Storm skies are one of the most dramatic themes in art painting. The magnificence of a storm sky with its undulating mass of accumulated clouds inspires fear. The high contrast in stormy skies perfectly captures the extreme opposites of a destructive but vivifying universe. It takes practice to learn to storm sky so, but there is some common sense advice you can follow that will help you master this technique. Continue reading this article from aHow we explain to you how to paint a storm sky.
Steps to follow:
1
Study the weather differences between cloud types. Storm clouds are called cumulunimbus because of their great height and mass.
2
Study photos and stormy skies like those made by the artist James McLaughlin Way. Observe the contrast between the linings of the dark clouds, the thunder and the sunlit ridges of each pile of clouds.
3
Paint a storm sky on a vertical screen for a more dramatic effect. Use a small section at the bottom of the painting for the landscape and fill the whole sky with rolling clouds.
4
Draw the complete painting using a diluted wash of blue-gray paint. Leave white areas unpainted and dark areas should be painted in several layers.
5
First, paint the half-tones of your storm sky. Finish off the dark and lighter areas, using the full range of high and low tones in your palette for a more dramatic effect. Don’t be discouraged if your storm sky lacks emotion at first. Observing the work of others and practicing on your own screen will be your best masters.
If you want to read more similar articles to How to paint a storm skyWe recommend that you enter our category of Art and Crafts.
Tips
- Practice stormy skies in black and white painting first, then transfer to a color palette, as high contrast is the most important technique to learn in storm sky painting.