In this tutorial, you will learn how to paint a watercolor sky with a magnificent multi-colored watercolor sunset and plenty of fluffy watercolor clouds.
Thanks to Maria for helping put this tutorial together.
Watercolor Supplies to Use:
- Round 10 ‘Ultimo’ Watercolor Paintbrush
- Princeton Watercolor Brushes Round 0 Velvet touch
- Silver Brush Limited 1” ‘Black Velvet’
- Strathmore Watercolor Paper 140lb Imperial
- Masking Tape
- 2 Jars of Clean Water
- Paper Towels
Watercolor Painting a Sky and Clouds at Sunset
Without further ado, let’s get started. . .
Step 1: Tape your canvas and wet the paper
Place masking tape surrounding all four sides of your paper to a sturdy surface.
With your 1” brush, coat the water with a layer of clean water.
Step 2: Painting the sky (first layer)
Use the same brush to mix Phthalo Blue and Burnt Sienna (or a variation of these pigments). If you would like, you can add a variation similar to Quinacridone Red.
Begin to make horizontal strokes of wet on wet starting from the top of the page and following semi-straight lines all the way across the page.
You can see how light and watery the strokes are. Don’t make it darker than that. Remember, adding layers will naturally make it darker later on.
Step 3: Add vibrant primary colors
As you move down your paper, your mixtures should involve more yellows and reds. We use a yellow ochre mostly.
(Sorry for the light’s glare in the photo, just note that the white area should also be coated in light pigment.)
Step 4: Work on contrasting colors
Using the Round 10 ‘Ultimo’ brush, pick a point about two-thirds of the way down your paper and stroke a darker shade of blue across the paper.
Then, do another symmetrical line on the upper half.
Now, you can make darker strokes of a red and blue mixture at the bottom of your watercolor art.
This should make the red-pink colors really stand out. If not, there’s a solution for that. . . More red! Use the contrasting colors to make your layers pop.
Step 5: Smooth your layers and let it dry
Smoothing layers is easier while paint is wet. Where the layers blend should resemble watercolor clouds. That’s why they need to be smooth and soft.
Give your streaky-red watercolor sunset perspective and make sure that watercolor sun is putting on a show!
Step 6: Add the final touches
You can add birds flying off into the watercolor sunset by sketching them with a black pen and using a watercolor pen to trace and darken.
This isn’t required, but is a great way to finish off the piece!
And there you have it! A simple watercolor sky and sunset.
If you would like more watercolor tutorials and techniques, you can check out our watercolor landscapes tutorials here.
Feel free to share your paintings with us and let us know if you have any questions in the comments below!
