How to Improve Your Watercolor Timing and Paint Mixing Skills: Cloud Tutorial
Mar 10, 2025If you've been following me for a little while, you'll note that I have been offering monthly Intuitive Watercolor Practices that are meant to build your skill outside of painting an entire finished scene. Here's what I've offered so far in this series:
Today, I continue this pattern with a focus on watercolor skies.
Supplies for Watercolor Skies
First things first - what do you need to paint a dynamic and believable sky?
I am painting on Saunders Waterford Cold Press 140lb paper, and I have my surface tilted to 35 degrees.
For this sky practice I used:
- a large mop brush
- a medium round brush, and
- a size 18 Escoda Perla brush (synthetic).
Here are the list of pigments I used for this painting:
- Lavender + Raw Sienna = light grey
- Add more Lavender for a darker hue
- Add Neutral Tint for an even darker hue
- Add Cobalt Blue if it gets too cool
- Neutral Tint + Cobalt Blue + Lavender + water = Blue-Grey
- Add Rose Madder Permanent for a little more variety
- Cerulean + Cobalt Blue = Rich Blue at the top of the sky
Caution - Do Not Attempt to Replicate a Sky
Here is the reference photo I used to paint my sky.
Notice the goal with my painting was not to copy the sky exactly as it appears in the picture, but to use it as inspiration.
It is nearly impossible to replicate a sky reference. If you try to copy a sky with precision, what will end up happening is each step will take too long and the paint will dry up. You need the wet paper for the soft edges and the paint mixing, so don't make this process harder on you than it needs to be.
From the get-go, accept that you're painting an impression of the sky.
How Practicing Skies Can Build Your Skills
When you take on smaller, less complicated subjects like skies, figures, or trees, you allow yourself the freedom to focus on specific skills. In the long run, this will result in more refined skills as you take on full watercolor scenes.
With these small practice sessions, you can learn about paint mixing, paint consistency, and get a feel for the effect you get on paper with varying degrees of moisture. You're able to practice your brush marks with less attachment to the finished product. You can experiment with different brushes, shapes, and approaches to a painting.
Do these practices often; your skills will grow and transfer over when you paint a complete watercolor scene.
Next Week
Discerning readers/viewers may have noticed that last week's topic is the one featured at the end of this video, leaving next week's topic a mystery.
We had a little mix up with the order of videos this month, but not to worry - you can find the landscape video HERE and next week we'll talk about Finding Your Watercolor Style.
Sorry for any confusion!
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