How to (properly) Draw a Crescent Moon - That Irks Me

Occasionally, you may come across an illustration of a crescent moon with circular shading. That's WRONG! Watch to see how to properly draw one (with backup "evidence").

Music in this video (downloaded from the YouTube Audio Library):
The Messenger
Path to Follow

Alternate Title: That Inks Me
Get it? Because you know, colour and ink? So punny...

[douglasphillips]

What's worse is crescent moons with stars in the dark area of the moon

[derkarlotto]

thats why its a drawing and not a photograph.
i draw and i know what the moon looks like irl, but i love drawing it mor like the shape on the turkish flag. there is something about the pointy edges pointing inwards, that i find really pleasing to look at.

[EdwardNavu]

It's scientifically wrong, but artistically forgivable. We often take some liberty when we can. XD

[shadowsfromolliesgraveyard]

I always thought those sort of moons were portraying eclipses.

[pinekel]

This is like "you know what grinds my gears?" but with art.

[sujmitchell]

Thank you! As soon as you said ellipse I thought "of course!" but up until then I'd been wondering about circular arcs of different radii (in my defense I had only been cogitating on it for a short while). Now I can make my phases of the moon knitting chart (just need to (re)find the site that will generate pixellated "circles" and "ellipses" 😊

[owenwang]

2:21 Optical illusion. Which way is the moon spinning? From left to right, or from right to left?

[Jadynnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

ha this was more educational than having anything to do with art

[sandrosixarulidze]

Ha, maybe now you'll tell Shigeru Miyamoto, that you can't draw moons with creepy faces? ha?

[manicangel]

Your were the kid who rearranged the food on his plate that mom served according to food group, size and color huh?

[AS-dfdg]

drawing a crescent moon after this was surprisingly tons easier. Thanks!

[CShep]

I agree that gibbous moons need more love, but it IS harder to pull off in a drawing. Unlike crescents, gibbous shapes aren't immediately recognized as the shape of the moon. You have to put more detail in a gibbous moon drawing to prevent it looking like a failed attempt at drawing a full moon.

[Fdstamp]

Instructions unclear, I drew a Croissant

[mallorywagner]

love it ... you are correct, and as an artist i like the more realistic look myself - excellent.

[msalyssa]

Thank you so much. I was searching "how to paint the moon", too realistic. The "how to paint Cresent moon" and they were no where near realistic! I wanted scientific accuracy with out every crater to paint! What irks me more than not being about to get my shadows right is when people put STARS in the space that's really just the shadow cast on the moon. Ugh! 😠 That's not how already gorgeous celestial bodies works! Lol ok rant over. 😇

[sharanphadke]

why does this seem like a vsauce video but without Michael stevens! great job bro keep up the good work

[DanDart]

ikr gibbous bring it back. also I see RHS crescents but never any LHS ones

[eliasbouhout]

Ok, I can take my compass and draw a semicircumference, but how the hell do I draw a precise semiellips?Lel

[Hulkeq]

Make another one about artists putting stars inside the dark part of a crescent moon. That's even worse.

[danielbillingham]

Hey I needed to draw a moon for my poster for school think you your a big help! 😊 have a nice day I hope you get more views