3 Ways To Paint Clouds - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Paint Clouds PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Kelly Medford

Last Updated: February 24, 2025

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  • Painting Clouds in Acrylic
    • |
  • Creating Clouds with Watercolor
    • |
  • Painting Clouds in Oil
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was co-authored by Kelly Medford. Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art. This article has been viewed 187,863 times.

Painting clouds can be difficult if you don't know the right technique. If done wrong, they can look too heavy. It takes a light touch, and how you do it depends on the type of paint you are using. In this article, you'll find techniques to create clouds in acrylic, watercolor, and oil paints.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Painting Clouds in Acrylic

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  1. Step 1 Create the background first. 1 Create the background first. Whether you are creating a graduated blue sky or a sunrise, create the background before adding in the clouds.
  2. Step 2 Start with a clean, dry brush. 2 Start with a clean, dry brush. That is, don't add any water to the brush before you use it. Pour out white paint on your palette. Add a little bit of white to the brush. Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Decide where you want your clouds to go. 3 Decide where you want your clouds to go. You can do a landscaped painting with clouds just at the top. Alternatively, you can have the clouds be the whole painting.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 4 Brush the white on in light strokes. In gentle curving motions, brush the white onto the canvas. Keep the pressure light.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 5 Expand the edges. Push the edges of the cloud out with your brush. Try to create the edges when you're running out of paint. That technique will give the clouds softer, feathery edges.
  6. Step 6 Wait for the white to dry. 6 Wait for the white to dry. It will make it easier to add the shading underneath.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 7 Add shading. Create a grey for the shading. You can create a dark purple to use for grey with a deep blue, a rosy color, and a brown-red color. You can also create your own grey combination.
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 8 Use a different dry brush. Add a tiny bit of the grey to the brush. Wipe off any excess. Gently brush the underside of the clouds to give them depth.
  9. Step 9 Make the clouds smaller near the horizon. 9 Make the clouds smaller near the horizon. Things off in the distance look smaller, so make your clouds smaller and fuzzier as you approach the horizon. To make them fuzzier, add even less paint to your brush when you create them.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Creating Clouds with Watercolor

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  1. Step 1 Make sure you have enough paint in your mix. 1 Make sure you have enough paint in your mix. The paint will dry about half as light as it first looks on the paper. So it should look a little brighter than is natural when you're first painting.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 2 Lightly dampen the paper. Paint clean water across the paper, making it slightly damp.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 3 Add a bit of yellow ocher at the bottom. Gently paint in a light coating of yellow ocher near the bottom of the sky.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 4 Fill your brush with ultramarine and water. Make it fairly dark. Paint across the top of the canvas with it.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 5 Paint a lighter swath underneath the first. Add more water to your brush. Add more of the ultramarine. Paint underneath the top color, slightly overlapping. Make it lighter than the first layer.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 6 Keep adding lighter layers. You want to create a fading effect towards the bottom layer. The bottom layer should be a mix of pale yellow and a light bit of blue, as you already painted the bottom yellow ocher.
  7. Step 7 Dry off your brush. 7 Dry off your brush. Wash the brush in the water, then dry it out on a paper towel.
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 8 Roll the brush across the sky. The dry brush will pick up the pigment and color from the page, leaving white areas for clouds. As you roll, you can curve the brush slightly to create the look of clouds.
  9. Step 9 Dry the brush again. 9 Dry the brush again. Between clouds, you will need to dry off the brush again. Otherwise, the brush will leave paint rather than absorbing it.
  10. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 10 Add some grey. Using a strong grey (such as a purely mix of red and ultramarine), brush it on the underside of one part of the cloud. Leave the other side in white to show where the light is hitting it.
  11. Step 11 Remember to work quickly. 11 Remember to work quickly. Watercolors dry quickly, so you must work fast to create this effect.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Painting Clouds in Oil

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  1. Step 1 Create a background. 1 Create a background. Depending on the time of day, you could choose a light blue or a dark greyish purple. Paint the whole background in broad, even strokes.
  2. Step 2 Let the oil paint dry. 2 Let the oil paint dry. If you don't let it dry, you'll pick up the background paint in the clouds.[1]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 3 Sketch out the clouds. Using a dry brush, add some white and black to the background color you used. Sketch out the basic areas where the clouds will go with the brush.[2]
    • Think of clouds as boxes that have perspective so you can make them look like they have depth.[3]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 4 Layer over the clouds in lighter colors. Create shapes in the lighter colors. Work in circles to create cloud effects.[4]
    • To create lighter colors, add white to the original paint color as you go.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Paint Clouds 5 Add in patches of the background color. If you want to outline the clouds, you can add in areas of the background color.[5]
    • Most shadows in clouds are still lighter in color and value than the sky.[6]
  6. Step 6 Add highlights in a cream color. 6 Add highlights in a cream color. You don't want the final highlights to be too stark against the other colors, so use an off-white or cream. Brush it around the shapes you created earlier, highlighting the tops of the clouds.[7]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question how do i paint clouds with acrylic paint Rosie V. Rosie V. Community Answer You should use a rounded brush. Don't put too much paint on, a small amount should do the trick. Start by doing very soft circles and continue to move the brush in a circular motion as you move it outwards. Make it into any shape you want! It's your painting, so do whatever you feel looks good. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 31
  • Question The water could damage the paper if you do not put an even layer. Are there any ways to prevent this from happening? Lauren Fisher Lauren Fisher Community Answer If you're painting using watercolours, you can buy paper that is especially made for watercolours. The water doesn't damage this type of paper. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 4
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Video

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Tips

  • Use small circular motions. It will create a better effect than large motions. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  • Don't use too much paint when painting your clouds. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Depending on the type of paint you use, it may stain your skin or your clothes. Wear old clothes or an apron. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 3
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.from-sketch-to-oil-painting.com/oilpaintingtechniques-scumbling.html
  2. ↑ http://www.from-sketch-to-oil-painting.com/oilpaintingtechniques-scumbling.html
  3. ↑ Kelly Medford. Professional Artist. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ http://www.from-sketch-to-oil-painting.com/oilpaintingtechniques-scumbling.html
  5. ↑ http://www.from-sketch-to-oil-painting.com/oilpaintingtechniques-scumbling.html
  6. ↑ Kelly Medford. Professional Artist. Expert Interview
  7. ↑ http://www.from-sketch-to-oil-painting.com/oilpaintingtechniques-scumbling.html

About This Article

Kelly Medford Co-authored by: Kelly Medford Professional Artist This article was co-authored by Kelly Medford. Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art. This article has been viewed 187,863 times. 12 votes - 77% Co-authors: 18 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 187,863 Categories: Painting Nature Article SummaryX

To paint clouds in acrylic, start by dipping a clean, dry brush in white acrylic paint. Next, brush the paint onto your canvas in light, gentle strokes where you want your clouds to be. Then, push out the edges of the clouds with your brush for a soft, feathery effect. After letting the paint dry, dip another clean brush in grey paint to add shading to your clouds and make them look more realistic. To learn how to paint clouds using oil paints or watercolors, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • B. J. Redmond

    B. J. Redmond

    Jan 8, 2019

    "I painted a Maltese dog romping on clouds. (My dog died last fall.) I was uncertain how to make the cloud for her,..." more Rated this article:
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Kelly Medford Co-authored by: Kelly Medford Professional Artist 12 votes - 77% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 18 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 187,863 B. J. Redmond

B. J. Redmond

Jan 8, 2019

"I painted a Maltese dog romping on clouds. (My dog died last fall.) I was uncertain how to make the cloud for her,..." more Rated this article: Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 2, 2018

"Provided basic tips to paint clouds with a various types of paint and they worked." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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