The Colorful Moon Trend: What’s Real & What’s Not
We are over the moon this month 🌙✨
With everyone talking about the Artemis II journey around the Moon, it’s impossible not to feel inspired by the universe, the stars, and especially… the Moon.
But along with that inspiration, I started noticing something interesting.
Beautiful, colorful images of the Moon began circulating all over Instagram—deep blues, purples, golden tones—many posts claiming these photos were taken by Artemis or recently discovered by NASA.
And something didn’t feel right.
So I did what I always love to do: I started researching.
After checking official sources and following NASA updates (https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/lunar-flyby/) , I couldn’t find those images anywhere in their recent releases. That’s when I dug a little deeper… and discovered something beautiful.
Many of these stunning Moon images were actually created by photographer Ildar Ibatullin in 2024.
He describes his process like this:
“I've created my most detailed image of the Moon at high resolution. The Blue Supermoon was photographed late at night on August 20, 2024. I used two cameras, a reflector telescope, and a lens to bring out the details more clearly.”
And honestly? The images are incredible.
This is not about “fake vs real” in a negative way—it’s about awareness.
✨ In a world where images go viral in seconds, it’s important to pause, check, and understand what we are sharing.
But as artists… there’s something even more exciting here.
These images—real or creatively enhanced—are a reminder that:
👉 We are allowed to explore
👉 We are allowed to imagine
👉 We are allowed to create beyond reality
Sometimes painting a subject in completely unexpected colors creates the most powerful artwork.
Just like the colorful cheetah we painted with my freind Paula, we changed the colors. and it felt beautiful
So this month, let’s take inspiration from the Moon—not just as it is… but as we feel it.
Soft, bold, dreamy, expressive.
💫 Tell me… what do you think about these colorful Moon images?
Would you paint the Moon in your own colors?
If you’d like to try, I’ve created a step-by-step freebie for May where we paint a magical Moon with a dark sky and glowing stars.
Join the newsletter below to get it 💌
I painted this moon on my cotton notebook you can find it here: https://www.leslumieresdesigns.com/products/watercolor-sketchbook-hardcase
And you can share down your own version! we can support each other!
