The Girl Who Caught a Star - Digital Art Project

The Girl Who Caught a Star is an art piece born from a fascination with wonder, hope, and the quiet courage of dreamers. The piece depicts a young girl in the moment she catches a falling star. Its rays of light spill from her hands, casting a glow that pushes back the darkness around her. The drawing process focused on soft, luminous contrasts and blending light with shadow to capture both the fragility and power of the moment.

It is a story of hope. Of light discovered in unlikely hands. Of a single moment where the sky was no longer distant, but held.

1. Sketchbook & 0.5 B Clutch Pencil — optional
2. iPad Air — any tablet or digital device that supports drawing apps
3. Apple Pencil — a stylus that feels comfortable (or a finger)
4. Procreate — alternatively IbisPaint, Krita, Medibang, Adobe Fresco, Autodesk Sketchbook

Duration: 5 hours 30 mins

Every journey begins with a spark. I wandered through Pinterest, scenes from Howl’s Moving Castle, One Piece, and other inspiring scenes that cradle emotion in color. I collected these inspirations into a moodboard glowing with magic, movement, and wonder.

Tip: Let your inspirations guide the palette and emotion of your piece.

I sketched seven different poses in my sketchbook to have a variety of compositions to decide which would work best for the piece. Paper feels grounding to me, it feels comfortable and efficient, which helps with sketching quick rough figures. But if digital sketching is your home, start there!

Once I found the pose that I was satisfied with, I photographed it and uploaded it into Procreate on my iPad to begin the digital magic.

Tip: Explore multiple thumbnails before settling on one idea. Avoid symmetry (it'll make it look boring).

I overlayed a blank layer on top of a low opacity layer of the photo of sketch and inked a cleaner and more detailed drawing while keeping the lines fluid and organic. Here, I refined her face, hair, and clothes, letting her expression guide the tone. The looseness helps the piece breathe with energy and life.

Avoiding sharp shapes and rigid/ straight lines to help make a drawing seem more dynamic. Additionally, keeping the lineart relatively rough with gaps in-between can help create visual intrigue as the viewers eye will have to complete the lines themselves.

Tip: Don’t be afraid of messy lines, they can hold more emotion than perfection.

The flat colors came next, drawn directly from my moodboard for references of colors to use that work coherently together. I kept them clean and simple.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to try multiple palettes, even ones that seem unusual. Each version you test reveals a different version of the story. Try this — Turn your piece to greyscale while choosing colors to make sure the values (light/dark contrast) are strong and readable.

The background began as a night sky, softly brushed using Procreate’s airbrush tool to create a gentle gradient from deep navy to stardust blue. I scattered glowing stars across it using the snowflake brush then adding detailed specks and stars using the Technical Pen, letting the sky feel vast and alive. I then blurred the stars to make then look like they are glinting far away in the distance.

Tip: Gradients help create depth. A dark sky behind a glowing figure creates visual contrast, helping the subject become the focal point of the piece.

This step breathed life into the canvas. I shaded first with Multiply layers: one for an overall moody blue-purple cast, another for refined shadows. Both were clipped to her flat colors for easy control. Shadows are the dark area behind the object where light is blocked so it is important to be cognoscente of where shadows would land in real-life. Since this can often be challenging, using reference photos that you take or from other sources can be helpful.

Blush and fabric folds can all be done gently on Normal layers to add warmth and softness.

Then I added glowing warmth with an Add layer, letting the star blaze in her hand and spill light across her face using the airbrush tool. I used a mixture of orange, yellow and pink for the glow.

Tip: Use Multiply for shadow, Add for glow. Color your lineart a similar but darker color to the base colors to adhere better to the lighting.

Now came the magic. I drew the starburst with flowing, organic lines, careful to shape the energy to guide the viewer’s eye upward toward the star. I used a Technical Pen for this. I painted inside the rays with fiery gradients, yellow to orange to blue, like a prism cracked open. To give the air itself a sense of wonder, I added floating particles of tiny glowing specks and dots of stardust, dancing around her like cosmic fireflies.

For her eyes, I added soft shimmer and tiny stars reflected from her surroundings. Eyes reflect light and the environment very well so pay close attention to painting it.

Tip: Zoom in and don’t forget to flip the canvas regularly! It helps you see if your composition is balanced and prevents your eyes from getting too comfortable.

Once your star is glowing and the final touches are in place. Here's how exporting in Procreate is done:

1. Tap the Wrench Icon — this opens the Actions menu.
2. Under the Share tab, you’ll find your exporting options.

Choose Your Format:

1. PNG — best for sharing online or keeping high-quality images with a transparent background if needed.
2. JPEG — a smaller file size, perfect for social media and emails.
3. PSD — if you want to continue editing later in Photoshop or another app.
4. Procreate File — to preserve all layers and effects for future edits within Procreate.

Continuing...

1. Tap Your Format of Choice
2. You can choose to:
3. Save to Files (iCloud, local device, or external drive)
4. Send directly via AirDrop, Mail, or Messages
5. Upload to platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox

Tip: If you're sharing on Instagram, exporting as JPEG and resizing to 2048px on the longest side.

While creating The Girl Who Caught a Star, I could immerse myself in how much color can carry emotion and how small details can whisper entire stories. There were moments I doubted the piece, when it felt dull or uncertain, but those moments are part of the process. They're not signs to stop; they're signs to keep reaching.

Now, I pass the light to you.

Whether you draw on paper or screen, with stylus or fingertip, I hope you feel inspired to create your own version of wonder. Start small. Sketch loosely. Make a moodboard. Flip the canvas. Paint without fear. And most of all, chase the idea that glows in your heart, even if it flickers.

Draw your own version of a girl (or anyone!) catching a star. Let your imagination take the lead. When you’re done, share it and leave a comment below! I’d love to see your interpretations, your palettes, your stardust.