WATERCOLOUR SKIES AND CLOUDS-THINK NEGATIVE!

Watercolour study on rough surfaced watercolour paper 

I have said before that I'm not keen on books which claim to tell artists how to paint this and that-usually quickly and in an easily learned way. But here I am writing a post about the painting of skies and clouds.It will be something of a summing up of what I have learned and am learning.In the examples I give I will show what I think are the faults as well as the good points in my example. None of your unrelenting optimism here! Art isn't easy.If this is helpful please let me know.You can see my post about the history of cloud painting here.And I will soon be posting further thoughts on the subject of how to observe clouds.
If you would like to see more of my landscapes including cloud paintings done from observation then go to my website.

The illustrations  which follow are of an improvised sketch-not done from direct observation or from a photograph.  If it shows understanding of clouds I'll be happy.Think of the subject as a moorland scene with clouds.The viewpoint is  looking to the west so the  light source comes comes from the left of the picture.I have not developed the landscape to any degree.

On rough watercolour paper measuring only 24cm along its longest side.That's about  8 inches.

Colours for the sky are Cerulean hue and Cobalt hue; for the shadows,Burnt Sienna and Dioxazine Violet.A neutral grey would also have been a fair choice for the shadows-and in a way more realistic. All from the Winsor and Newton Cotman range.

Brushes were a watercolour brush and a 2" decorator's brush.

Paper was an old scrap of English watercolour paper with a rough surface.Watercolour paper is expensive but can take a lot of working and reworking if necessary.Thin paper such as you find in most sketchbooks will not stand up to the processes mentioned here.

 Stage 1

Clouds and landscape dabbled in very quickly with a loosley held brush.The rough texture of the paper allows the broken textured effect appropriate to the kind of cloud I'm trying to paint.Note the puddled effect top centre which dried with a hard edge.This is  an error but at this stage it doesn't matter.In this example I have an attitude of finding out and working towards a goal rather than copying something visualised in my mind.The cloud shapes emerge BECAUSE I WAS THINKING OF THEM AS NEGATIVE SHAPES.I painted the blue of what we think of as background to define the basic  cloud areas. I painted the warmer, shadow side as a definite area.There is no pencil work although a little would have been acceptable.

Stage 2

The clouds are beginning to appear and have the light and airy look of a summer day in the UK.I have blurred the edges of the puddle top centre with a wet brush.In some ways I could have left it as it is. You can see the cerulean in the lower part of the sky and the cobalt above.The shadows on the clouds are painted with a mixture of violet and burnt sienna.

Stage 3

The intensity of the sky is emphasised and the cerulean lower down is strengthened. The shadow colour of the cloud is also deepened. some of the colour where the shadow sides meets the blue of the sky was removed with an old linen tea-towel.Again one might regard this as a possible final stage.

 Stage 4

I think that I may have pushed the colour and definition too far here.Perhaps this needs more work! The photo exaggerates a little. You can see the harder edge of the cloud catching the sun and the similarity in values between the right edge of the clouds and the sky behind.You will often see this in skyscapes.You can also see the change in values between the lower and higher sky.

Stage 5

I did think that the blue of the sky in stage 4 was too intense so I proceeded to stage 5.All that happened in stage 5 is that I held the sketch under some warm running water for a couple of minutes and then stroked it gently with a big  decorator's brush. Because the paint was loosened it was removed  most noticeably from the upper sky and from the landscape below.You should be able to see the white speckled effect in both areas.

Stage 6

I

You may be glad to know that this is likely to be the final stage! There was very little work done here.For the sky I ran some cobalt hue over the upper area to lessen the effect of the white speckles from stage 5.I would say that the speckles give some effect of airiness and atmosphere to the sketch. Where the cobalt meets the cerulean I blended it in with a little clean water on the brush.I also subdued the whiteness of the long patch of cloud at lower left-it was too white.I also diminished the speckled area in the landscape with a very slight wash.

In Conclusion

Paint freely-defining the background to help you get the cloud shapes.

Do not worry about definition too early in the day.

Be prepared to experiment with blending colour-either with a wet brush or by smudging it with a rag.

You need really clean water to preserve the quality of the sky colours. Two jars of water would be fine. Use the first to clean the brush and the second for the actual painting. Be consistent.

Use good paper.