I come from a long line of housepainters and interior decorators. When I painted the ceiling in my new house, it was a breeze. I used a paint roller with a long handle. Very little splatter. The most hated job would be trying to make old plaster walls and ceilings look good.
I have never seen one in person, but I know that big churches often have painted ceilings, and they always got the best painter they knew to do the job. Like that Sistine Chapel. They didn't let just anybody paint the ceiling, they got Michelangelo: the best.