The moon has always been a quiet comfort to me—familiar yet wrapped in mystery. From where I live in the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan, light pollution is practically a myth and the moon and stars feel like old friends. This project is beginner friendly but can be as challenging as you like, especially if you really take time to articulate the subtle values you can see on the rock's surface. There’s no single "right" way to paint the moon—or to make art at all. I’m simply sharing my process in the hope it sparks a little inspiration.
Supplies
round canvas board
extra heavy molding paste
acrylic paint
brushes
water
spray varnish
reference photos
I started by gathering references, including one from Wikipedia and some of astrophotographer Darya Kawa Mirza’s stunning moon photos. While my piece isn’t nearly as detailed as Mirza’s high-resolution shots, I really just liked looking at them. 😝
I applied a layer of molding paste all over the canvas. While looking at my reference photos, I used carving tools and my fingers to create impressions of craters. I wasn't trying to match every nook and cranny seen in my reference photos exactly but rather use them as a general guide.
I mixed a spectrum of gray by putting 6 dobs of white paint on my palette from large to small and did the same with black paint in the opposite direction.
I mixed those together to get a grayscale. In addition I used some blues not pictured here.
As I studied my reference photos, I squinted to make the darkest shadows and brightest highlights stand out. After painting the most obvious darks and lights I went to the mid-tones. I tried to pay attention to the values displayed in the reference photos while painting. When I finished putting the main colors in, using a wet brush and white paint, I flicked some paint over the moon. To do this I hold the brush in my left hand and tap the handle with my right, creating a splatter effect. After it dried completely, I applied two coats of spray varnish (matte).
I hope you enjoyed following along with my textured moon painting process!
Tag me @janet.mo.design if you paint your own so I can see your beautiful work.