How to Paint a “Perfect” Sunset

Ready to add a little extra sparkle to your sunset paintings? I love helping you become a better painter with step-by-step tutorials. Today, I’m sharing a super-easy trick to paint a perfectly round sun—even if drawing circles isn’t your strong suit. Let’s dive into this ray of sunshine, shall we?

The Secret Tool: A Pouncer

The magic tool for painting the most adorable sun ever is… a pouncer! Never heard of it? It’s a circular sponge that stamps on paint in a perfectly round shape. Mine’s an older one from Martha Stewart that you can’t find any more, but FolkArt has one just as good! You can order it here.

However, don’t worry if you don’t have a pouncer lying around. Just grab something round like a glass, a paint jar, or even a cookie cutter—anything that lets you trace a circle will work just fine! 

Step 1: Load Up the Sunshine

Dip your pouncer into some bright yellow paint. Not too much, though—we don’t want a gloopy mess. Just enough to cover the sponge lightly. If the paint is too thick, it could leave uneven marks or cause a ridge on the edge.

Step 2: Find the Perfect Spot

Where should the sun go? Well, the sky’s the limit (literally)! I decided to balance my painting by placing the sun a little higher up. Once you’ve picked the spot, press the pouncer down and twist—this helps spread the paint evenly and gives you that perfect circle.

Oops! Made a Mistake? No Problem!

Okay, confession time… I got a little distracted and ended up with a slightly wonky sun. But here’s the beauty of art: You can always fix it! I simply extended the sun's shape and adjusted it until it looked just right. Mistakes are just opportunities to get creative!

Step 3: Add a Little Sunshine Magic

To give the sun a more realistic look, I added white paint to create a subtle highlight.  Gently blend the white into the yellow to create a soft, glowing effect. This adds dimension and makes the sun appear more luminous. I love using more than one color—it makes the painting more interesting and surprising!

Step 4: Reflecting the Sun on Water

If your masterpiece includes water, don’t forget to add the sun’s reflection! For this piece, I used a mix of yellow and white and applied it in tiny strokes to mimic the look of sunlight dancing on the water. Keep the strokes narrow in the background and slightly wider as they come closer to the foreground for a realistic perspective.

Step 5: Rolling with the Unexpected

At one point, I accidentally got a bit of purple in my sun-whoops! Instead of panicking, I embraced it and worked it into the design. Art doesn’t have to be perfect, and sometimes unexpected colors can add unique charm to your piece!

Final Touches

After layering and blending to my heart’s content, I added some final highlights to brighten the sun. Using a clean corner of the pouncer, I softly blended everything together. And just like that, my perfectly round sun was complete! A sun so round and bright it practically needs sunglasses!

Go Make Your Own Sun - or Moonshine!

The best part about painting is making it your own. You can experiment with different colors, sizes, and placements to create a sunset that’s uniquely yours. Take the same technique and create a beautiful full moon! There’s no right or wrong way—just have fun and express yourself! If you want to try your hand at this tutorial, you can check out the replay here. 

Want More Painting Tips?

I hope this step-by-step guide helps you confidently paint a beautiful round sun. If you loved this little ray of sunshine, you might be interested in my Artsy Moon Paint Club! It’s a fantastic place to get inspired and grow as an artist, with access to over 120 step-by-step painting video tutorials (that’s a $1500 value!) and 2-3 new tutorials added every month. You’ll never run out of something fun to paint! Until next time, keep creating and stay sunny, my friends!