Loadsa arty stuff, the June McEwan way: How to: Paint Skies

June McEwan 8 Mitchell St Crieff PH7 3AG

www.junemcewan.biz

Mob: 0777 187 5443

HOW-TO : PAINT SKIES

Unlike objects in a landscape – hills, trees, buildings – which remain stable in outline, (although lighting conditions may change), skies are ethereal; made of air, always moving, with clouds forming and reforming in shapes which are never the same twice. More than any other subject matter, drawing and thinking too much will spoil the painting of clouds and sky. Confidence is the key.

Clear Skies

As a general rule, in the landscape, skies are darker and warmer in colour at 'the top', paler and cooler at 'the bottom'. In a seascape, the opposite is usually true. Skies are not simply one blue- say ultramarine – invariably, they have violet and yellow elements. Look for them and wash some colour through.

Take a look at J.M.W.Turner skies especially, “Norham Castle, Sunrise”.

Clouds

Although they're always changing, clouds are not totally random. There are different types for different weathers, and they even have names. Cirrus clouds are fine and vaporous, delicate and feathery and high in the sky. Lower clouds are cumulus and have horizontal bottoms and cauliflower tops. Storm clouds can look like dark, brooding mountains. Both these types contrast light and dark very strongly. Cumulus can be extremely bright where the sun strikes them from behind and very dark at their base. In addition, clouds are full of colour caused by the reflection of the sun, especially at sunset and sunrise: yellows, pinks, browns and purples. It's difficult not to make changes to your painting as the sky changes, so decide upon suitable colours to use. Keep the mix simple. Work fast. Keep your brush moving in a free and unfussy way and avoid overworking and drawing. Look at Constable's clouds: “Hampstead Heath”, for example.

Rain and Mist

This sort of scene can be almost monochromatic and so exploit happy accidents by using the wet -in - wet technique and add extra interest with brushwork. Directional strokes will create movement. Perhaps a little spattering would create the feeling of rain.

Excercise

Try this cloudy sky. (Watercolour)

Use a large flat wash brush and soak rough watercolour paper. Drop in a watery mix of Alizaron Crimson and Yellow Ochre into the bottom area. Then work from the top using Ultramarine Blue adding water to blend into the bottom. Clean a flat large brush in water; squeeze the water out and drag across in a rotating movement. Don't dab. Once the brush starts, don't stop. Clouds should be 'sucked' out, (Use a paper towel, sponge, dry brush or rag- see my hub; for the technique). Add some dark by mixing the blue with red watered down and use the side of the large brush to drop shadow in. Squeeze the water out again and soften the edges of the cloud shadow. This is all done wet.

Excercise

Try this cloudy sky. (Oil)

Use the largest brush you feel comfortable with and scumble the surface with a base blue, reloading your brush from time to time picking up touches of, (for example), Alizaron Crimson and Yellow Ochre and scumbling them through as you go. Keep the paint thin to begin with so that you can add in thick whites for clouds, or deep blue-browns for dark gloomy areas, in stormy weather. Work impasto using a filbert for glorious cumulus, or drag a flat through areas to suggest rain. Make your brushstrokes 'draw' the shape of the cloud. Beware of overworking!