I had lost the ability to make good clouds and sky. The first half of your demo solved ALL of my problems. Thank you so so much. Now I can make a good wash with any blue for my sky!
Love this, especially #2. My tissue has texture - you know, little pillows. So it left some marks. Plain tissue will work better though. Fun! And thanks!
Hi Steve, thanks for the separate tutorials on just clouds/skies. Would you do more of these kinds of tutorials: i.e., say, just trees, or water, or buildings. Then put it altogether for a complete painting?? What kind of paper would you recommend, using for practice?? I realize my results may be different than on more expensive papers, but I'd like to know your suggestions. Also, I try to do smaller studies when practicing. thanks Debbie :)
Steve! THIS! More of this - PLEASE! This is where my frustrations come in. I know enough to get myself in trouble but not enough to get to the next level. This type of, "How To ..." Is EXACTLY what I am looking for to help me establish a firm footing in the fundamentals so I can progress with watercolor rather than floundering in the same thing that I can never seem to master or repeat on demand. I was checking out your Patron page. Do you have more of this type of content, the "How To ..." on the Patron page? Thanks again, Steve!
Loved the second lesson on the SKY. Those clouds were so fluffy and brilliant. It's such a joy to see the ease in which you make it all seem so easy. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom and talent with us, it feels like a gift each time.
This is a great video. Every painting does not require a dramatic sky with big cumulus clouds. Sometimes what you want is a calm supporting element, but still with a little interest rather than all blue. I was practicing your lesson yesterday. Sometimes I get a good result using a tissue to lift out the clouds, but other times there are straight lines because of the way it has folded, which is annoying. I decided to try something new to me-a sea sponge. I wet it, wrung it out as much as possible, and then pulled the edges up to make a ball about the size of a wad of tissue. It made some great cirrus (horse tail as my Dad used to call them) clouds quickly and easily. For those who are interested in improving their skies, I also highly recommend finding a copy of an old Eric Sloane book entitled “Skies and the Artist,” a very thin large format paper book reprinted by Dover Publications. It is oriented toward oils but much is adaptable to watercolor, plus the basic cloud information applies to all drawing and painting. He insists that you can’t paint a convincing sky if you don’t understand the subject of clouds. I haven’t finished it yet but have already learned a lot. Hope others find it helpful too.
Spent the last two days failing at clouds and your first simple technique produced my first successful effort. Thank you, my blood pressure is returning to normal. 😊
I wish this wonderful man could instantly know what his videos mean to me... I just found this channel last night and have already learned quite a few key things that made missing pieces click into place for me. I'm neurodivergent and often times will struggle to find teachers who can teach me. Love this man already ~ highly recommend. THANK YOU, KIND SIR!
As a complete novice I have watched countless videos to do a sky that I can replicate. This is the first one that has left me looking at the canvas and not feeling like a 5 year old! Amazing, thank you. Now to learn grass!
Good Morning Steve, I just tried making these clouds this morning and they turned out great. Up to now they have always been such itty bitty clouds. Thank you so much for doing this video.
I'm so glad you said dont use pulp... I've just tried to do similar on pulp and just couldn't get it to work. I'm about to attempt on Arches cotton....wish me luck! 🤞
I was going through your Playlist for technique practice. My end goal was cloud studies. What a pleasant surprise to see this vid. Almost feels like cheating. Haha.
Clouds are my nemesis! I have practiced forever. I watched this video and my first practice … I made clouds!, Thank you for this tutorial! I just may have clouds in my next painting.
Painting sky in a way that doesn't make them look contrived is always a struggle for me. These are great techniques, the second one is completely new to me. I'll definitely will be trying it out!
So cool, but is this one of those things you’re making look easy, or are they actually easy? Lol, guess I’ll have to try! Also, do I need to have my paper at an angle to achieve this or can it be done on a flat surface too? Thanks for these tutorials! You’re awesome! 👏🏼
Also Steve, I don’t see the (easel?) thing that you used to keep your paper at an angle linked in the supplies.. what do you call it, and where do you recommend buying one? Any certain brand you suggest?
I've been trying both all day. I've (kinda) got technique 1. The point to have loose and irregular tissue made all the difference. I CANNOT get the second technique to work though. Gonna keep at it!
Thanks Steve, this was such a helpful demo! Clouds is one of those areas that gets overcomplicated and it really helps to be reminded that if you're going to get it wrong, it's better to err on the side of simple rather than complicated. I love your videos!!! Holy Crap, you're tickling 200K!!! Huge kudos to you!
Thank you for this! I'm just starting watercolor and really appreciate good explanations. I'm in CA, so we have amazing skies and I'm close to national parks, so excited to start landscapes!
Loved the "nod" to my mentor Bob Ross!!! Just found your channel, subscribed and will receive all notices. Can't wait to binge on your videos when I have my supplies in front of me! Many thanks for posting for us all to learn and enjoy this awesome medium!!
Always learning from the videos. Thank you. Started back at the beginning and have been working my way through. They are so great and informative. Up to almost end of year 2. It was yard work or watch videos... guess which....LOL
Cecelia Gay - I chose watercolor over yard work also! I definitely can relate to that. And in my down time I choose watercolor videos over news videos! 👍🏽😂
I really really appreciate the second round of demonstration because it hammered home the difference half a minute of drying time can make. I’m finding WC in a hot Baltimore apartment is not the same at all as WC in the same cold Baltimore apartment. I’m adapting. 🙂
I am loving your simple laid back method of teaching. Started to teach myself this art while recovering from back surgery and have been feeling like i had hit a wall Excited !
Thank you so much for this wonderful cloud painting tutorial. I'm a complete beginner and will practice your method starting from tomorrow!! Thanks again!!!
Oh man, love this information and these terrific demos. For my work, as you know, I can do a more cartoonish, less realistic cloud approach, but for landscape painters, there's gotta be that fast approach to keep it realistic. Like you said, it takes a lot of practice and patience to develop that quick confidence needed for organic elements like clouds, water, trees, and earth. I could watch you paint these demos all day. Great stuff. :)
I love cloudscapes and practicing shadows and dramatic storms. So far my fav cerulean hue has been from Davinci. It is so smooth. I would love to see the cloudscapes with the faint yellow light around the cloud edges and grey shadow. The scenery on my way back from the east coast was breathtaking. I will keep practicing. It seems that I have a degree of more success in certain aspects with oil painting but I love the spontanaity of wc. It is a challenge for sure. Thank you Steve!
Thank you so much for this!!! I've been struggling over clouds for...a long time, a long process, many many videos and practices. So far, I just can't seem to get a passable result. You did this in a way that I 'think' I might be able to get it. I also REALLY appreciate you repeating the process with a bit more explanation on the timing, paper buckling, visulalizing the wetness of the paper. All good--thank you very very much!!! I'm subscribed now :)
Where I live our skies are mostly blue all the time. So, I tend to create clouds; but, I don't have much luck using the first method that you demonstrated. I find that my clouds look better if I use the second method.
My husband and I are really enjoying watching and learning from you from all your fabulous videos/tutorials. You are such a kind person, you'd be lovely to meet one day :) Merry Christmas to you and your family and thank you for posting all your beautiful videos! Cheers from Canada :)
There is a video review on it with links in the video description. This review also shows a smaller one I used and loved for years. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--9u6CipaCi4.html
Thanks for focusing on the sky. I find it difficult to make skies look natural. Also, I appreciate you showing us how to control a backwash. This was a totally new idea to me.
Yep it means a lot to artists to know how to do it right. I spent about twenty years failing at making realistic clouds. Then one day I accidentally dropped a tissue on my cerulean watercolor sky. Found how to do it only after I thought I'd ruined my landscape. Never had an art teacher, I just tried my best and constantly studied the works of the many Masters from the past.
Could I do the tissue technique around a house painting. Of course I saved the sky for last, but now I want to do this kind of sky. How would I mask the house off or keep the sky from staining the house? Thanks!
I would love to add a touch of my usfferable experience. I tried that for long time always with horrible results until I figured the problem is.. this does nto work with pb 15 blue, it staisn too much and too fast. It is impossible to lift PB15 enough to make it look like a cloud.
Omgosh…I’m so very happy that you made that “happy mistake” with the 1st sky tutorial. The backwash was exactly what I needed to see so that I could achieve that!!! I often wondered how many artist did their clouds to get that beautiful peak (as I call it) in them. So happy that I watched this, and looking forward to try this out! Keep up the great job! Happy painting 🖌🎨 It’s been some time since I’ve painted or commented, however I’m back attempting this medium once again..happily 💕
This little exercise was great Mr. Steve! When I started watercolor I was a paint stingy frustrated painter--don't be cheap and buy 100% cotton paper and quality paints! You buy cheap, you buy twice!
Dear Mr. Mitchell, thank you for all your fab videos. I've learned so much from you (and today, clouds!). You are an excellent teacher. I have a request for a future WC basics lesson (unless you've done this and I missed it -- pls point me. thanks). You have several vids about specific brushes and what they do and how you use them (and another on drawing straight edges, cool.), but would you consider sharing your techniques for brush control? Specifically as an example (wet on dry, I think), if you want to paint a box with precise corners, how do you position your brush to make crisply angled corners? If you want to paint the edges of the box, do you turn the brush longways or use the tip? I'm thinking as a beginning student learning very basic brush control, maybe like a pianist practicing scales. Please let me know if you need more examples and I will respond. Thank you for considering this request or pointing me to your published videos. Again, thank you for all that you share. You rock!
Love this Steve! I’m glad you left the backwash on the second try of the bottom one. I’m still getting this at times and never really quite know if I should leave it or soften it. Mostly I’m happiest when I leave it. Thanks for affirming that it’s ok to leave a bit of backwash. Backwash happens, we just need to know how to use it to our advantage. Thank you for sharing. Blessings to you!
