The Easy Guide to Painting Skies in Watercolour

There are some areas of watercolour painting that beginners often have trouble with, and one of these is skies.

A sky can make or break a landscape painting. In this invaluable guide, Stephen Coates leads you through some highly effective techniques that will demystify sky painting and turn a good watercolour landscape into a brilliant one.

Stephen takes a unique, no-fuss approach to watercolour, emphasizing the importance of planning, preparation and practise and explaining clearly which tools and materials you need, and how to prepare your palette before embarking on a painting. He then guides you through seven awe-inspiring skies, from blue summer skies to dramatic sunsets and storm clouds, introducing new skills and techniques as you progress through the book.

With numerous handy tips and many examples of Stephen’s stunning landscapes throughout, this book will both instruct and inspire you to create beautiful, realistic skies with confidence.

Book Contents

Introduction 6
The challenge of watercolour skies 8
Planning 9
Understanding the paint 10
Brushes and brushing techniques 16
Watercolour paper 21
Tools and materials 24
Working from photographs 26

SKIES
Large Blended Washes 30, White Clouds 38, Sunset Skies 50, Sunbeams 60, Stormy Skies 70, Low Clouds and Mist 84, Perspective and Focal Points 94

Building your repertoire of skies 106
Index 112