Clouds are one of the most relaxing things to paint in watercolor. Most of the time, you don't paint the clouds at all. You paint the blue sky around them and let the white paper become the clouds.
How do I paint soft, fluffy clouds?
- Mix a light blue. Prepare plenty in the mixing area so you don't run out halfway.
- Wet the sky area. Squeeze your water brush gently and brush clean water over the whole sky. It should look shiny, not puddly.
- Drop in the blue around your clouds. Paint blue patches and leave rounded white areas in between. The edges will soften on their own.
- Lift out more clouds. While the blue is still wet, press a crumpled tissue gently onto the sky. It lifts the color and leaves a soft cloud shape.
- Add a little shadow. Mix a pale gray or soft purple and touch it to the bottom of a few clouds while the paper is still damp.
- Let it dry flat. Don't go back in while it dries, or you may get streaks.
How do I paint crisp clouds?
Paint the blue on dry paper, leaving cloud shapes white. Then soften a few edges with a clean, damp brush so they don't look cut out.
What about sunset clouds?
Start with yellow and pink near the bottom of the sky, let it dry, then add purple or gray clouds on top for a glowing evening sky.
Good to know
- Clouds near the horizon look smaller and flatter, and clouds higher up look bigger.
- Keep it loose. Clouds never have perfect shapes.
Try our step-by-step Cloud tutorial in the Nature section: https://tobioskits.com/pages/watercolor-tutorials