Exploring the vast wonders of outer space through art is a fantastic way for kids to get creative. My 7 year old daughter’s class are studying a space theme this term, and it’s always a popular topic with the children, whatever their age.

This beginner’s guide is perfect for a first-time galaxy painting experience, where kids can try different techniques and discover how light and dark colors can make their artwork look like a true night sky.

In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll walk through how to create planets, stars, and even add some imaginative details like rockets to our own solar system, all using paint.

Materials You’ll Need for your Outer Space Painting

For supplies, you’ll need a mix of simple items to bring the cosmos to life on paper.

To get started with your space painting, gather these materials:

Construction paper – black and white work well
Acrylic paint – various colors, both dark and light
Paint brushes – use small round brush, flat brush, and even an old toothbrush for splattering stars
White gel marker – optional, for adding rings around planets
Scissors – for cutting out your painted planets and any other elements you want to add to your outer space masterpiece.

This simple set of supplies allows for endless creative possibilities, making this project fun and accessible for all ages.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Kids Outer Space Art Project

Follow along with the step by step instructions below, and watch the video for how to paint your outer space picture.

How to Paint a Solar System with Acrylic Paint for Kids

Create a dazzling galaxy scene with splattered stars, glowing planets, and swirling space rings - a cosmic painting adventure that’s out of this world!

Materials

Black and White Construction paper
Acrylic paint in various colors
Paint brushes
White gel marker – optional, for adding rings around planets
Scissors

Instructions

Paint the Planets
Begin by choosing a few colors to create planets on your white paper. You can go with bold, dark colors or experiment with lighter shades like pastel blue and yellow. Try different shapes for each one – make some round, others more like tiny ovals or with rings! First, go in with the base color for each planet
Next, choose another color to go on top. We will apply this one using a scrunched up paper for texture. Kids can think about the real colors of the planets in our solar system and try to make their planets as accurate as possible.
Once they’re painted, let them dry, then carefully cut out each one to add to your outer space scene.
Create the Starry Background
Now it’s time to make that classic black background of space! Take a piece of black construction paper or black canvas. With a small brush or old toothbrush, dip into white paint and splatter it onto the black paper to make little stars across the sky. A small round brush also works here if you prefer more control over your splatters. The goal is to create a Milky Way effect by adding clusters of stars that seem to sparkle against the dark background.
Add Rings and Galaxy Details
To make your space painting look even more magical, grab a white gel marker and add some arcs or circles to represent the rings of a solar system. You can also try adding faint, curving lines to create the impression of faraway galaxies. This part is all about experimenting with different ways to make the sky feel vast and endless!
Arrange Your Planets and Rockets
Once your black paper background is dry, arrange your cut-out planets and maybe a few hand-painted rockets! Play around with their placement until it feels just right and the colors of the planets can make them pop against the black canvas.

Watch the Step-by-Step Video of How to Paint Outer Space

Ready to get started with your outer space? Watch our step-by-step video to see each part of the process in action. This video will guide you through creating a stellar space scene, making it easy and fun to follow along!

Which Colors to Paint the Planets?

When painting the planets of our solar system, choosing the right colors helps bring each unique world to life.

You can follow along with the colors used in our step by step video guide, but here’s some help if you want to refer back to a planet color guide to make your space painting project as accurate as possible.

Start with Mercury by using gray tones to reflect its rocky, cratered surface.

Venus is often painted with swirls of pale yellow and orange, capturing its thick, cloudy atmosphere.

For Earth, blend blue and green with touches of white for clouds.

Mars stands out with its dusty red and rusty orange hues, echoing its nickname, the Red Planet.

Moving to the gas giants, Jupiter looks great in swirling shades of orange, brown, and cream, with a hint of red for its famous Great Red Spot.

Saturn is known for its beige and golden tones, accented with light browns, and you can add a touch of white or gray for its icy rings.

Uranus and Neptune both have cool blue tones, with Uranus leaning toward a light, pale blue-green and Neptune sporting a rich, deep blue.

These colors add realistic depth to each planet and make your outer space painting even more vibrant and educational!

space collection of Solar System planets vector illustration

Tips for Creative Space Paintings

To create a mesmerizing outer space painting, encourage kids to experiment with different colors. Darker acrylics like navy or deep purple are fantastic for the background, giving depth and richness to the sky.

Lighter colors, such as pastels and white, work wonderfully for planets and especially for stars, making them stand out against the dark canvas.

Our tutorial uses acrylic paints but you could also try a watercolor version, using watercolor paper and watercolor paints. With these, it’s especially easy to build layers; start with a base layer and add more color on top to achieve a stunning galaxy effect. Each step lets kids explore unique techniques and makes the painting process exciting and approachable.

Space painting offers kids the chance to work with both abstract and representational art, exploring different techniques with materials like a small brush, an old toothbrush for star effects, and a mix of colors.

This project is a simple yet mesmerizing introduction to galaxy painting and color theory, showing kids how to use darker colors for depth and light colors for highlights. Whether it’s their first time painting or they’re little pros, this fun project is a blast for all ages – no fancy art supplies needed, just a bit of creativity!

Encourage your little artists to keep experimenting, splattering, and dreaming up new ways to paint their version of the universe! Don’t forget to check out our step-by-step video to see the full process in action. Happy space painting!

More Space Activities and Crafts for Kids

Blast off into more fun with these space-themed activities! From building rocket ships to crafting constellations, these projects will spark curiosity and creativity in every young astronaut.

35 Fun Solar System Activities For Kids That Are Out Of This World

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others who might love a fun art project! Spreading the word helps inspire more kids to get creative, and we’d love to see how your space painting turns out!

In The Playroom

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Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.

Materials You’ll Need for your Outer Space Painting

Step-by-Step Instructions for Kids Outer Space Art Project