Landscapes: Cloudy Sky
This is a brilliant silhouette, yet it is fairly simple to paint. The warm colors are a combination of yellow, orange and red. Because of the vivid colors, the silhouetted trees almost seem to glow in the foreground. Follow along to create this wonderful scene.
Paints
Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Ivory Black, Titanium White
Brushes
1-inch (25mm) flat, nos. 1 and 2 liner,, no. 2 flat bristle, no. 2 round sable or synthetic
Canvas or Canvas Paper
12" × 16" (30cm × 41cm)
Other
Mechanical pencil
STEP 1 Basecoat
With a pencil, draw the horizon line slightly below the center point of the canvas. This divides the background from the foreground. With a 1-inch (25mm) flat and with wide and sweeping horizontal strokes, apply a layer of Cadmium Yellow Medium across the sky and water areas. Add a small amount of Cadmium Red Light to the Yellow to create a nice orange color. Using the same brush, add the orange mixture with the same type of brushstrokes. This will create the look of cirrus and stratus clouds and water texture. This must be done before adding the trees. Add a small amount of Alizarin Crimson to the Cadmium Red Light to make a vivid red color. Add this to the water area on the right side.
STEP 2 The Awkward Stage
With Ivory Black, add the ground in the horizon. With a no. 2 liner, add the vertical strokes that represent the tree trunks. As you can see, the reflections in the water have not yet been addressed. This is because they must be mirror images of the trees. We don’t know what they will look like yet, so the trees must be done first. The trees and reflections in your painting may not look like mine, so adjust accordingly.
STEP 3 Finish
For the trees, we are merely creating an illusion with not much detail. Dab in the shapes of the trees with a no. 2 round, looking at them as abstract shapes. Do not get caught up in what you know the details would look like. Shut off your thinking and proceed with artistic freedom. Dilute the black paint a bit to keep it from building up and appearing too heavy and to allow the colors of the sky to peek through. The tree just to the left of center is made up of small lines that represent limbs. Do this with a no. 1 liner. Use a very light touch and quick flicks of the wrist, allowing the lines to taper at the ends for a wispy look. Do a small amount of dabbing with the liner brush towards the bottom to make it look full. With a no. 2 flat bristle, create the reflections of the trees on the right side. Just a representation is fine. Use horizontal strokes, once again keeping the paint a bit thin so it looks more transparent. Mix some white into the Cadmium Yellow Medium and add a few lighter cloud streaks to the sky. Add some of them to the water as well for sparkle.
Golden Glow
12" × 16" (30cm × 41cm)