LESSON #7 - How to Paint Clouds

[Louisa Rautenbach]

Details

Painting no 2. I'm leaving this for a while and then I will try again.

[Bellarina]

I like your first one better

[Danielle123]

Nice painting Louisa.    I personaly like the top one more because of the colours in the mountain.   Clouds are not easy to do in the beginning.  You are doing great.

[MaryAnne Long]

Hmmm... I like parts of both.

Top - Like the craggy cliffs and pile of rocks on the right.

Bottom - Like the shrub on the right and mid-ground grasses and ridgeline.

Yes, clouds take plenty of practice.  I use the dabbing-with-a-Kleenex technique for clouds in watercolor.

Keep going - better each time.

aloha

mea

[Tousabella]

Lousia...both are so interesting.  Great job.  I love them both.

[Louisa Rautenbach]

Robin, Danielle, Mea and Retta, sorry I missed your lovely comments on this one. Now I can say thank you so much.

[Straynative]

I honestly tried this lesson about 5 times and every time my clouds looked overworked and, well, just awful. I was getting a bit depressed as I have made a deal with myself to not go onto the next lesson until I at least get some sort of semblance of what is required from the lesson I am busy with. Lots of areas in this one that I could have done better, BUT, i feel they are passable and whilst they maybe arent the most "natural" looking clouds ive ever seen, they certainly are at least cloud like and not splodgy splodges like my previous ones. Learnt plenty from this lesson and look forward to the sunset clouds coming up   

thanks Dennis and Nolan.

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[MaryAnne Long]

Trev,

I like the blending of the terrain and the trees.

Yes, clouds take time to master.  The one on the far left in the middle looks like the face of Santa Claus wearing dark glasses.

aloha

mea

[Tania]

Good for you, Trev! The clouds are definitely getting there and everything else looks good! I am now seeing all kinds of critters in the clouds, Mea! They are really quite interesting to look at!!

[Straynative]

  yes I see that now...and of course there's the alligator/dolphin thing right in the middle of the sky. Mm maybe I should just take most of the peep holes out as they do distract a bit too much. Lol anyway thanks ladies...

[Happychappy]

    Trev, you are doing well.  You did a great job of blending. Clouds, I haven't done this lesson so can't even begin to give my humble opinion.


Patricia

[Val]

  Great job on the clouds Trev!     You've created some real depth in the painting as a whole. Well done. 

[Kathysutterlin]

   I have attempted this wet on wet for the sky and clouds 3 times. They have all been awful. I am completely frustrated trying to understand how to manipulate the medium and to get my colors. When too wet, they all run and I get star bursts. Too dry and it does not blend.

This last one I posted was less wet but but not as dry and the blending is ugly. My sky in the corner has too much pigment and the edges are a mess. When I used less pigment it looked blotchy.  I think I need to go more basic before I attempt this lesson for the 4th time.   

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

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[thebryce]

What paper is that?  It looks like the strathmore yellow pad grain.  Your pigment is doing weird things on it.  Take a spray bottle and wet the entire surface. Then take a paper towel, lay it over the painting and sop up the excess pigment. Do that a few times to pull back the values. You should by then notice where you can darken the colors to make some great cloud patterns.  Part of making clouds is learning  to see them as a three dimensional object.  You may need to go on the internet and study perspective with the sky.  Most of us, when we did this lesson way back in the day, made the clouds as if they were sheets on a cloths line. Change the way you look at the sky in proportion to the rocks. You need to have depth in the sky. You need to have hard lines and soft lines with clouds and if they are not in the proper spot you will cause the eye to focus on the wrong area of the cloud or the wrong area of the sky.  Think depth.

[Kathysutterlin]

Yes, that is what I'm using. wow, you sure know your paper, Bryce!