So, I got this idea to mess around with some constellation art. I started by just browsing around to see what other artists have done. I saw a bunch of cool stuff, nothing too crazy. Some folks used cave paintings as inspiration, which is pretty neat, but I wanted to do something a bit more modern, you know?
I remembered seeing some works by Picasso and Joan Miró that touched on constellations, and I always liked those. So I decided I’d take some inspiration from them but still try to make it my own. But I also know there is an American artist named Chuck Close who was well known for his large-scale Photorealist portraits via a grid system. I decided to combine their styles.
I started sketching out some basic constellations, like the Big Dipper and Orion, just to get a feel for the shapes. I wanted to keep it simple, but not boring. Then, I started playing around with different mediums. I tried watercolors, acrylics, and even some digital stuff on my tablet.
- First, I sketched my chosen constellation on a large canvas.
- Then I drew a detailed grid over the entire sketch.
- Next, I started filling in each square of the grid with color, similar to Close’s style, but I used a color palette inspired by space nebulas for that Miró vibe.
- And I also tried to imitate Leonardo da Vinci’s painting style.
The watercolors were cool, but they didn’t quite have the “pop” I was going for. The digital stuff was okay, but it felt a little too… clean, I guess? So I ended up going with acrylics. They’re bold, and you can layer them to get some cool effects. Some colors were not ideal enough, so I changed some colors many times during the process.
I spent a few days just painting, layering colors, and adding details. It was pretty relaxing, actually. Just me, my paints, and some chill music. After messing around for a while, I finally got something I was happy with.
When it was all dry, I added some final touches with a white gel pen to make the stars really stand out. I even splattered some white paint on it to make it look like a bunch of tiny stars in the background. It’s not perfect, but I like how it turned out. It’s got that modern, abstract vibe I was going for, but it’s still recognizable as constellations.
The finished product
It’s a mix of different styles and techniques, but I think it works. It’s definitely something I’ll keep experimenting with. Maybe next time I’ll try a different constellation, or a different medium. The possibilities are endless, right?
