* by guest contributor Michele Watson
* check out her blog: No Model Lady
I ADORE this simple but bold art project DIY Constellations by Michele. I didn’t even know you could buy pre-stretched black canvases! How cool is that? I think these would look fabulous and really POP on a gallery art wall mixed with framed works and black and white photos. What a great project for kids and for adults!
What You’ll Need…
* A pre-stretched canvas (these came black, though you could easily paint a white canvas black)
* Fine-tipped paint brush
* Very sharp Pencil
* White acrylic paint
Start by figuring out which constellation you want… if you need help, check out these Constellations at Star Charts. Keep in mind that constellations do have slight variations in how they’re depicted, depending on the source. Sometimes small stars are included and sometimes they’re omitted. My kids helped with these so I was not overly concerned with astronomical accuracy. To each their own!
Steps…
1. Once you’ve decided on a constellation, either print it out or be lazy and freehand it like I did. if you print it out, you can use it as a stencil by laying it over your canvas, and tracing it.
2. Mark each star in pencil for easy correction if you mess up.
3. Using the fine-tipped brush dipped in your white paint, place a small dot over each of the penciled stars. Let that dry.
4. Using your pencil, simply connect the dots to form your constellation. (I used the edge of card stock to ensure straight lines.) The pencil on the black canvas has a really nice metallic finish and doesn’t distract too much from the painted stars.
The end result is simple and can be embellished if you possess more artistic ability than I do! I used miniature canvases, but if you’re feeling ambitious you could buy a larger canvas and paint several constellations, or chart the entire night sky (I don’t know how much free time you have). This would be a really sweet personalized gift for someone interested in astrology or astronomy and I love how they turned out!
And… Voila!
Have Fun!
* Find all my DIYS here
* Find all of Michele’s DIYS here
