Sky painting

- Dot your colours down the centre of your canvas

- Yellow at the top and bottom, orange around the middle, and blue in the centre

- Add dots of white either side of your colours so they blend into pastel tones

- Use a flat brush and blend horizontally using long side-to-side strokes

- Blend one section at a time starting with the yellows and oranges

- Move your brush back and forth to soften transitions

- Wipe or clean your brush between shades if the colours become muddy

Painting water

- Blend the blue through the centre to form the water

- Keep the blue more concentrated in the middle

- Avoid over-mixing with the orange – because they’re opposite colours, they can get muddy!

- Let the layer dry, then reapply blue if needed to brighten it

- Add white to lighten and make it pop

Horizon painting

- Use a darker blue to paint a thin horizontal line across the centre

- Build up short horizontal strokes along the edges to suggest water movement

- Use the edge of a flat brush to create thinner lines

Painting trees

- Dab along the horizon using the tip of a stiff brush to create tree shapes

- Change up the height and spacing for a natural look

- Keep the shapes loose and a bit uneven

- Add light horizontal strokes beneath the trees

- Keep the marks light to suggest reflections rather than define them

Finishing steps

- Paint a small white moon just above the horizon

- Add a soft reflection below using thin horizontal strokes

- Keep it light and subtle

All done! You can add a finishing coat to protect the artwork using Acrylic Gloss Varnish or Matte Medium.