A Starry Night in NYC

Materials
The Materials that were used:

● Assortment of paint brushes

● Image of the famous painting Starry Night
so I can use it for inspiration
● Water can to clean the brushes
● Hair dryer to quicken the process of the
paint drying since the painting will be
painted in layers
● Acrylic Paint
● Canvas
The Messy Process
Painting was messier than I remembered it to be. I used acrylic paint, which I
learned stains clothing.
Step One: The Background
In order to create the background of my painting, I used three different shades of
blue to achieve a 3D effect. I used a navy blue, a pastel blue and a light blue in
order to achieve this look.
Step Two: Adding The Stars
When I completed the background and let it dry, I was nervous to start the stars. I
was worried that the placement would be off and I was not sure about the sizes I
wanted to use. I ended up getting a feel for the sizes, which looked perfect to me.
Step Three: Balancing out the Colors and Stars
After adding the first few stars, I started to get a feel for how I wanted the swirls
and colors and where I wanted them. I was not sure about how far down I wanted
them to go. I noticed that at about half way down, the sky did not look full enough
so I painted about three fourths the way down.
Step Four: The Foreground
Once I finished the night sky, I started to work on the foreground. I decided to
make the buildings black so that the night sky would stand out. I was able to make
the buildings different shapes and sizes, which made it look more like the skyline
in New York City.
The Final Product
After the layer of black dried, I put a layer of details on the buildings. I did not want
to put too much because I did not want it to take away from the detail of the night
sky. I also added little white and yellow dots in the sky around the swirls.
Reflection:
This project was a very challenging, yet enjoyable experience for me. I enjoyed
being creative and artistic, which is not something I get to do much in my major. I
was able to step outside of my comfort zone and create something with my mind
and creativity. It allowed me to express myself through painting and gave me
something relaxing to do during my hectic semester. I really enjoyed planning out
the process and realizing that everything does not go to plan, especially when
creating something with your hands.