liner brush.

Next step Draw the planets in pencilMore ideas for a black canvas

All 88 ideas

The eight planets 16

  • Blue-green Uranus with its thin rings standing on end Blue green, pale aqua, gray, black. Paint the ball flat blue green and stand the thin rings upright.
  • Earth as a blue ball with white cloud swirls Blue, white, green, tan, black. Paint the ocean first, the land second, and dab the clouds on last.
  • Half an Earth rising over the Moon's gray edge Black, gray, blue, white. Paint the Moon's edge across the bottom and half an Earth above it.
  • Jupiter with its Great Red Spot among the stripes Orange, cream, brick red, brown. Paint the bands, then set one red oval among them.
  • Jupiter's dark belts and pale zones, side by side Dark orange, cream, tan, white. Drag a flat brush sideways for each band, belts between zones.
  • Mars as a rust-red disc with a white polar cap Rust, orange, brown, white, black. Dab the cap white at the top once the red is dry.
  • Mars ground in brown, gold and tan, one huge volcano Brown, gold, tan, rust. Paint the volcano as a wide low cone on the horizon.
  • Mercury as a gray-brown ball pocked with craters Gray, brown, white, black. Trace a lid, fill it gray-brown, then ring each crater with a pale rim.
  • Mercury's bright crater rays streaking from one impact Gray brown, cream, black. Pull thin pale lines out from one crater with a liner brush.
  • Neptune small and far off, the Sun only a bright star Black, blue, white. Keep Neptune small and dim and dot the Sun as the brightest star.
  • Neptune, blue like Uranus, with one dark oval storm Blue, blue green, navy, white. Set a darker oval in the blue and soften its edge.
  • Saturn edge-on, the rings a single thin line Pale yellow, tan, white, black. Paint the ball, then rule one pale line straight through it.
  • Saturn tilted toward us, rings wide open Pale yellow, tan, gray, white, black. Paint the back of the ring, then the ball, then the front of the ring.
  • Uranus as one smooth blue-green ball Blue green, white, black. Blend a paler patch toward one edge and leave the rest plain.
  • Venus as a cream ball, no surface showing, only cloud Cream, pale yellow, ocher, black. Blend soft bands across the disc while the paint is wet.
  • Venus as the brightest point in a dusk sky over rooftops Indigo, orange, white, black. Dot Venus pure white and glaze a small pale halo around it.

Rings and moons 12

  • A moon's shadow as a black dot on a banded planet Orange, cream, black. Paint the planet's bands, let them dry, then place one small black dot.
  • Haze-wrapped moon in front of a pale giant Tan, cream, gray, black. Blend the moon's edge soft so it looks wrapped in haze.
  • Jupiter and its four large moons strung out in a line Orange, cream, white, gray, black. Dot the four moons in a straight row beside the planet.
  • Lineup of moons from pebble-size to enormous Grays, white, black. Trace coins and lids in size order and shade each on the same side.
  • Narrow dark rings around a blue-green planet Blue green, dark gray, black. Rule the narrow rings with a liner brush around the ball.
  • Our Moon half lit, craters along the shadow line White, gray, black. Paint the lit half pale, then ring the craters darkest near the dividing line.
  • Ring shadows curving across a pale yellow ball Pale yellow, tan, gray, black. Glaze thin gray curves across the ball below the rings.
  • Ringed giant filling the sky above a gray moonscape Tan, cream, gray, black. Paint a gray horizon low down and the ringed ball huge above it.
  • Saturn's rings close up, with the dark gap between them White, cream, gray, black. Tape the gap, paint the bands either side in pale grays, then peel.
  • Small gray moon crossing the edge of a ringed planet Gray, tan, cream, black. Paint the planet whole, then the moon overlapping its rim.
  • Thin crescent planet, its dark side barely showing Black, navy, white. Paint the ball navy on black, then one thin white edge.
  • The two small moons of Mars, one grooved, one smooth Gray, brown, rust, black. Paint the larger one cratered with grooves and the smaller one smoother.

The whole solar system 12

  • Curve of the Sun at one side, planets shrinking away Yellow, orange, black, eight planet colors. Fill one side with the Sun's curve and line the planets up beside it.
  • Dotted orbits with a comet cutting across them Black, white, yellow, pale blue. Dot the orbits with a cotton swab and pull the comet's tail with a dry brush.
  • The four giants side by side, biggest to smallest Orange, tan, blue green, blue, black. Make Jupiter and Saturn clearly larger than the other two.
  • Four rocky planets in front, four giants behind Gray, cream, blue, rust, orange, tan, blue green. Keep the first four small and the far four large.
  • Inner planets only, out to a belt of dotted asteroids Yellow, gray, cream, blue, rust, brown. Dot the belt with a cotton swab in browns and grays.
  • Long canvas, Sun at the left, Neptune at the far right Yellow, black, eight planet colors. Space the planets wider apart the farther they sit from the Sun.
  • Planet parade strung along one curved pencil line Navy, white, eight planet colors. Pencil one long curve and sit the planets on it like beads.
  • Planets as a mobile hanging from white strings Navy, white, eight planet colors. Rule the strings white, then hang a ball from each.
  • Solar system from above as eight nested orbits Black, white, yellow, eight planet colors. Trace plates for the orbits and set one planet on each.
  • Sun at the left edge, then all eight in their true order Yellow, gray, cream, blue, rust, orange, tan, blue green. Trace coins and lids, the four small ones first.
  • Tall canvas, planets stacked under the Sun's glow Black, yellow, eight planet colors. Paint them one above another with the glow along the top edge.
  • Whole solar system inside one traced circle Black, white, eight planet colors. Trace a large plate, paint space inside it and leave the corners plain.

Invented planets 12

  • Candy-striped planet circled by a loop of tiny moons Pink, mint, white, navy. Drag the stripes with a flat brush and dot the moons in a loop.
  • Checkerboard planet, squares bending around the ball Two colors of your choice, black. Pencil curved grid lines so the squares bend with the surface.
  • Green world with city lights dotted on its night side Green, navy, yellow, black. Paint half the ball dark and dot it with yellow.
  • Ice planet scored with pale blue canyons White, pale blue, gray, navy. Paint the ball white and pull blue liner strokes across it.
  • Invented world wearing two hoops crossed like an X Teal, pink, white, black. Paint one ring, let it dry, then cross the second over it.
  • Molten world webbed with bright orange fissures Black, orange, yellow, red. Paint the ball orange, then black over it, leaving a web of cracks.
  • Pair of coral and teal worlds inside a shared hoop Coral, teal, cream, black. Paint both balls, then one long oval ring around the pair.
  • Planet ringed by tumbling rocks instead of ice Tan, brown, gray, black. Dot the ring with a cotton swab in three sizes.
  • Planet swallowed by one giant spiral storm Violet, lilac, white, black. Start in the middle with a round brush and wind outward without lifting.
  • Pocket-size world with a single giant tree on top Green, brown, blue, black. Paint a small ball low on the canvas and one big tree standing on it.
  • Violet striped giant with thin metallic gold belts Purple, gold, lilac, black. Blend the purple bands wet and add the gold last, on dry paint.
  • World that is half ocean and half desert Turquoise, sand, white, black. Split the disc with a wavy line and dab clouds over the join.

On a black canvas 12

  • Comet with a long tail passing a blue planet Black canvas, blue, white, pale yellow. Dry-brush the tail away from the comet's head.
  • Crescent Earth on black among dotted stars Black canvas, blue, white. Paint only the lit edge, then dot stars around it with a cotton swab.
  • Globe glowing pink to orange along its lower half Black canvas, pink, orange, white. Blend the lit half from pink to orange and leave the top black.
  • Glowing planet inside a sponged halo Black canvas, teal, white. Sponge a pale ring first, then paint the solid ball inside it.
  • Little moon throwing a thin shadow across wide rings Black canvas, cream, gray, white. Paint the rings, then one thin dark stripe across them.
  • One planet shown six times, from sliver to full Black canvas, white, gray. Trace a lid six times and paint a wider lit slice on each.
  • Quarter of a huge planet entering from one corner Black canvas, rust, orange, white. Trace a large plate off the corner so only a quarter shows.
  • Sponged nebula cloud with one small planet in front Black canvas, magenta, violet, white, blue. Sponge the cloud thinly, then paint the planet over it.
  • Star field crowded at one edge, one planet in the gap Black canvas, white, orange. Dot stars with a cotton swab, crowding them toward one side.
  • Sun flaring over a dark planet's rim as a four-point star Black canvas, white, yellow. Paint the thin lit rim, then a four-point star sitting on it.
  • Tan ringed globe alone in the middle of the black Black canvas, tan, cream, white. Give the planet two coats so it stays bright on the black.
  • Three overlapping planets, the far one painted first Black canvas, orange, blue, tan, white. Overlap toward the front and keep the nearest brightest.

Rockets and astronauts 12

  • Astronaut drifting at the end of a looping tether White, gray, black, orange. Paint the suit as rounded blocks and loop the tether with a liner brush.
  • Boot print pressed into gray moon dust Gray, black, white. Paint the ridges of the sole as dark bars on mid gray.
  • Capsule coming down under three striped parachutes Sky blue, white, orange, gray. Paint three half-circle canopies and rule lines down to the capsule.
  • Gold helmet visor holding a small curved blue Earth White, gray, blue, black, gold. Paint the visor dark, then a small curved Earth inside it.
  • Liftoff from the launch pad, flame above a billowing cloud Sky blue, white, orange, yellow, gray. Sponge the exhaust cloud wide at the base and narrow above.
  • Model rocket study: nose cone, body bands and fins White, red, black, pale blue. Tape the body bands, then paint each fin one flat color.
  • Rocket standing on its pad against a peach dawn Peach, lilac, white, black. Blend the sky, then paint the rocket and its tower as one dark shape.
  • Round rocket window framing a ringed planet Gray, black, tan, white. Trace a lid for the window and paint the view only inside it.
  • Rover on a rust-red plain with tracks behind it Rust, tan, gray, white. Pull two parallel track lines back toward the horizon.
  • Small dark rocket passing in front of a huge pale moon Navy, white, gray, red. Paint the moon first, then the small dark rocket across it.
  • Space station as a white cross above a blue curve Black, white, blue, gray. Paint the Earth's curve along the bottom and the station as crossed bars.
  • Three rockets racing, each with different colored fins Navy, red, yellow, green, white. Angle all three the same way and trail a dry-brushed streak behind each.

Aliens and saucers 12

  • Alien garden of spiral stems under a green sky Lime, teal, violet, orange. Wind each stem with a liner brush and top it with a dot.
  • Alien sky with two moons over strange pink hills Violet, pink, teal, cream. Blend the sky, then paint two moons of different sizes.
  • Disc-shaped ship shining a yellow wedge onto a hilltop Navy, gray, yellow, green. Paint the beam as a pale wedge, then the saucer as a flat oval with a dome.
  • Four green aliens lined up by height, antennae up Three greens, purple, white, black. Paint each figure a different green and line them up by height.
  • Friendly one-eyed alien holding out a flower Teal, yellow, pink, white. Keep the body one rounded blob with a single big eye.
  • Green alien face with huge dark almond eyes Green, black, white, purple. Paint an upside-down egg shape, two slanted ovals and a white dot in each.
  • Row of small aliens peeking over a crater rim Gray, green, black, white. Paint the rim as a curve and half a head with two eyes above it, several times.
  • Saucer landed on three thin legs in a wheat field Navy, silver gray, yellow, green. Paint the legs as three lines and flatten the wheat under it.
  • Saucer lights mirrored in a still black lake Black, navy, yellow, pink, gray. Dot the lights, then repeat them below as short wavy strokes.
  • Saucer silhouette crossing an enormous cream moon Navy, cream, black. Trace a plate for the moon and paint the saucer flat black across it.
  • Small green pilot waving through a glass dome Green, gray, yellow, navy. Paint the dome pale, then the small figure inside it.
  • Three saucers hovering above a city of dotted lights Black, gray, yellow, teal. Dot the city with a cotton swab and float three ovals above it.

How it works

The planets are not all one color. Mercury is grayish brown, Mars looks red from rusted iron, Jupiter has dark orange stripes between lighter bands, and Uranus is blue green. These canvases give a palette for every one.

Read the full guide

Painting the eight planets

Trace a plate or a lid for the disc. Jupiter's dark stripes are called belts and its lighter bands are zones, so drag a flat brush sideways and alternate them. Saturn's rings look mostly white: paint the back of the ring first, then the ball, then the front of the ring across it.

Space painting ideas beyond the planets

The Subject list under the button also holds rings and moons, the whole solar system on one canvas, invented planets, planets on a black canvas, rockets and astronauts, and aliens and saucers. Stars are dotted with a cotton swab.

  • Uranus spins tipped on its side, so Blue-green Uranus with its thin rings standing on end paints the rings upright.

Questions and answers

What are some easy planet painting ideas?

Mars as a rust-red disc with a white polar cap and Uranus as one smooth blue-green ball are each one traced circle and a few colors. The rest of the easy ones are under More filters, Level.

Are there rocket painting ideas here?

Yes, 12 under Rockets and astronauts, from Liftoff from the launch pad, flame above a billowing cloud to Model rocket study: nose cone, body bands and fins.

Which alien painting ideas are the easiest?

Green alien face with huge dark almond eyes is an egg shape and two slanted ovals. Saucer silhouette crossing an enormous cream moon is a traced plate and one flat black shape. 6 of the 12 alien canvases are marked Easy.

What colors do I need to paint Saturn?

Pale yellow, tan and gray for the ball, since the planet is shades of yellow, brown and gray, and white for the rings. Add black for the sky behind it.

More tools

Show 6 more

Browse Painting Ideas