DIY Watercolor Galaxy Bookmark Tutorial

Hey everyone! It’s Zakkiya of Inkstruck Studio here, and I’m back with a very cool watercolor tutorial today. I’m going to show you how to create a simple watercolor galaxy with pine trees, and it can also double as a bookmark. Let’s get started!

DIY Watercolor Galaxy Bookmark Tutorial

There are so many different ways to paint a watercolor galaxy. In this tutorial, I wanted to tackle it at a beginner level and keep it super simple with just two colors yet getting the effect we need.

Supplies used for the watercolor galaxy bookmark tutorial:

• Moonglow and Ultramarine blue from Daniel Smith watercolors
• Arches watercolor paper 300 gsm rough
• Princeton Neptune size 16 round
• Silver Black Velvet brush size 2 round
• Dr.PH Martins bleedproof white

Step 1

Tape washi tape around the area to paint. Since the size we need is that of a bookmark, The length needs to considerably larger than the width. Here I made use of the full width of the paper and taped it at approximately 2.5 inches wide.

Next using the Princeton size 16 brush, start making a wash using Moonglow. The grainy effect is due to the texture of Arches rough paper and the granulation caused by Moonglow.

Step 2

While the paint is still wet, add Ultramarine blue and Moonglow again to deepen the colors. This is called wet on wet technique, and it’s a beautiful process. Make sure the colors are deep at the start and then fade away as you move downwards.

Step 3

Next, we’re going to create the effect of gases dispersed in the galaxy or a wispy cloud effect. This can be done by wrapping a paper towel around your finger and lightly dabbing away from top to down while the paint is still wet. Don’t press too hard to create hard lines. The effect should be soft; hence you need to have a light touch.

The first image below shows the effect you should be after. Notice how subtle it is, yet it creates an impact?

Step 4

While the paint is still slightly wet, we’re going to create some stars which look diffused. For this, dilute the bleed proof ink with a little bit of water. Take it on the number 2 round brush and tap it using another brush over the paper. The wet paint and the diluted breed proof ink will create a subtle starry effect.

For the more prominent stars, wait for the paint to dry a little more and then use the same method to tap the ink over it without diluting the ink.

Step 5

Now let’s paint pine trees for our watercolor galaxy. At the bottom, while the paper is damp to the touch, start painting trees with the smaller brush. The paper shouldn’t be wet or else the tree silhouette won’t be visible. It will blend into the paint.

The dampness creates a soft silhouette effect indicating that these trees are further off.

Step 6

Allow the paper to dry completely. Paint the pine trees over in its true hue (just brought water to make paint workable). Start with a thin line and roughly stroke sideways with your brush to create the leaves. See the real-time video on my IGTV profile HERE.

And that’s it! You’ve created a beautiful bookmark featuring a watercolor galaxy. I hope you enjoy this simple watercolor galaxy tutorial. Please use the comment section below to ask your questions. I’ll be happy to answer.

Liked this DIY Watercolor Galaxy Bookmark Tutorial? Then you’d love this watercolor galaxy cityscape and these watercolor galaxy gift tags as well.

Some more fun watercolor tutorials:

1.Watercolor winter landscape  2.Watercolor blending tutorial   3.Painting white on watercolor