Space Landscape - Airbrush Step by Step

SPACE LANDSCAPE

Step 1:

Start this picture with a colour gradient from dark blue to blue to light blue. The first step is to spray a gradient from the upper to the lower edge using unthinned HANSA pro-color Ice Blue. Then mix HANSA pro-color Ice Blue with HANSA pro-color White for opaque light blue. Spray this paint from the middle area towards the bottom. Finally, use opaque white and spray again from the bottom towards the top to smooth out the colour gradient. Mix some HANSA pro-color Black and water with HANSA pro-color Ice Blue so that the upper area is dark enough for the stars. Carefully spray this mixture in thin layers over the upper edge of the picture; you can decide yourself how dark you want to make the background.

Step 2:

Once the background is dry, lay the "Space Landscape" stencil on it so that only the lower part of the stencil, the mountain silhouette, is left open. Cover the circle, star and structure elements in the stencil as well as any open areas around the stencil sheet with a sheet of paper so that you do not have any overspray in these areas. Use weights to hold the stencil in place so that you do not run the risk of the a shift in the stencil's location. Wad up a paper towel and use it to dab on a mixture of blue, white and water, creating structures. Fill your airbrush gun with ice blue and spray on the shadows for the mountains. Spray the shadows on the right-hand sides of the mountains. You can create additional structures with slightly jagged lines. Spray the left-hand half of the mountains with white, creating a three-dimensional effect for the mountain peaks. If necessary, you can use a 10-0 brush from our Rotmarder Brush Set 333, for example, and white or a mixture of blue and water to integrate even more structures. Now remove the stencil.

Step 3:

Use transparent white (i.e. HANSA pro-color White + water) to cover the first mountain layer so that a fog-like layer covers it. Use the other "Mountain" side of the "Space Landscape" stencil to design additional mountain scenes. The important point here is to make sure that the second mountain level is a little darker than the first. Add a drop of umbra or black to your blue-white-water mixture, for example, to darken it a little. Place the stencil on the picture, again making sure that there is protection from overspray. Pay attention to lighting highlights and shadows for the second mountain level as well so that the mountains appear three-dimensional.

Step 4:

If you like, you can integrate yet another level as foreground in your picture. Use the "Space Landscape" stencil again. Various silhouettes can be created by turning the stencil and combining the elements. Then spray with opaque HANSA pro-color Black.

Step 5:

When the foreground is dry, use the large circle from the "Space Landscape" stencil for the first planet. Place the stencil in the upper left-hand area of the picture. Cover the other openings of the "Space Landscape" stencil so that you do not have any overspray. Use opaque HANSA pro-color White to spray a contour edge.

Step 6:

Use the structure part of the "Space Landscape" stencil to give the planet a surface structure. Lay the stencil on the surface so that the small, curved structural elements are placed in the right-hand area of the planet. Using white, carefully spray on the stencil to make the structures visible. Turn the structure stencil to create different and overlapping patterns.

Step 7/8:

Use HANSA pro-color Umbra or similar paints for the dark side of the planet and spray on additional structures. You see how easy it is to create futuristic planet surfaces using the "Space Landscape" stencil. For the next step, lay down the circle shape again so that the background is protected. It should fit as closely as possible to the circle which is already there. Use slightly jagged lines and white to shape atmospheric clouds which wrap around the planet. Use transparent umbra to create some shadows on the left-hand side and emphasise the contour edge on the right-hand side with white. Remove the stencil. Carefully spray white free-hand on the edge of the planet to create a very subtle flare; this will cause the planet to glow slightly and appear to be integrated in the background.

Step 9:

Create additional planets, using the other circle sizes of the "Space Landscape" stencil. Always spray one side with a light colour and the other side with a dark colour so that the planet appears rounded. Create structures as described above.

Complete your space picture with a star landscape. Sprinkle white dots to create distant stars. Use the kinked hose method or our sprinkling caps from the accessories line or reduce the air input by adjusting the pressure regulator on the compressor or on our adjustable quick couplings to sprinkle the paint.

When the stars have dried, you can set some sprayed dots to make them glow. Hold the airbrush at a steep angle at a distance of about 5 cm from the painting background; press only the button down completely to supply air. Then pull the lever carefully and slightly towards the back to create the spray point.

To simulate a twinkling star, place the cross on the "Space Landscape" stencil on the starry sky. Carefully spray HANSA pro-color White into the middle of the cross from a distance of about 5–8 cm. Do not fill the cross completely because the paint is supposed to automatically disperse along the beams from the spray cone. Remove the stencil and spray a spray dot in the middle of the cross to make the star glow.

Note: Additional information on the topic of airbrush and Space is available on our "Airbrush Workshop" DVD.