Last Sunday I taught the second online masterclass LIVE... ...No pressuurrre!
Actually, it was a great session, packed full to bursting with tips and advice. This one was all about painting clouds and how to get them to look realistic and full of movement.
Clouds seem to be a source of frustration for lots of painters. They set out with good intentions to make light, airy, billowing clouds and then end up with them looking like a string of sausages or bricks in the sky, or generally just a bit flat and lifeless.
In the class I talked about how to approach the structure of clouds , because they can be a little tricky to get your head around.
For starters, they're always in motion and the nature of them is constantly shifting; there are changes according to the weather conditions, the wind, the direction of light, the time of day, etc.
Although they're made up of particles of moisture, so are essentially just vapour, they do also have a specific structure according to their type, and they follow certain 'rules'.
Another thing to consider is that when you see a clear blue sky with white fluffy clouds dancing across them, the temptation is to paint using just blue and white.
This is where you might come unstuck! You can end up with a sky full of big white 'blobs'. It's like painting everything with the only the 'highlight' and missing out all the delicate nuances of colour that are picked up in clouds especially in the shadows.
In fact, it's worth remembering that because clouds are essentially made of moisture, they also reflect and refract light, and they cast shadows within themselves. So, they're actually FULL of colour!
They also are three dimensional forms and, as such, follow the rules of both linear and atmospheric perspective. When you keep these aspects in mind it becomes easier to add a 3D quality and realism to your clouds.
Don't worry if you missed the live class, the recording has now been lightly edited and is now available inside a dedicated course area on my website. You can buy it buy HERE now...
In the meantime, when you are out and about, take a few moments to look up.
I mean it! Really try to study what you see in the clouds, and ask yourself these questions:
- Where is the light hitting them?
- Where are the shadows?
- How many subtle colours can you detect?
- How are they moving?
- What structure or form do they have?
- Where do the edges appear crisp and where are they soft?
When you start to really pay attention to these things you will start to notice them in your paintings too, and often it's just NOTICING that's half the battle!
Happy painting!
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