Painting clouds can be difficult if you don't know the right technique. If painted the wrong way, the effect will be too heavy. To create beautiful clouds, you need to have a delicate touch and modify the technique according to the type of paint you use. In this article, you will find several ways to paint clouds with acrylic, oil and watercolor paint.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Paint the Clouds with Acrylic
Step 1. Create the background first
Whether you're doing a gradient blue sky or sunrise, create the background before adding the clouds.
Step 2. Start with a dry brush
That is, do not add water to the brush before using it. Pour some white paint onto the palette and coat the brush with a small amount of white.
Step 3. Decide where you want to place the clouds
For example, you can do a panoramic painting with the clouds at the top, or paint the clouds all over the picture.
Step 4. Brush the white with gentle strokes
Brush the white onto the canvas by making gentle curved movements. Apply very light pressure.
Step 5. Extend the sides
Brush the sides of the cloud outwards. Create the sides when you are about to finish the painting. This technique allows you to create more delicate and soft edges.
Step 6. Wait for the paint to dry
It will be easier to add the shades under the cloud.
Step 7. Add the shades
Create a gray shade. You can get the color for the gradient by mixing dark purple with a hint of deep blue, pink, and red-brown. You can also create your own combination of gray.
Step 8. Use several dry brushes
Add some gray to the brush. Remove excess product. Gently brush the underside of the clouds to make them deeper.
Step 9. Paint smaller clouds near the horizon
Distant objects seem smaller, so paint smaller and more blurry clouds near the horizon. To blur, add less paint to the brush.
Method 2 of 3: Create the Clouds with Watercolors
Step 1. Make sure you have enough product available
Once dry, the effect will be much lighter than the initial appearance on the paper. Therefore, when the watercolor is still wet, the effect will seem slightly brighter than the dry effect.
Step 2. Lightly moisten the paper
Brush some clean water on the paper, moistening it slightly.
Step 3. Add a touch of yellow ocher to the base
Gently paint a coat of ocher yellow near the base of the sky.
Step 4. Coat the brush with ultramarine blue and water
Make a dark enough color. Paint the top of the paper.
Step 5. Make a lighter stripe under the first one
Add more water to the brush and more ultramarine blue. Paint under the top color, overlapping them slightly. Make a lighter pass than the first coat.
Step 6. Continue adding lighter layers
You will have to do a downward gradient effect, creating a mix of pale yellow and a hint of blue, as you did previously with the yellow ocher on the base.
Step 7. Dry the brush
Wash the brush with water and dry it with absorbent paper.
Step 8. Roll the brush across the sky
The dry brush will absorb the pigments and color from the paper, leaving white spaces for the clouds. As you roll, slightly arch the brush to create the shape of the clouds.
Step 9. Dry the brush again
Between one cloud and another you will have to dry the brush again, otherwise it will transfer the paint instead of absorbing it.
Step 10. Add the shades
Brush a deep gray (mixing red and ultramarine blue for example) on the underside of the cloud. Leave the top white to show where the light shines on the cloud.
Step 11. Remember to move fast
Watercolors dry quickly, so you'll have to work quickly to achieve this effect.
Method 3 of 3: Paint the Clouds with Oil Paint
Step 1. Create the background
Depending on the time of day, you can use light blue or a dark purple-gray. Paint the entire background with large, even brush strokes.
Step 2. Wait for the paint to dry
If the paint is not dry, when you paint the clouds you will remove the color from the background.
Step 3. Splash the clouds
With a dry brush, add a little black and white to the background. Sketch the areas where you will paint the clouds.
Step 4. Paint over the clouds with lighter colors
Create the shapes with lighter colors and move in a circle to create the cloud effect.
To create lighter colors, add white to the original paint as you paint
Step 5. Add background color patches
If you want to outline the clouds, outline them with the color used for the background.
Step 6. Add some cream highlights
To prevent the final highlights from being too harsh in contrast to the other colors, use an off-white or cream paint and brush around the shapes created earlier to highlight the top of the clouds.
Advice
- Don't overdo the amount of paint when drawing clouds.
- Make small circular motions. The effect will be better than with large movements.
