Blue Moon: A Painting of Reflections

Have you ever wondered how to paint reflections in water? I have always been fascinated by this topic, and I decided to challenge myself with a project that would capture the beauty and complexity of light and water. In this blog post, I will share with you my process and inspiration for creating “Blue Moon”, a painting of a city skyline at night, with a stunning glow-in-the-dark effect.

The Inspiration

The idea for this painting came to me when I was thinking about what kind of scene would be interesting and challenging to paint with reflections. My thoughts went immediately to a city skyline, with its tall buildings, bright lights, and busy streets. I wanted to create a contrast between the dark and the light, the natural and the artificial, the calm and the chaotic.

I didn’t use any reference photos for this painting, but I looked at various photos for inspiration, and I had a rough idea of what I wanted to paint in my head. I also added elements from my imagination, such as a bridge and a Ferris wheel. I thought these elements would add some interest and variety to the scene, as well as some reflections of their own.

The Process

To start the painting, I jumped in painting right away, without sketching with a pencil first. I painted the background with acrylic paints, using a dark blue for the sky and a lighter blue for the water. I also painted the moon with white paint, leaving some space around it for some light at the rim of otherwise invisible clouds.

Next, I painted the buildings with black paint, using a wide brush to create the shapes. The buildings were too far away to see any details, they were just dark, almost black shapes with lights from windows breaking the monotony. I also painted some red lights on top of two skyscrapers that are connected by a roof, forming a bridge. I thought this would create a focal point and a contrast in the painting.

Then, I painted the Ferris wheel with yellow and red paint, using a small brush to create the lights and spokes. I also painted some yellow streetlights along the water, illuminating the green trees. I wanted to create some warmth and cosiness in the scene, as well as some reflections in the water.

The skyline in daylight

Finally, I added some glow-in-the-dark paint to the painting, using a fine brush. I applied this paint on top of the white moon, creating a halo effect. The glow-in-the-dark paint used on the moon is blue, hence the title of the painting. I also applied it on some of the windows of the buildings, especially those near the water. I also added some dots of glow-in-the-dark paint on the water, creating some sparkles and ripples. I wanted to create some magic and mystery in the scene, as well as some contrast between day and night.

The Result

The painting was finished after several hours of work, and I was very happy with how it turned out. It looked like a painterly and beautiful city skyline at night, with reflections in the water that captured my attention and imagination.

The skyline at night

But the best part was when I turned off the lights and saw how the painting transformed in darkness. The moon glowed brightly in blue, creating a stunning reflection in the water. The windows of the buildings also glowed in different colours, creating some patterns and shapes in the dark. The Ferris wheel also glowed in red, creating a circle of light in the water as well as on land. The painting looked like a different world, full of wonder and mystery.

1, 2, 3, testing

Sometimes, you just have to test something, either because it’s a new, unknown product, or because you want to try something new. Recently, I made a quick little painting, just as a quick little test. And as such, I didn’t care much about getting the right proportions and stuff like that.

So, I took my sketch block, made a quick and dirty sketch – on the cover – and started painting.

Not at all proper proportions on the figure – but a lot better than the sketch 😜

OK, so I painted on the cover of my sketch block. Big deal. What’s that got to do with testing something new, or unknown?

Well, I did mention in an earlier post, about the various acrylic mediums I bought, and there was at least one of them I just had to test, to see how it worked. And did it work like I hoped, and mentioned in that earlier post? Eagerly, I brought the sketch block with me to a little, dark room to see …

It’s dark. It’s glowing. It’s … green.

It was partly successful! It’s glowing in the dark, but I must admit: I had hoped it would take on a bit of the colour I had mixed in, but it didn’t. It glowed green.

Well, come to think of it, the test itself was 100% successful. It didn’t give me the results I hoped for, but now I see what it does, and I can take that into consideration when thinking of other projects where it can be used. Some ideas are already entering my thought train. Let’s see what station they leave at.

Oh, the possibilities

Painting with acrylics doesn’t have to be on canvas or paper only, it can be used for a lot of projects. I’ve mentioned models earlier, pre-made or homemade sculpts in clay, but of course, there’s 3D-printed stuff, objects made of wood, fabric, smartphone covers … Quite a lot, really.

Of course, some surfaces needs to be prepared in some way; they might be sanded, or primed. A wooden plate, or object, might be primed with gesso, to make it easier to paint, and using less paint in the process.

There are also different acrylic mediums, to be used with different materials. A fabric medium is perfect if you want to paint on your clothes, for example; it makes the paint easier to work with, and the clothes won’t be stiff like they might be if painted without the medium.

But there are mediums that are useful on your canvas (or other preferred painting surface) too. I got a little selection myself …

Various acrylic mediums, for future enjoyment

I was looking for some clear gesso, to prime a little wooden chest that I want to paint, in the style of an old treasure chest. I found it, but there were also a few others that caught my interest: What about a glow-in-the-dark medium? Cool! An image from computer games came to mind: A dark cave, with glittering, illuminating gems … Can be fun to see it in the dark.

A pearl medium? I’m sure that can be fun to try, too. And what about a shimmering/iridescent medium? Oh yes. I’m sure that cave with the gems can have a nice treasure, too, with shimmering valuables …

My mind is toying with the idea, and is a lot further on the path than my painting. I still have a special nature-motive I’m working on. But I’ll get there, it will all be used!