How to Paint the Northern Lights

2/22/2018

One of the things I love about Alaska is the Northern Lights. It is incredibly cold when they love to show themselves, but it is worth it. Today I would love to show you how to paint the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, with a step by step, painting tutorial. I hope you have fun being creative!

Supplies Needed

Supplies Needed for this tutorial (affiliate links)

1. Acrylic Paint: cadmium yellow medium hue, mars black, naphthol crimson, phthalocyanine green (blue shade), ultramarine blue (green shade), and titanium white. I like to use heavy body acrylic paints. If you have different paints or colors no worries, learn how to mix paint colors to match mine in one of my 5 free art lessons here.

2. Paint Brush Set (small flat, med flat, large flat)

3. 8x10" Canvas Panel - (this size you can easily find a frame for)

4. Pencil or Watercolor pencil for sketching

5. Cup of water, paper plate, surface & clothes protection.

Watch How to Paint the Northern Lights

You're ready to start creating! Thank you for watching!

Follow the Steps for success!

Step 1: Paint sky. Paint Background with large flat brush. Paint side to side for a smooth sky.

Step 2: Paint horizon. Add the light from the horizon with white or pink paint. Make vertical brush strokes reaching almost the middle of your canvas using a dry brush technique shown in the video.

Step 3: Paint stars. Use a bristle brush or a tooth brush and white paint. Add water to your brush and pull back on the bristles with your finger and let go. This is a splatter technique as shown in the video.

Step 4: Draw lines. Draw the aurora lines in the sky using a white watercolor pencil.

Step 5: Paint Northern Lights. Paint vertical lines on the aurora lines using the dry brush technique as shown in the video. Choose colors like green, pinks and purples.

Step 6: Paint trees. Paint the trees using black paint to create a silhouette tree line.

I hope you enjoyed this project! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future art tutorials and lesson.
You can also check out more acrylic tutorials.