Ever wanted to paint the Northern Lights without it looking like a melted highlighter? In this hands-on oil painting workshop, you’ll learn how to create a glowing Aurora Borealis sky using a mix of brushwork and palette knife magic. Expect dreamy blends, punchy colour, and those crisp, icy textures that make the whole scene feel alive.
Perfect for beginners and improvers, you’ll be guided step-by-step through the full process, from sketch to final highlights. You’ll leave with a finished painting and a head full of skills you can reuse on loads of landscapes.
What you’ll learn (technique focus)
- Colour mixing for aurora glow
- How to build luminous greens, blues, violets, and soft neon accents without overdoing it.
- Smooth sky blending with brushes Creating seamless gradients and soft transitions that feel atmospheric, not muddy.
- Aurora ribbon techniques Layering and glazing to get that floating, light-through-air effect.
- Palette knife texture for snow and ice Sharp edges, chunky highlights, and believable frosty ground using confident knife strokes.
- Depth and contrast Adding silhouettes (trees, mountains, horizon lines) to make the lights pop.
- Finishing details Stars, reflections, and final highlights that bring the whole painting together.
This workshop is beginner-friendly and recommended for participants aged 15 and above.
Aurora Borealis Oil Painting
Participants do not need to bring anything - all art materials are provided for:
- 1 x Canvas (30cm x 40cm)
- Oil paints
- Brushes
- Odourless Turpentine
- Linseed Oil
- Aprons
- Erasers
- Water containers (to rinse painting tools)
- Cloths (to dry painting tools)
- Pizza Box (to bring home your painting)
Participants will bring home their masterpiece at the end of the workshop.
