Watercolor Sky Techniques For Better Results

Sep 23, 2024

Skies are an inspirational sight and have the power to elevate a scene. Therefore, it is often that I’m asked about how to paint dynamic, colorful skies in watercolor landscapes. 

Skies are loose and ever-changing, so you have to relinquish some control over the process when you paint them. Replicating a sky from a reference is difficult, but you can get close by recreating the mood of a particular sky. 

Today, I offer you a tutorial of an evening sky in a simple landscape. Try your hand at this scene and have a little fun with the colors as you go! 

Paint the Sky Watercolor Tutorial

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How to Paint the Sky with Watercolors

My video follows the whole watercolor painting process for this scene and is designed for you to be able to practice an evening sky on your own easel. Additionally, I pinpoint four important watercolor techniques that are essential to painting this sky - and really any sky!

1. Include a Full Spectrum of Values

The first thing to keep in mind is that a sky is most successful when you include light values, middle values, and dark values. You want it all because the light values only stand out when they’re contrasted with the darks. 

I almost always paint from light to dark, so I start with the lightest, brightest area of the sky (in this painting, that is the yellow hues) and work toward the bolder, darker areas. As you watch the video, you’ll see that this bright area really pops when I add in the middle and dark values.

2. Carefully Create the Right Paint Consistency

Paint consistency is determined by the ratio between paint and water. And finding that right consistency in our medium is essential. 

For the first part of my sky, I load my natural mop brush with lots of water and lots of paint. This creates the conditions for a loose, wet-into-wet first wash. Colors mix nicely with soft edges. 

But then, when I come back through to paint the darker, more distinctly-shaped clouds, I switch to a synthetic brush that doesn’t hold as much water. This allows me to create harder edges and shapes that stand out from the soft-edged background colors. 

3. Mix Your Blues and Yellows Strategically

You likely learned very early in life that when you mix blue and yellow, you get green. Unless you’re painting solid blue skies, you might encounter some challenges keeping green out of the mix. 

Often when I am painting a sky, I am using cool colors like Ultramarine Blue and Cerulean Blue, and warm colors like Raw Sienna and Quinacridone Gold.

The key to avoiding green is to use a transition color between your cool colors and your warm colors. I use Rose Madder Permanent or Alizarin Crimson as a transition. Both help neutralize the colors and keep them from reading as green.

For a demonstration of this mixing technique, check out this older video about avoiding greens in your skies

4. Consider Timing as You Paint Your Sky

Timing is also important as you paint skies. If you want colors to mix and mingle in the gorgeous, trademark way that watercolors do, you’ll need to pace yourself with the drying of the paper. 

I started this painting by wetting both sides of the paper to give myself the most time to work wet-into-wet. In some ways, you’re working against the clock as you apply colors to the wet work space. Once the paint dries, you’re bound to get harder edges and less mixing. 

Follow This Tutorial to Paint a Simple Sky

I hope these 4 watercolor sky tips help you as you endeavor to paint gorgeous skies in your watercolor scenes. Let me know how your paintings turn out and what lessons you’ve taken away. 

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