I think I have found my art style! I first learned the watercolour galaxy painting style from Let’s Make Art’s Galaxy Wolf project, and I really enjoyed that painting. It was one of the first watercolour paintings I have ever done. Though I have been trying to perfect my loose watercolour florals, the galaxy style was still my favourite.
Why I Love It
Personally, the wet on wet is what attracted me to watercolour. I find it magical, and the watercolour galaxy style is all about wet on wet. In addition, it is more forgiving with this style. It is also really fun to do!
I painted this when I first started my watercolour journey, in July 2022. I have come a long way since! 🙂
How To Paint In Watercolour Galaxy Style
You can use whatever paint you have (I used Paul Rubens), but it has to disperse (e.g. Holbein doesn’t contain ox-gall so it doesn’t disperse) for best results. Paper is also very important. You will need 100% cold pressed cotton paper for this to work well or you will end up with blooms and hard edges.
With this style of painting, you need to define certain areas (eyes, nose, ears and mouth) wet on dry. I don’t know what’s best but with this panda painting, I did the wet on dry first.
I worked in section by section, first wetting the paper, then dropping the paint in and then add salt.
I dropped in water on the bottom part of the panda for similar effects like the salt, and also let the paint drip a bit after loading it at the bottom. I held the paper vertically and gave it a good shake for the paint drip.
Tips and Tricks
I did three animal paintings in watercolour galaxy style. I have some trial and error and want to share the tips how to do it.
1. Ugly Stages Are Normal!
First of all, animals look weird until you put the eyes and catch lights on. You will get some ugly stages, but trust the process and keep going.
2. Beware of Water to Paint Ratio
Secondly, beware of the water to paint ratio when you drop the paint on your wet paper. I ended up doing a second layer of paint on the raccoon because my paint was too diluted. You will need less water and more paint when you do wet on wet. Watercolour always dries lighter, so with this galaxy watercolour painting style, you need a higher concentration of paint for it to turn out darker, especially the background.
3. Bleedproof White Is a Must!
For the splattering of white paint, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White is a must. I have tried regular gouache, but it is not opaque enough. If you have a very dark background, which is common with galaxy style watercolour painting, you need something opaque enough to show through.
When you flick the paint, test it elsewhere first before you use it on your painting. The initial flicking usually has larger water droplets that can ruin your painting.
4. Touch Ups and Definition Make a Huge Difference
Because of how dark the background is, the watercolour galaxy style painting requires highlights and definition. The Bleedproof White paint is essential to achieve this. Alternatively, you can use acrylic white paint too. I dilute Bleedproof White if I want a less stark white definition and let the paint underneath show through in some areas, while using it full strength if I want a strong highlight. You can also mix your watercolour with Bleedproof white to whatever shade you need.
So these are my 3 watercolour paintings in galaxy style. They are a lot of fun to do, and very beginner friendly. 🙂
