Painting skies and clouds: better sense of depth

Tissa Hewavitarane

There are many problems one encounters in drawing landscapes. The laws of perspective apply to the sky just as they do to the land. So many good landscape paintings are ruined by a sky that looks like a limp curtain hanging at the back of a scene.

Problems

A beginner should always observe and study the movements of the clouds before one starts painting.

All depends on the day you go outdoor painting. First it should be a clear sunny day if you have chosen the subject you are going to paint. It can be a ‘sunny day’, ‘rainy day’ stormy day, or a day with mist. In painting skies some show sky curiously vertical.

The clouds are too similar in size and shape and they’re too evenly spaced, destroying the illusion of the sky receding into the distance. Another mistake some paint in placing the horizon line too high up, so that the land competes with the sky for attention.

If you want the sky to be the main feature, lower the horizon line so that the land becomes subordinate.

Solution

Observe the painting I have done showing the sky giving an exciting impression of the vastness of the sky. I have composed the picture with a very low horizon line, makes us feel involved in the scene as we were actually standing in open ground looking at the heaped clouds advancing towards us. Note also how the clouds overlap each other creating diversity of shape and design.

Linear perspective

Clouds appear smaller flatter and closer together as they receded into the distance, often merging into a haze at the far horizon. Perspective can be heightened even further in your painting by making the nearest clouds much larger, taller and more clearly defined than the others.

Atmospheric perspective

In creating a sense of perspective in the sky, it helps to think of it as a vast dome streched over the landscape, rather than a mere backdrop to it.

Creating this dome-like impression means applying the laws of atmospheric perspective as well as linear perspective. The sky directly overhead is clearer than at the horizon because we see through less atmosphere.

As we look into the distance, intervening particles of dust and water vapour in the air cast as thin veil over the landscape and sky, making them appear greyer and less distinct.

Reproducing the effects of aerial perspective in your sky paintings will greatly increase the impression of depth and atmosphere.

In my painting the “White” clouds close to the horizon are tinged with light blue grey, where as those in the top clouds are brighter and clearer.

Accentuate the effect of atmosphere haze by blurring the edges of the furthest clouds wet-in-wet and reserving any crisp edges for those in the foreground.

You will notice warm blues bring the foreground sky closer. Clouds nearest to the viewer are large and strongly coloured. The clouds become flatter and lighter in tone as they near the horizon.

The horizon line is low, which places emphasis on the sky and increases the illusion of space.

Characters in skies and clouds

Generalities first! Clear skies are generally darker above and lighter as they approach the horizon. Clouds generally get smaller as they approach the horizon. Skies generally have a luminous quality (not solid) and are generally lighter in value than the earth.

Skies can be soft crisp, light or dark, designed or appear natural. Clear skies are made with graded washes (dark above light below) and should never be flat looking, because the sky isn’t flat.

Tilt the drawing board and apply the wash to dry or slightly dam paper. Be sure to have enough wash to finish the painting the sky. Cloudy skies can be very dramatic or very gentle. Soft skies are brushed into wet surfaces and crisp skies onto dry surfaces. Wet-in-wet skies are soft particularly against a crisp row of hills or trees.

Clouds on dry paper should be drawn lightly with pencil (if necessary) and the darker blue or grey-blue brushed in around the clouds, as I have done in my painting titled ‘Lovers’.

The grey or yellow-grey of the clouds is brushed in the shadow areas and left alone. Keep the values light unless a dramatic effect is needed. You can put the sky in first or leave it till later. Most artists use both methods. If the foreground overlaps the sky and is quite complicated, put the sky down first to avoid headaches later.

Because clouds and skies are bound to change constantly, they can be manipulated by the artist to satisfy the requirement of each painting.

Several type of skies can be painted as stormy skies, wind blowing and swirling, rainy day skies. The sky is not just negative space, but an active part of any painting. You have to be selective before you start painting notice the pattern that exist on that particular day, then find the basic shapes (dark one or lighter ones) that make the composition. Put these simple shapes down on paper and then add whatever detail you need.

To bring life to the painting I have added trees and two elephants and titled ‘Lovers.’ The subject painting skies is rather difficult. It reflects moods of light and weather and is affected by changes in the seasons.

It also has its own moods and behaviour patterns and calls for a responsive temperament, together with keen observation and preferably sound technique, to overcome challenges. You cannot learn to paint simply by reading books.

Treat a book or an article like a map for a journey. It is helpful and is based on sound observation (which is very important)and offers fairly simple technical advice.

Working indoors

If you start painting indoors from drawings, photographs or notes, then you will need to note the overall mood and lighting conditions and to make a key comparison to measure the relevant colour values and tones.

Working outdoors

The information you collect while out of doors gives authenticity and freshness to the painting than carried out in the studio. Out door painting gives a challenge to study the ever-changing conditions in weather and in the same time offer beautiful tones and colours to exploit in a painting.

Above all nothing of value can be achieved without hardwork. Practice makes you a perfect painter.

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