Make One Small Step with this Mixed Media Moon Art!

This mixed media moon art is an easy, hands-on art lesson that kids of all ages will enjoy. Use it to celebrate the moon landing or incorporate it into your astronomy lessons!

Celebrate the moon landing with this fun mixed media art lesson! On July 16, 1969, Neal Armstrong made history by becoming the first man to walk on the moon, coining the famous line, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

In this mixed media moon art, we play with tissue paper and paint, creating a uniquely-textured moon collage! It’s a simple, hands-on process that’s perfect for artists of all ages!

Art supplies you will need:

Feel free to use whatever art supplies you have on hand, but if you want to know which brands of art supplies we use, we’ve linked them below:

Dylusions Journal
Paintbrush set
Acrylic paints (black, dark gray, light gray, yellow, white)
White Sharpie Paint Pen
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens
Scissors
Mod Podge
Glue stick
Tissue paper
Moon Landing PDF

Step-by-Step: The Moon Landing!

Step 1: Draw a Circle
Paint your background black, or use black paper. Take a pencil and outline a circle. (You can use a bowl, small plate, lid, CD, or compass to make your circle as accurate as possible.)

Step 2: Texturize with Tissue Paper
Take your tissue paper and wad it up, then smooth out again. Add mod podge to the paper inside your circle sketch, then press your tissue paper into it, making sure to overlap the paper in places to make “rises” and “craters.” Apply more mod podge as needed to help the paper stay down, then allow to dry.

Step 3: Add Paint
Paint over the tissue paper with your light gray so that the entire circle with tissue paper is colored. Allow to dry. Paint in “craters” (low points in tissue paper) with dark gray, making sure to keep the dark spots more rounded. Lightly brush white over the “rises” (high points in tissue paper), just enough for highlights. Add yellow for an extra, warmer touch! Allow to dry.

Step 3: Paste the Astronaut
Print and cut out picture of the astronaut, taking care to leave space between him and the flag. Use mod podge to paste down somewhere in the upper half of the circle so that his feet and the bottom of the flagpole touch the edge. Take a little bit of black paint and dab it in between the astronaut and the flagpole to black out the rest of the background.

Step 4: Add Details
Using your white paint pen, write a quote, poem, or song about the moon. (I used quote by Neil Armstrong during moon landing!)