Painting Clouds: A Step-By-Step Guide To Realism

Painting clouds can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to getting the blending and shape just right. In this step-by-step guide, we will explore how to paint realistic clouds, focusing on a simple technique for beginners. Whether you're using acrylic paints or another medium, the key to success is to create soft edges and pay attention to the light source to achieve the desired highlights and shadows. By following these steps and practicing regularly, you'll be able to master the art of painting fluffy white clouds in a blue sky or even experiment with colourful sunset skies. So, grab your brushes and let's get started on this fun and creative journey!

Identify light source

When painting realistic clouds, it is important to identify the light source to understand how it will affect the clouds in your painting. The light source will determine which parts of the clouds are the lightest and darkest, and it can come from above, behind, below, or a combination of directions.

If you are painting an outdoor scene, the sun is usually the primary light source. However, if you are painting a nighttime cloudscape, the moon may be the light source. Knowing the time of day your painting takes place is crucial as it informs the angle of the sunlight and the colour temperature. For example, at sunrise and sunset, the sun is below the clouds, illuminating the bottom of the clouds, resulting in lighter values at the bottom and darker values at the top. The closer to the sun, the brighter the clouds will be, with the lightest part of the painting being the spot in front of the sun.

Additionally, the colour of the light changes throughout the day. At sunrise and sunset, the light may appear more orange than white. Observing the colours in the sky and the intensity of the light can help you accurately capture the lighting conditions in your painting. You can also refer to reference photos or paintings with similar subjects to understand how other artists have handled the lighting in their works.

When painting clouds, you can add dimension by painting overlapping layers of clouds, with each subsequent layer appearing brighter than the previous one. This technique emphasizes the light source by adding a brighter white to the left edge of the cloud, which defines where the light is coming from. Repeating this process for each cloud, ensuring the light source remains consistent, will create a realistic effect.

Use acrylic paint

Painting realistic clouds with acrylics can be challenging, but the versatility and accessibility of this medium make it a rewarding process. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you create beautiful clouds with acrylic paint:

Prepare your materials:

Firstly, gather your materials. You will need acrylic paints in various colours, including white, yellow, orange, red, blue, purple, and grey. You will also need a palette, palette knives for mixing paints, a jar of water to keep your brushes wet, and a range of brushes in different sizes, including round blending brushes and a flat brush.

Plan your composition:

Consider the type of cloud you want to paint and the time of day in your painting. Decide on your light source, as this will affect the lightest and darkest areas of your clouds. If you are painting a landscape or sky composition, plan the placement of your clouds accordingly. Remember that real clouds are often made up of smaller ones bunched together, so sketch out a few simple cloud shapes to guide you.

Mix your colours:

Before you begin painting, pre-mix your colours, including highlights, half-tones, and shadows. This will ensure colour consistency and help you maintain soft edges in your painting. Mix yellow and orange, toning it down with red if it's too bright. For shadows, mix grey by combining burnt umber, blue, and white. For a soft lavender colour, mix white paint with a small amount of violet.

Paint the sky:

Cover your canvas with a blue shade, such as French Ultramarine Blue, using a synthetic brush. Create an outline of your cloud arrangement with a thin wash of white paint, making the top more transparent so the sky shows through, and the bottom more solid. You can add pink or purple to the bottom half of your sky for a colourful sunset effect.

Paint the clouds:

Using a flat brush with water and white paint, create simple cloud shapes. Use dabbing motions and a light touch, swirling your wrist to blend the edges. Remember that clouds come in all shapes and sizes, so have fun and don't worry about perfection. For added depth, use a layering approach, allowing each layer to dry before moving on.

Add highlights and shadows:

Use the pre-mixed colours to add highlights and shadows to your clouds. The highlights will be on the side opposite the shadows. Remember that the closer the cloud is to the viewer, the thicker the paint layer should be. Create contrast by placing dark shades next to lighter ones with a clear edge between them.

With these steps, you can create realistic and fluffy acrylic clouds. Remember to experiment, practise, and, most importantly, enjoy the process of creating!

Create cloud shapes

To create cloud shapes, you can use a large brush to cover your canvas with a blue shade, such as Cobalt Blue A124. You can then mix Titanium White A101 with water to create a thin wash and outline the arrangement of your clouds. Remember to make the top more transparent, so the sky shows through, and fill in the bottom to make it appear more solid. Real clouds are made up of smaller ones bunched together, so use lightly thinned white paint for these.

You can also try using a Q-tip to form triangle shapes on your canvas, filling them in with white paint. Don't be afraid to paint outside the triangle, as clouds have soft edges. You can soften the triangle with dabs of paint above, below, and to the sides.

Clouds can be any shape or size, so don't worry about making them perfect. Using a 1/2" flat brush with some water and white paint, create some simple cloud shapes with dabbing motions. You can also try using your imagination or reference photos for inspiration.

To add dimension to your clouds, paint another layer of clouds that overlaps the first. Load your brush with more white so it shows up brighter, then define a new cloud shape. Repeat this process for the rest of your clouds, ensuring your light source remains in the same spot. You can even add a fourth layer of brighter white to the edges of the clouds where the light source hits them.

Layer paint for depth

Painting clouds can be a fun and creative process, and layering paint is an excellent way to add depth and realism to your artwork. Here are some detailed tips to help you layer paint for depth when creating realistic clouds:

Start with a Light Base

Begin by painting your sky background. Use a light blue or purple shade for the base layer, covering the entire canvas. This light background will allow you to build darker cloud details on top and create depth through light and shadow.

Add Cloud Shadows

Before painting the clouds, create depth by adding shadows. Mix a light grey or a darker shade of your background colour and paint it onto the areas where you want to create the illusion of shadows. This will give the impression of depth and make your clouds appear three-dimensional.

Build Cloud Layers

Now, it's time to start painting your clouds. Use a dry brush and white paint to create the basic cloud shapes. Overlap these shapes to give your clouds more dimension. Add a second layer of white paint to the left edge of the cloud to define the light source. You can add a third or fourth layer of brighter white to enhance the light source and make your clouds pop.

Adjust Thickness and Opacity

Remember that the closer the cloud is to the viewer, the thicker the layer of paint you should use. Adjust the thickness and opacity of your paint layers to create depth. The highlights at the top of the clouds will be thinner, while the lower portions can be more solid and opaque.

Experiment with Brushes and Techniques

Explore different brushes and techniques to create a variety of effects. Try using soft brushes for blending and textured brushes for adding details. Play with light and heavy pressure to create soft and fluffy clouds or textured and dramatic clouds, respectively.

Add Final Details

Once your clouds are dry, you can add final details to enhance their depth and realism. Use a small round brush with light strokes to add highlights and shadows within the clouds. Create fluffy, natural-looking clouds by using a stippling motion. Don't forget to add a light source by incorporating white or pale yellow paint.

Add highlights

When adding highlights to your clouds, it's important to remember that the placement of your light source will determine which parts of your clouds are the lightest and darkest. The highlights at the top won't be as thick as the ones at the bottom. To create the strongest contrast, place dark shades next to lighter ones with a clear edge between the two.

To add highlights to your clouds, grab some white paint on a damp brush and start adding highlights to the opposite side of the clouds where you added the shadows. Blend the highlights along the edges in the same way you blended the grey in the previous step. You can switch to a smaller blending brush for smaller clouds or use a light touch with a flat brush for finer details.

For more detailed work, load your detail brush with white paint and add some little fluffy details to the edges of your clouds. You can get as detailed as you like with this step, depending on your style and preference. Remember to keep your edges soft, especially when working with acrylics, as this medium can be challenging when trying to create soft edges.

If you want to add another layer of cloud that overlaps the first, load your brush with more white so it shows up brighter, then define a new cloud shape that overlaps the previous one. Repeat this step for the rest of the clouds, ensuring your light source remains in the same spot each time. You can even add a fourth layer of brighter white to the very edge of each cloud where your light source is.

Frequently asked questions