How to draw the sky and clouds with a pencil step by step. Drawing a cloudy sky

First of all, you need to choose realistic colors for the sky. So super-bright acid colors immediately go to the side.

Secondly, think about the weather.

If the sky is clear and changes from deep blue to light blue on the horizon, then there is not enough steam in the air and it will be impossible to find any fluffy air clouds. Only clear, well-defined clouds are possible here.

Conversely, if the sky is almost uniform in color (with a slight smooth transition between two colors - dark and light), there is a high probability of seeing fluffy clouds scattered across the sky. And this is exactly what we want!

So we have clear sky. But what does it take to get those damn clouds?

I'm sure you could paint them with a regular round brush, but I'll tell you my method. And of course I have two special brushes:

Small cloud "islands"

GIMP users download

So, let's begin! For this cloud I'm using a light yellow color: why not white? Because it looks better with blue, and because the sunlight hits it.

Then we begin to form a cloud: its shape resembles Dr. Slump’s poop.

Then I reduce the size of the brush and go over the area that gets more light one more time. This is much better, although it is still far from ideal.

We work on the remaining zones of the cloud, adding density and volume to it: let it take on its shape (whatever it may be)!
As you can see, my cloud is made up of three components, and all of them are already shaded.
Imagine that this is a mountain of balls, and illuminate those areas where the light should fall.

Make the brush smaller again and in the shadow area paint small clouds that seem to break away from the overall mass.
In fact, clouds have a very variable shape, and it would not be surprising if there was a small island floating somewhere near a large cloud.

Change your brush and add some smoke near the light-lit clouds.

Finally, blur in some light in places smoky layer of clouds. They look so unnatural!
I use the same brush for this that I used to paint the base of the cloud.

This is an average difficulty lesson. It can be difficult for adults to repeat this lesson, so I don’t recommend drawing the sky for young children using this lesson, but if you really want to, you can try. I also want to note the lesson “” - be sure to try it again if you still have time and desire to draw today.

What you will need

In order to draw the sky we may need:

• You need Photoshop program.
• A little patience.
• Good mood.

Step by step lesson

Natural phenomena are quite difficult to draw. That is, drawing them is not difficult, but achieving realism is much more difficult. I always recommend looking at the original to get the most accurate copy of what you are about to draw. In the Yandex image search, just search for “sky in the photo” to get a large number of the required material.

By the way, in addition to this lesson, I advise you to pay attention to the lesson “”. It will help improve your skill or just give you a little fun.

Tip: Perform different actions on different layers. The more layers you make, the easier it will be for you to manage the drawing. So the sketch can be made on the bottom layer, and the white version on the top, and when the sketch is not needed, you can simply turn off the visibility of this layer.

As you complete this tutorial, please note that due to differences in software versions, some menu items and tools may have different names or be missing altogether. This may make the tutorial a little difficult, but I think you can do it.

First, I filled the canvas with a gradient fill. I took the dark blue and light blue colors shown in the picture below. Since we are trying to draw the sky, which we look at from the bottom up, then Bottom part the canvas will be further from us, which means lighter and paler. Keep this in mind as you draw and try to maintain this ratio throughout your work.

Now that we've done the most important thing, let's try to draw up a sketch. You can, of course, create on the fly, but I prefer to arrange the composition somehow before starting to draw. I wanted to display light feathers below, place them on the right, and below it a small cloud. Well, the hero of the picture will be the trail from the flying one. Once you've made a sketch, it's best to keep it on the topmost layer and turn it on periodically to compare it with what you come up with. True, it is not uncommon for the composition to change during drawing. But it's not scary. The main thing is that this doesn’t happen by accident and then you don’t have to fix everything.

My main brush for painting clouds is the Soft Round Brush. I usually draw on a large canvas (this drawing was made in size 2400*3200 pixels). But the whole time I was drawing it was reduced to 25%.

I find it convenient to paint with a very wide range of brush radii. Yes, and for the airplane and small parts you will need magnification, otherwise accuracy may not work.

So, with a soft round brush with a very large diameter, I highlight the surface where the sun and cloud will be. What does it mean - highlighting? I simply paint over the places I need with low opacity and pressure (approximately 20−30%) - where the sun, clouds, feather clouds will be. That is, I randomly but deliberately fill the canvas with a lighter color. In order for the work not to be completely monotonous, I add the same blue color to the center, but slightly different from what is already there. You can choose any color you like. Just remember that it should be bluish-yellow too.

Tip: Don't skip this step. Due to laziness and the desire to quickly start drawing clouds, many people skip this seemingly insignificant step. But it is precisely this that forms the beginning of the volume of the sky. If you don't do this, your sky will look flat and your clouds will look harsh and cardboard-like.

Using the same brush, but with a small diameter, I outline the first stripes of clouds in the distance. I draw at low opacity (20−30%) sometimes with straight lines, sometimes with hatching or even spirals. Try it different variants and leave those that seem more suitable to you. There's really nothing complicated here. The main thing to remember is that you need to draw with different diameters and, as it were, layer by layer, gently pass over the top.

Tip: Try not to immediately boost the clouds to white. Do it gradually. Remember that the lines should not be solid and continuous and, most importantly, should not be dense and thick. That's why we paint with a soft brush and at low opacity. Only towards the end you need to increase the opacity and carefully detail it with thin stripes or spirals.

I continue to layer the stripes of clouds at the bottom of the drawing and have sketched out a base for the clouds that I plan to place to the right of the airplane. Please note that I did all this with a low opacity and even for light detail I used a range of approximately 40-50%.

Now, I took a brush from the set for painting clouds and with a very low opacity (20−30%) and walked along the upper right part of the drawing, gradually mixing the colors, using an eyedropper to pick up those that turned out in the drawing. This way we get a smooth transition. There's not much to explain here. This step is identical to the first step immediately after filling the gradient. The only difference is the brush.

I didn’t like how I positioned the cloud on the left and using the Liquify filter I slightly modified it and pulled it to the left. In general, this tool is quite useful for fixing what you don't like. The main thing here is not to overdo it.

Advice: Save often. Especially if you are just a beginner artist, then save a lot of files so that you can roll back. If possible, paint on a small number of layers, merging them together along the way. A large number of layers is not a crime, but they eat up a lot of memory on your computer. Well, a small number of layers gradually kills the fear of corrections.

Now that we've tinkered with the image a little, I'm going back to the soft round brush. I increase the opacity to 50−70% and paint with a very small diameter. What am I doing? That's right - I'll detail the clouds a little. The main thing to remember here is that the strokes should be short, sometimes even just dotted squiggles, spirals, or dashes. Do not draw long, continuous lines, straight or curved. Do everything in small pieces. And if at the same time your pen pressure still works well enough, then you will see how much difference there will be between a solid squiggle and pieces. So, I added a little detail to the clouds on the left and darkened the clouds on the right a little, as I was starting to miss the clear sky.

After carefully studying my drawing, I decided to abandon the arc-shaped cloud on the left and painted it over with a large soft brush with a low opacity, layer by layer. The most important thing here is not to be afraid to give up an idea and come up with something new. There's nothing wrong with redrawing. But usually this understanding just comes with time. Now, using a cloud brush with a low opacity and a small diameter, I sketched in the cloud on the left and enhanced the cloud in the upper right corner, creating noticeable transitions that could be mistaken for soft cloud transitions.

Tip: If you just draw a line with the cloud brush, you'll end up with just a patch with jagged edges. In order to get volume, you again need to make small strokes with this brush. Putting them in random order and looking exclusively visually whether you like it or not.

All this time I have been painting exclusively with white or, using a pipette, taking the color directly from the drawing when I was doing total weight for the spot on the right where the sun will be. But for the cloud, I also took a dark blue color and added it below and a little between the white. Since the light falls on the cloud from above, the small one will be from below. It is almost invisible, but gives a feeling of volume.

Armed again (and again, again) with a soft brush with a high opacity (about 70%), I added details to the clouds on the left, giving them a little more volume. And again, I do this with very smooth and short strokes. Sometimes I just make dots.

I then took a light yellow color and added it to the top right corner (soft round brush with low opacity (~30%) and large diameter) where I have the sun. Remember to keep the top left corner dark and clean. You can add a little purple there to enhance the depth.

Further actions are not much different from all previous ones. I enhance the white on the feather clouds using small and large diameters with varying degrees of opacity. If I don’t like a place, I don’t erase it, but paint over it with a large diameter brush and then detail it again. If you erase, you will end up with a tear, which will be more difficult to fix later than to paint over it.

I clean the sky where there are no clouds, as it has become a little dirty with a lighter color. I smooth out the transitions from dark blue and down to light. All this is done simply with the same brush with a large diameter and low opacity.

The process is coming to an end. I again process all the clouds a little and reduce the saturation at the very bottom. It seemed to me that the clouds there were unnecessary. They stuck to the bottom of the picture, removing the feeling of volume. I reduce the saturation very simply - with a brush with a large diameter and low opacity, I simply paint over it. The main thing here is not to regret what you drew.

Advice: In such cases, try painting on separate layer, and then play with its transparency settings, choosing the interval that seems most ideal to you. And when you are satisfied, merge the layers.

I filled the remaining space with two stripes from the airplane using a cloud brush with different opacity and diameter.

1. First, I painted one stripe with a thin round soft brush, then I duplicated it and, after turning it a little as I needed the transformation, I placed it side by side.
2. Having increased the resolution, I used the cloud brush with 100% transparency to go over the entire length of the stripes, gradually increasing the radius of the brush.
3. Switching to the eraser, I lowered its opacity and set the cloud brush as the eraser brush and corrected the stripes, which I had a little spread out to the sides, since the cloud brush did not lie in a straight line.
4. Using the same eraser, but with a larger diameter, I wiped the tail a little, making it more transparent and dissolved in the sky.
5. Well, then I painted the plane itself with a couple of strokes. In such a situation, the plane is drawn simply with a hard round brush and white. That is, we draw only the glare from the sun. That's all.

I slightly increase the contrast automatically and see that I like the result better this way, although the difference is not too noticeable. I add a filter Render->Lens Flare (Filter - Rendering - Glare), setting the point with the “sun” in the upper right corner. I leave all values ​​at default.

Tip: If this results in circles in the top corner, go over it with a brush to mask the effect of the filter.

That's all!

I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the lesson on how to draw a sky and hope that you were able to repeat the lesson. Now you can pay attention to the lesson “” - it is just as interesting and exciting. Share this lesson with your friends on social media. networks.

When sketching a composition that includes clouds, you need to decide how large a part they will take up in the final version. Do you just want to dilute the monochromatic sky with them, or have you decided to highlight the clouds and draw them in detail? Once the decision is made, follow these step-by-step instructions.

We will focus on cumulus clouds, which are most often encountered in the works. Cumulus clouds have the most in different forms, they are dense and can be snow-white or menacingly dark. Below are three examples of images of cumulus clouds.

1. Wide and vague cloud

A cumulus cloud is usually voluminous; blue pieces of the sky are visible through it. It is dense, not as thin as feather, and the most different sizes, so it’s interesting to draw him. To create it, you need to depict several torn pieces of the sky.

Step 1

To keep it simple, I used a plain white sheet of watercolor paper and one color - blue. Start with sketches of “holes” torn at the edges - the sky peeking through the clouds. Do not press down on the pencil so that the lines can be hidden as you draw or erased with an eraser.

Wet the paper, including the areas you just drew. Apply with light strokes blue paint to "holes".

Leave the piece of paper (or at least the part with the sky) to dry for half an hour.

Step 2

Believe it or not, you are already one step away from the final result! Add more blue paint to the areas drawn in step 1. While the paper was drying, the blue color probably covered the outline made in pencil. This is good! This will make the clouds look natural.

Another uneven layer of blue color on damp paper it will spread in some places and remain in others. This is the effect we need.

Brighten the color here and there and enjoy the end result.

2. Volume cloud

Such cumulus clouds are most often drawn. It is in them, smoothly gliding across the sky, that we try to discern familiar outlines. Good news The thing is that these clouds are drawn very simply.

Step 1

Draw a curved round or oval shape. Since working on children's books, I have been making the edges of the clouds sharp, as in the example below. Do not draw thick lines, just make a sketch that can be easily erased if something happens.

Inside the cloud, draw several hill-like lines.

Step 2

Wet the area outside the cloud, leaving the cloud itself completely dry. Paint over the sky.

Step 3

Start working on the cloud when the sky is completely dry. For a depth effect, highlight the convex parts of the cloud gray shades(#1 in the picture below).

Wet the area bordering the cloud "hills" and make grey colour richer. Blend the edges with a brush (#2 in the picture below).

3. Spectacular cloud

Such clouds appear when the weather changes. When creating a cumulus cloud, it is important to remember the dense white areas, especially in fluffy and undulating clouds.

Step 1

Draw the outline of the cloud as in the previous example. This time, place the bumps one on top of the other and add “hills” both inside the cloud and along its edges.

Step 2

Wet the whole sky. You can moisten the cloud itself a little, this will make the work more interesting and give the cloud an impressive appearance (#1 in the picture below).

In the process of creating volume, I saturated the color on the tops of the hills. This is another way to achieve a 3D effect.

2 ways to depict a cirrus cloud

Cirrus clouds indicate good weather and are light and high in the sky. Cirrus clouds are pockmarked and hazy white, similar to marble and sea ​​wave. They can be drawn in two ways.

Blue on white

Wet the sky area and apply a few swirls of blue. Leave the paper to dry and highlight the curls again. Repeat the process a third time. This will give the color a volume effect and make the edges soft. Areas with sharp edges will fit perfectly into the final painting, so don't worry if the paper dries unevenly.

White on blue

Using this method, you apply materials to the finished blue sky.

The picture below shows a sky I made. I painted it, let it dry, mixed white gouache with a little water and made a couple of light strokes with it. Once again, wet the brush and soften the too sharp edges - and the drawing is ready! You can even use white pastel.

Use as many materials as possible

My cloud making instructions will work with other materials as well. I give an example of a three-dimensional cumulus cloud made with coal.

I painted the sky and cloud shadows with horizontal strokes, varying the pressure to create light and shadow.
Even the most ordinary clouds can become the heroes of an illustration that will delight you.

What will you create

Do you also sometimes admire the incredible beauty of the sky? In this tutorial I will tell you how to draw beautiful, realistic clouds with Adobe Help Photoshop.

I'll teach you how to create cumulus, cirrus and thunderclouds using different brushes. Along the way, I'll share my favorite tools and techniques for creating incredible, realistic effects.

Looking for image sources? These drawings, for example, were inspired by Envato's amazing collections of clouds. You can search for quality stock images here.

How to work with almost any cloud image

Many people are against using image sources because they fear that this approach will lead to laziness. However, this view is a little outdated.

We absolutely need to understand what we see!

Most of what we draw imitates existing objects. And for this lesson it is important to understand that in your drawing you can imitate general atmosphere or composition of any photograph. Try to recreate some special moments that you can also change to create your own effect.

I'll be using a few stock images from Envato Elements. You can also look for your own sources if you feel the need.

I didn't rely too much on the first image, while the other two helped me create different color and lighting schemes. This is another reason to keep stock images on hand.

Organize your workplace

Now you need to organize your workplace so that it is convenient for you to look at the source.

Click Window>Arrange>2-UpVertical(Window > Arrange > 2 Up, Vertical).

This solution is very convenient if you prefer to keep the source in a separate file: it will help you better study the photo for realistic details.

Now let's draw!

1. How to draw a regular cumulus cloud

Step 1

Let's start with the background!

In Photoshop, create a new document that is 900 by 450 pixels and 300 pixels per inch. Small documents are good for practice.

Click on the background layer to create a new one. Then add a layer style Gradient Overlay(Gradient Overlay, type - linear) sky blue (using the following shades: #b3d0dd, #90dcff and #68c1f0) with the following settings:

Translator's note: In the screenshot of the layer style settings: Blending mode - Normal, Opacity - 100%, checkbox in the Align to layer column, Angle - 95 degrees, Scale - 81%.

Here's what happens:

To complete the following steps, you will need a graphics tablet.

Then, using a large round soft brush, paint a soft blue dot (color #3a6997) - this will be a shadow, and the cloud will stand out well against it.

Step 2

On a new layer:

Using a hard round brush (100% Hardness(hardness) and Opacity(opacity)) draw a cloud shape using #adb7c0 color. Start with a simple shape before moving on to more complex ones.

Start placing light shadows on the cloud.

Make a new layer a clipping mask to the original layer and change its blending mode to Multiply(Multiplication). Use the same color as before to paint the shadows on the cloud, and a clipping mask will help keep the shadows where you want them.

Start painting with a brush at 100% Hardness and Opacity, then gradually lower both values ​​as you soften the shadow.

Translator's note: The names of the layers in the screenshot from top to bottom: (clipping mask layer) 0% Hardness, (clipping mask layer) 100% Hardness, cloud, shadow, Layer 0 (background layer with Gradient Overlay layer style)

Step 3

Create the main texture.

Using the brushes from the previous set, paint light, curved vertices on the cloud. Use white and light gray (#94a8bc) to start creating your lighting scheme right away.

Translator's note: the author uses the “Wet Gouache” and “Quick Acrylic Strokes” brushes from the set offered to her with sizes of 80 and 175 pixels, respectively.

Add some blue from the background and then combine the clipping masks and the original cloud shape.

I used Fast Acrylic and Wet Gouache brushes for this step.

Lightly erase hard edges with a tool eraser(Eraser) (E) with 20-40% opacity.

Step 4

Now that we have good basis, we can move on!

As before, start drawing more shadows on the cloud. Zoom in to 200% to draw in the texture lines, this will add extra depth. Check that the option is enabled PenPressureforOpacity(Using pressure to determine opacity).

Switch to a hard round brush with opacity adjustment using pressure from standard set brushes Use it to work on small areas where the cloud merges with the sky.

Clouds have pockets of light and shadow (see below), so further plan out the areas where you want to create depth and movement. Add some gray flecks for a realistic transition.

Step 5

Let the cloud evolve naturally. Return to your sources periodically, but don't let them distract you.

Using a soft round brush with 0% opacity, surround the cloud with a soft mist.

Step 6

Let's adjust the colors using adjustment layers.

First, add a new adjustment layer GradientMap(gradient map) light blue (#c6cbd4 and #b4cbdc), change the blending mode to ColorBurn(Darkening the base).

Create a new adjustment layer Levels(Levels) with settings as in the screenshot below. This will add the definition that is needed for this look.

Step 7

Now that we have achieved the required intensity, we can move on to drawing the details. First, let's balance the sky.

A quick way to paint the sky is to simply use a new layer. Paint on it with a soft round brush using a light blue color.

Change the opacity constantly and don't worry if it looks sloppy!

A soft brush is best for cirrus clouds, but a hard edge will help highlight the details.

Continue working on the background, adding small clouds somewhere in the distance. Create a sense of depth by drawing clouds of fog around the cloud.

Step 8

Now that we have it required colors, we can focus on the finishing touches.

Add new layers and try to paint swirls on them using brushes various forms. Switch to brush Chalk(Chalk) to add realism to your clouds - the extra texture will instantly make them look more alive and real.

Finally, add a touch of yellow to show the impact. sunlight on the cloud and sky.

And here is the final image!

2. How to draw thunderclouds

Step 1

To depict a thundercloud, we will have to change the lighting scheme.

Let's start from the sky. Create a document with the same settings as before. Right click on the first layer and go to BlendingOptions(Blending Options).

Select GradientOverlay(Gradient Overlay) and use #373984 and #6364ad to create a purple gradient.

Translator's note: In the screenshot, the layer style settings are: Blend Mode - Normal, Opacity - 100%, Angle - 90 degrees, Scale - 95%.

This is what you should get:

Step 2

I felt that there was no need to create sketches for these drawings. For me personally, the best way to start is to create a new layer and paint the cloud shape in purple (#5354a6).

As before, I create a clipping mask for each shape to paint the first layer of light and shadow.

At this stage I used the tool Brush(Brush) (B), namely a soft round brush with 0% hardness and 50% opacity.

Draw as you see it. To represent the shadows, draw dark (#33367f) round bumps, and lighter dots to represent the lighter areas. It will look very strange at first, but clipping masks will help you develop your skills.

Create a new layer under the clouds layer. On it, add a soft (brush opacity 1-40%) white glow behind the clouds, because now it’s too dark.

Step 3

Add more background elements. Start with dark fluffy clouds and then add shadow at the bottom of the picture - this is our city. Use the tool to select colors Eyedropper(Edropper) (E), and paint using the shades that are already present in the image.

On new layers draw lightning bolts.

Trust your intuition. Please note that the drawing changes as I change the original composition. (https://elements.envato.com/lightnings-in-genova-PT5D3YJ?_ga=2.159379450.1386686125.1504629647-250820929.1491318132)

Now mix, mix, mix!

Lower Hardness(hardness) to 0% and soften the sky on new layers. Make it big, bold, and swirly

movements so that the result looks like real clouds.

Continue working on the drawing. Try to achieve a softer result before moving on to details. Later, once you have mastered the foreground details, it will be more difficult to soften the background elements.

You can also play a little with the shape of the cloud in the top left corner to make it more interesting.

Step 4

Take the tool Gradient(Gradient) (G) and select a linear gradient from black to transparent.

Use it to draw a deep shadow that dissipates towards the top. Adjust the opacity if necessary. This will symbolize the city. Sketch out the lightning.

Add an adjustment layer ColorLookup(Search for color). Change the 3DLUT file to Fuji F125 Kodak 2393.

Then intensify the colors even more with an adjustment layer. Brightness/Contrast(Brightness/Contrast, settings 54/34 respectively).

Step 5

Use a soft round brush to create fluffy clouds. Thunderclouds are very hard, so we will need to paint on multiple layers.

For achievement best result experiment with opacity. High opacity is good for sharp details, while lower opacity values ​​are good for blending similar tonal colors.

If you have to press too hard on the tablet, the opacity is too low. This can create discomfort - believe me, I know!

Continue working on the drawing. Study the light as it passes through the clouds.

Make the city darker, and add bright, clear lines - these are our lightning bolts.

Step 6

If you think the drawing is too dull, then brighten it up!

Use an adjustment layer Brightness/Contrast(Brightness/Contrast, settings 25/39 respectively).

Step 7

LinearDodge(Add) (Linear brightener (add)).

Use a soft purple color to paint the lightning to make it shine. Enlarge the image and add specks of red, green and white at the bottom. This will create an image of a small town, and the image will be even more impressive.

Don't forget to look at the original from time to time!

Too intense colors? Change them using an adjustment layer.

Add an adjustment layer ColorLookup(Color Lookup) with 3DLUT 2Strip.look file. Lower Opacity(opacity) up to 47%.

As always, continue working on the drawing until you are happy with the result. For example, I decided to add small white dots to create the effect of a starry sky.

Small details can make a big difference to your drawing, making it even more impressive - don't forget about them!

And here is my final drawing of thunderclouds.

3. How to draw cirrus clouds

Step 1

Let's move on to the last drawing!

Cirrus clouds are very mysterious. They are a mixture of soft, delicate shapes and hard highlights. I recommend doing this part with a regular color scheme. The colors of the sunset are certainly beautiful, but they can make the lesson difficult and confusing.

Nevertheless, if you feel a surge of courage, let's get started.

Create a document with the same settings as before and start working on the background. Go to BlendingOptions(Blending Options), select GradientOverlay(Gradient Overlay) and use #334b82 and #b5c1dc to create a gradient.

Translator's note: In the screenshot, the layer style settings are: Blending Mode - Normal, Opacity - 100%, Angle - -85 degrees, Scale - 93%.

This is what happens.

Step 2

Using a hard round brush with 100% opacity at the bottom of the drawing brown draw the ground - this will be the basis of the composition.

Apply rich sunset colors (#ffa466, #ce6764) using the previously mentioned acrylic brush.

Let's highlight the sky!

Create a new layer and change its blending mode to Overlay(Overlap). Using a tool GradientTool(Gradient) (G) Create a gradient from blue (#335f8e) to transparent. The sky looks better now!

Gradient overlay, before and after.

Step 4

Using a soft round brush, add silky textures to create a pleasing, harmonious look. Try not to linger for a long time on one section of the composition, periodically switching from one to another.

Add light yellow and blue shades. Enlarge your drawing by 200% and make sure your shadows are fluid. It's important to go back to the source here.

Continue to soften and blend the colors, even if you feel like you could add more clouds.

Step 5

Add a new adjustment layer Curves(Curves).

In the RGB channel, make the curve high to enhance the contrast.

Don't miss the opportunity to apply the skills we learned while creating the previous two drawings.

Cirrus clouds are not rigid clouds. Here it is important to draw swirls of clouds in different directions as if they were swimming - this will make the drawing more characteristic and add movement.

Continue working on the sky, painting with bright orange flowers above the ground to show that the sun is setting/rising. Adjust the lighting on the ground to enhance the composition.

Multiply(Multiplication) and draw the ground in green.

Reduce the brush size but increase the opacity. Add some detail - draw small patches of grass.

Create a new layer, blending mode - Overlay(Overlap). Paint with bright yellow and orange colors to create beautiful effect sunlight.

Drawing on a tablet requires a lot of time and patience. It doesn't matter how many hours pass - keep working.

Finally, enlarge the drawing and put the details in order. Use a hard round brush with 100% opacity to get rid of any fuzzy areas. You can also experiment with adjustment layers to make your drawing even more impressive.

Before and after using a hard brush.

Here is the last drawing of clouds. Below you can find them all.

That's all!

Don't forget to bookmark this tutorial - it will help you in future projects!

Drawing nature is one of the most the best ways development. Carefully study the sources and approach the work process wisely - this is how you can achieve the best results.

Start by just looking up
Ever since some artist friends encouraged me to paint the sky in one of my works, I have always focused on clouds. I am still amazed at the beauty that can be seen just by looking at the sky! Over the last couple of years I have been learning the importance of properly shading skies and adding clouds to enhance the overall composition of my landscapes. I think I could spend hours fiddling with each of the white clubs!

Start looking up and studying the clouds. Take pictures of them and you will be surprised at what you will begin to “see”!

What is the sky for?
Is adding it important? There is not a cloud in the sky, so why extinguish it then? I thought about this. On my website there is early works, in which the sky is without tinting. Enough for a long time I didn’t even “see” the shades in the sky. And this continued until I noticed the effect of adding a shaded sky to the landscape. Here are some of the features that a tinted sky brings to a drawing:

- Increasing the range of shades you have at your disposal. Now, the whiteness of the paper can only show highlights, for example.
— Uniformity in the composition of your drawing.
— Increasing the sense of reality of your landscape.
— Adding atmosphere and “mood” to the plot.

In a subsequent series of drawings illustrating the importance of a tinted sky and showing why sky and clouds are preferred in landscape composition, I chose a very simple white barn subject - the only change I made was the addition of sky and clouds.

The first picture shows a drawing without a sky. It is very empty and the sky (the whiteness of the paper) merges with the barn.

The second picture has been improved by shading the sky. White barn now
focal point, as the darkened sky emphasizes and simultaneously makes the entire scene much brighter.

The third picture combines both the tinted sky and the addition of clouds. Clouds add depth to the scene, diminishing with distance. For the viewer, they also create a visual impression of one directional flow. The clouds lead the eye through the entire drawing and naturally add interest.

Cloud types
Stratus – thin, light clouds
Cumulus - white lush, soft, fluffy
Gloomy rain clouds - dark thunderclouds
Backlit clouds at sunset

Tips:
— The clouds are lighter at the horizon and darker the higher in the sky.
— Clouds are subject to perspective - the further away they are, the smaller and denser they are to each other
— As long as the sky is not the central part of the design, thin, light or small clouds work well.
- Use clouds to guide the viewer through the landscape.
— Clouds have shape and volume - they do not have edges or any lines.
- The darker the clouds, the darker the base tone should be (this will allow you to use large quantity shades)

Necessary materials:
This is a list of materials that I personally prefer to use. Naturally, some of them can be replaced. Experimentation and practice should adapt this technique to your drawing style.

— Mechanical pencil H and 2H (0.5 mm)
- Suede
— Shading — small
— Nag
— Small ruler (or ruler)
— Thick paper (Strathmore)
— Makeup brush

4 stages of drawing the sky with clouds:

Step 1 – Cross Hatching
When cross-hatching, I usually hold my hand up. I think that's the only thing complete absence pressure on the pencil allows you to create light and consistent strokes.

I apply cross-strokes on the paper with three layers of graphite, softness N. The first layer is applied horizontally. The next two are diagonal.

Step 2 - shading

Using wrapped around index finger suede, level the graphite layer. Shading with suede is done with even, firm pressure. You may need to swipe the chamois several times to achieve an even tone. Confidently blend the edges of the work area, even going into buildings, trees and beyond the horizon. Then it will be much easier to erase with an eraser than to paint over

missing parts.

Avoid touching the surface of the paper with your fingers. This is precisely the reason for the magical appearance of stains or fingerprints during the shading process. Once they appear, it is very difficult to correct (unless they coincide with where the clouds will later be) and it often happened that I had to start from the very beginning!

I'll add 2 more layers of intersecting strokes with a 2H pencil and blend them again with chamois. This will complete the alignment perfectly. I align the borders of the drawing using a ruler and a kneader.

Step 3 – Outlining the Clouds


I use a plastic Mars eraser with a cut edge; and with its help I draw
clouds in the sky. For light, thin clouds, I take a blob and simply run it over the surface of the paper a few times.

Step 4 – Detailing

Use a 2H pencil to outline the dark areas near the white cloud tops. To shade and work out the details, you will need shading here. By shading, erasing and applying new layers of graphite, clouds appear on the paper. We soften the clouds with nag. To give the clouds a darker hue, darken the background sky. This will allow the white fluffy clouds to take shape and become heavier. Remember that if the focus of your work is not on the clouds, they should not compete with the rest of the landscape. They should remain subtle and unobtrusively guide the viewer's gaze through the entire plot. Typically, I use wisps and faint clouds in most of my landscapes.

As a rule, it takes me 5-8 hours just to draw the sky and clouds.
PATIENCE is the key to creating great clouds.

It is worth once mastering the technique of creating soft tones and basic types of clouds. And then an endless number of variations and possibilities will appear before you. Every season, every day, every hour, every moment, the sky changes its mood and shape, thereby giving inexhaustible source inspiration for working on landscapes.

Images of sunsets and twilight
In front of you quick sketch(about an hour) clouds in the early evening, the sun is just beginning to set. The clouds are backlit by the sun and therefore darker than the sky. The trees are mostly in the shade and most of the details are muted. This is a small drawing - approximately 11x18cm. The sky tone is lighter than the clouds and is just a reversal of the regular cloud pattern.

http://demiart.ru/

Original by Diane Wright