When you're painting watercolor landscapes, it's always smart to cast the beautiful sky in a prominent role. Its colors, its variation, and its light is mesmerizing. And whether you're painting a nocturne, a luminous morning, or a bright mid-day, the sky is key. 

Today, I am going to teach you, step-by-step, how I painted a simple, yet gorgeous sky. 

How to Paint a Sky in Watercolor

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What Colors Do I Need to Paint the Sky in Watercolor?

The answer to this question depends on the sky your are trying to depict, but the colors I use in this tutorial are:

• Ultramarine Blue + Rose Madder Permanent + Raw Sienna = subtle grey for underside of clouds (add Payne's Grey if you'd like)
• Ultramarine Blue (or Cobalt) + Cerulean = blue of sky (vary amount of water to achieve different values)
• Rose Madder Permanent + Raw Sienna = area directly above horizon 

Of course, if you are depicting a sunset or sunrise, you'll want to mix some yellows and maybe some reds. In fact, one of the most fascinating parts of the sky are its colors. Sometimes you even see pink, purple, and orange. 

How Do I Use Negative Painting When Painting the Sky with Watercolor Paint?

Negative painting is when you create a shape by painting around it, leaving the white of the paper (or a previously painted wash) to create the desired shape. 

In this painting of the sky, I use negative painting to paint the clouds. I paint the underside of the clouds and the blue of the sky around the clouds, leaving the white of the paper for the clouds themselves. This allows me to create the shape of the cloud as I go, varying my brush marks and creating harder or softer edges around the clouds as I go along. 

Watercolor Tips When Painting the Sky 

Here are a few watercolor tips that will improve the quality of your skies:

• Vary your brush marks. I use a large mop brush and a smaller pointed brush in this painting, and with both, I intentionally vary the marks I make to create a dynamic, natural-looking sky. 
• Use more water in your mix as you get closer to the horizon line. The value of your colors should be darkest at the top and lighter as you progress down toward the horizon. You can use the same mix of blue and simply add more water to lighten it as you go.
• Create thinner lines of clouds that are closer together as you near the horizon line. Take some time to observe the clouds and notice how the lower they are in the sky, the closer together they tend to be. Getting this right in your paintings helps your skies look more realistic. 
• Don't try to replicate your reference photo. It can be tempting to want to copy a beautiful splay of clouds exactly, but this is a difficult (if not impossible) feat. Focus instead on the overall feeling and atmosphere of your sky. Stay present to the way paint and water are working in your painting and work on creating a compelling backdrop to your watercolor landscape.

The Sky as a Watercolor Subject

It happens often that the sky takes my breath away. I have to stop what I am doing, take a moment to absorb its beauty, and take a picture or two. 

The sky is one of my favorite subjects because of the power it has to set an atmosphere and enhance the landscape. Its color, light, and variation is fascinating.

So I practice it frequently and often. 

You'll be surprised at the progress you'll see if you practice painting the sky a couple times a week. For some guidance, come back to this tutorial as many times as you'd like - or check out the demos below to expand your skillset. 

Related Videos:

Tutorial on How to Paint a Midday Sky

My Watercolor Process: Painting Bright Winter Light

Painting Clouds and Skies in Watercolor