86 skies

Sunset Painting Ideas

Three skies, each with its colours in the order they go on and the single step that makes it work.

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Salt marsh channels at sunsetPeach, orange, violet, grey. Paint the winding channels in the sky colours so that they read as water.
Huge orange moon low over a stubble fieldIndigo, ochre, orange, black. Trace a large lid near the horizon and sponge the disc in two oranges.
Full moon rising behind a hilltop oakNavy, white, lemon, black. Paint the moon larger than feels right, then the tree across its face.

Next step Try a wet-in-wet sky in watercolour Start a moon from a black canvas

All 86 skies

Sunsets and dawns 34

Afterglow behind rooftops and chimneys Yellow, coral, violet, black. Blend the sky and let it dry before the flat black roofline goes on.
Alpenglow on a snow peak White, ultramarine, violet, rose. Glaze thin rose over the dry white summit and keep the valley blue.
Belt of Venus over a snowy field Pale blue, rose, slate blue, white. Blend a pink band above a dark blue band sitting on the horizon.
Boathouse on stilts at first light Pale yellow, peach, lilac, burnt umber. Drag broken reflections of the stilts down with a damp brush.
Camel train on a dune crest at sunset Yellow, orange, red, black. Blend the sky, then paint one curved dune line and small flat camels.
Clearing storm with a low gold strip Payne's grey, violet, gold, white. Leave one narrow gold strip at the horizon under a heavy dark sky.
Crepuscular rays from behind a cloud bank Grey-violet, orange, gold, white. Dry-brush pale rays fanning from one hidden point behind the cloud.
Desert mesa at last light Yellow, orange, burnt sienna, violet. Paint the lit rock face orange and its shadow side violet.
Ferris wheel against a coral sky Coral, magenta, purple, black. Draw round a plate for the rim and pull the spokes with a liner.
Flat-topped acacia against a red sun Yellow, orange, red, black. Paint the big sun disc before the tree so that branches cross it cleanly.
Hay bales with long evening shadows Yellow, orange, rose, burnt sienna. Light the top edge of each bale and lay its shadow towards you.
Lone kayak on a copper lake Yellow, copper orange, burnt umber, black. Blend sky and lake as one mirror, then add a dark far shore.
Mackerel sky at sunset Pale blue, lilac, peach, coral. Dab rippled rows of small clouds with a sponge corner, smaller lower down.
Pink dawn over folded hills Peach, rose, lilac, grey-blue. Blend the sky pale, then paint each ridge darker as it comes forward.
Pink sky behind a row of poplars Peach, rose, lavender, dark green. Tap the tall trees in with the tip of a flat brush held upright.
Red sun in a cloudless haze Grey-violet, orange, crimson. Paint a hard-edged red disc, then soften only its lower edge into the haze.
Salt marsh channels at sunset Peach, orange, violet, grey. Paint the winding channels in the sky colours so that they read as water.
Sun behind sea stacks Yellow, orange, magenta, Payne's grey. Keep each stack one flat shape with a thin gold rim on the sun side.
Sun half set on a sea horizon White, yellow, orange, crimson. Paint the half disc white first and blend the colours outwards from it.
Sun pillar over a frozen lake Orange, yellow, violet, white. Drag a nearly dry flat brush straight up from the low sun.
Sunrise burning through valley fog Pale yellow, peach, grey-blue, white. Scumble thin white over the dry valley with a nearly dry brush.
Sunrise over flooded rice terraces Peach, yellow, sap green, white. Repeat the sky colours inside each terrace with a small flat brush.
Sunset crossed by one contrail Yellow, orange, rose, white. Drag one pale diagonal through the wet sky with the edge of a flat brush.
Sunset mirrored in wet sand at low tide Orange, pink, lilac, raw umber. Pull the wet sky colours down into the sand with level strokes.
Sunset seen through a train window Orange, pink, violet, dark grey. Mask a rounded window with tape and blend the sky inside the shape.
Surfer walking out at golden hour Gold, orange, turquoise, black. Dab broken gold dashes under the sun with the edge of a flat brush.
Suspension bridge against a tangerine sky Tangerine, coral, plum, black. Rule the deck first, then hang the cable curves from two towers.
Telegraph poles shrinking into a sunset Orange, magenta, purple, black. Shrink each pole towards one point and pull the wires with a liner brush.
Three-colour sunset over open water Lemon yellow, orange, magenta. Blend three wet bands with a wide flat brush, then mirror them in the water.
Two swings on a hill at dusk Peach, magenta, indigo, black. Blend the sky darkest at the top, then add frame and chains with a liner.
Underlit cloud bank after sundown Pale blue, violet-grey, coral, gold. Paint the clouds grey first, then touch coral on the undersides only.
Vineyard rows running towards a low sun Gold, orange, olive green, violet. Aim every row at the sun and lay violet shadows between them.
Wind turbines on a ridge at sunset Apricot, pink, lilac, dark grey. Blend the sky, then add three thin towers with blades at different angles.
Winter sunset through bare branches Lemon yellow, peach, grey-violet, black. With a liner, make every twig thinner than the branch it leaves.

Moons 20

Blue hour crescent over rooftops Ultramarine, cobalt, peach, black. Blend deep blue down to a thin peach strip along the horizon.
Copper moon in total eclipse Black, burnt sienna, crimson, ochre. Sponge the disc coppery red and leave one edge a little brighter.
Earthshine on a young crescent Indigo, grey-blue, white. Paint the whole disc dim grey-blue and only the thin lit edge pure white.
Full moon framed by blossom branches Indigo, white, burnt umber, pink. Dab blossom in two pinks with a cotton bud over the dry sky.
Full moon rising behind a hilltop oak Navy, white, lemon, black. Paint the moon larger than feels right, then the tree across its face.
Full moon with a halo through thin cloud Prussian blue, black, white, ochre. Dry-brush a faint ring and keep the sky inside it darker than outside.
Gibbous moon over a desert canyon Indigo, violet, burnt sienna, white. Light only the canyon rims in pale violet and leave the walls dark.
Huge orange moon low over a stubble field Indigo, ochre, orange, black. Trace a large lid near the horizon and sponge the disc in two oranges.
Lantern-lit rowing boat under a crescent Indigo, teal, white, orange. Put one warm orange glow in a cold blue picture and reflect it below.
Moon above a sea of cloud tops Navy, grey-blue, white. Dry-brush the cloud tops pale where they face the moon, darker in the hollows.
Moon and its reflection in a street puddle Payne's grey, black, white, ochre. Paint the puddle as a slice of sky with the moon upside down in it.
Moon behind bare winter branches Ultramarine, white, black. Sponge a soft glow round the moon before the branches go on with a liner.
Moon rising between two city towers Indigo, orange, ochre, black. Dot the lit windows in ochre with the corner of a small flat brush.
Moon through a gap in storm cloud Black, Prussian blue, white. Dry-brush silver edges only on the cloud sides that face the moon.
Moonlight on a winding river Payne's grey, ultramarine, white. Paint the river as one pale ribbon that narrows towards the moon.
Moonlit snowfield with long tree shadows Ultramarine, violet, white, black. Point every shadow away from the moon and keep the snow pale blue.
Owl crossing the face of the moon Navy, white, pale yellow, black. Sponge the moon's glow, let it dry, then paint the owl as a flat shape.
Pale daytime moon in an afternoon sky Cerulean, white, grey-blue. Paint the moon in thin white so that the blue shows through its dark patches.
Thin crescent moon and one bright star Navy, violet, white. Paint a white disc, then cover most of it with a second disc of sky colour.
Wolf on a ridge under a full moon Navy, white, grey, black. Trace round a lid for the moon and keep the wolf one flat black shape.

Galaxies, stars and aurora 20

Astronaut silhouette against a nebula Black, magenta, turquoise, white. Sponge the nebula brightest in the middle so the flat figure stands out.
Aurora corona seen from directly below Navy, green, violet, white. Pull every ray outwards from one point just above the canvas centre.
Aurora curtains with a sharp lower edge Black, phthalo green, lemon, white. Keep each curtain's bottom edge crisp and pull its top up to nothing.
Aurora with a red upper fringe Black, phthalo green, white, crimson. Drag green upwards with a dry flat brush, then glaze red on top.
Comet over a snowy village Navy, ochre, pale blue, white. Drag the tail out from the head with a nearly dry fan brush.
Dark nebula against a glowing red field Black, crimson, orange, white. Sponge the glow over a black ground and leave one ragged cloud bare.
Earth rising over a lunar horizon Black, grey, ultramarine, white. Dry-brush grey craters in the foreground and keep space flat black.
Galaxy doubled in a still mountain lake Black, Prussian blue, violet, white. Sponge the sky, then repeat it paler and blurred below the shoreline.
Galaxy inside a circle on a white canvas Black, violet, turquoise, magenta, white. Draw round a plate and sponge the galaxy only inside it.
Meteor shower from one radiant point Indigo, violet, white. Aim every streak back at one spot in the sky and keep each short and tapered.
Milky Way arch over a desert road Black, Prussian blue, violet, white. Sponge a pale diagonal band, then sponge a dark rift back along it.
Nebula cloud in magenta and teal Black, magenta, turquoise, white. Dab the colours with a damp sponge, then flick stars from a toothbrush.
Night sky seen up through treetops Ultramarine, violet, white, black. Lean the trunks inward from every edge so that they point at the centre.
Noctilucent clouds over a summer horizon Indigo, orange, pale blue, white. Dry-brush thin rippled blue-white streaks above an orange twilight strip.
Observatory dome under a field of stars Indigo, black, white, grey. Flick the stars first, then paint the dome over them in flat grey.
Ringed planet tilted in a teal sky Navy, teal, ochre, white. Paint the ring as one thin ellipse and hide the part behind the planet.
Seven stars of the Plough above a barn Navy, black, ochre, white. Dot the seven stars with a brush handle before any small stars go in.
Spiral galaxy seen face-on Black, ultramarine, magenta, ochre, white. Sponge two curved arms out of a pale ochre core.
Star trails circling over a stone hut Navy, black, pale blue, white. Paint short arcs with a liner, all centred on one still star.
Two figures on a hill under the Milky Way Indigo, magenta, white, black. Sponge the band, flick stars, then add the hill and two small flat figures.

Clouds and storms 12

Anvil thundercloud over a plain Ochre, grey-violet, white, peach. Give the cloud a flat spreading top and a dark, level base.
Cirrus mares' tails in a high blue sky Ultramarine, cerulean, white. Flick hooked white wisps with a nearly dry fan brush, all in one direction.
Cloud shadows across a patchwork valley Sap green, ochre, white, violet-grey. Glaze thin violet-grey patches over the dry fields.
Cumulus tower with a bright rim Cerulean, grey-violet, white. Scrub the cloud in circles with a round brush, lightest on the sun side.
Double rainbow against a slate sky Slate grey, white, six rainbow colours. Reverse the colour order in the outer bow and darken the gap between.
Flat-bottomed clouds receding to the horizon Cerulean, white, grey-violet. Make each row of clouds smaller, flatter and closer together lower down.
Fog bank rolling over a headland Olive, umber, grey-blue, white. Scumble thin white across the dry cliff so that its top edge vanishes.
Lenticular cloud capping a peak Cerulean, grey, white, rose. Paint a smooth stacked lens shape and soften its ends with a dry brush.
Lightning glowing inside a purple cloud Black, purple, pale pink, white. Sponge a pale glow inside the cloud, then add one thin jagged fork.
Mammatus pouches lit at sunset Grey, violet, coral, orange. Paint rows of round pouches, orange underneath and violet on top.
Rain curtain under a distant cloud Ochre, grey-blue, white. Drag a damp flat brush down from the cloud base so that the rain fades out.
Storm clouds with one bright gap Payne's grey, ultramarine, white, lemon. Keep the gap pale and warm, and darken the cloud right beside it.

How it works

A sunset has to be blended before the paint dries, so each of these 86 sunset painting ideas lists its colours in the order they go on, then its one key step: a wet blend, a sponge, a dry brush.

Read the full guide

Sky painting ideas named after real effects

The pink band opposite a sunset is the Belt of Venus, and the dark strip under it is the Earth's shadow. The sky inside a moon halo is darker than the sky outside it. A double rainbow reverses its colours in the outer bow, with a darker gap between the two. Each is a title here.

Blending a sunset before the paint dries

A thin coat of acrylic can be dry in ten minutes, so squeeze out every colour first. Work up from the horizon with a wide flat brush, wiping it between bands. Yellow and purple grey each other where they meet wet, so keep orange and pink between them. The air is dustier by evening than at dawn, so paint dawns paler than sunsets.

The easy sunset painting ideas sit under More filters, Level: 30 skies with one blend or one sponge pass.
Galaxy painting ideas start on a black ground. Sponge the colour on thinly; test the toothbrush flick on scrap first.
A low moon looks bigger than it measures: the Moon illusion. Trace a jar lid one size up.

Questions and answers

Which colours do I need for a sunset painting?

Orange is in 17 of the 34 sunsets and dawns, yellow in 11 and peach in 9, with violet, rose and magenta for the top of the sky. Across all 86 skies white is in 56 palettes and black in 38: buy both large.

Are there moon painting ideas in this list?

Yes, 20 under Moons, from Thin crescent moon and one bright star to Copper moon in total eclipse. Earthshine on a young crescent paints the faint glow on the dark part of the disc: sunlight reflected off the Earth.

How do I paint northern lights that look real?

Green is the commonest aurora colour, so give it the main curtain. Red sits highest: Aurora with a red upper fringe glazes crimson along the top. A curtain has a sharp lower edge and fades upward, so keep the bottom crisp.