Fluffy white, soft and fragile--So they look, but clouds can be a challenge to paint. Almost every medium has its own strong points for application in the painting of clouds and skies, and each offers great opportunities for growth as an artist.

Oil painting of clouds and skies offers the option of flexibility in that the medium is very forgiving. Oil's slow drying time means you have countless opportunities to adjust, augment, and alter the shapes, shadows and reflected tones. This is perfect for the artist who loves to manipulate the medium to achieve the fullest potential. The use of underpainting to build tones that will glow through the finished cloud and sky areas is one of the most popular reasons to work in oil. The translucent glow through the obvious tone to the implied tone beneath adds to the painting's long-lasting appeal.

Start by washing in a warm glow over the entire sky. Over this tone layer light applications of the soft sky and cloud tones. Build layers to create a deep and velvety glow. Remember that the clouds are reflectors for all other tones in the work, even the earth tones of the landscape or the vivid tones of a cityscape. White reflects and is a wonderful area in the painting to draw the foreground, middle ground and background together.

The application of oil can be accomplished with traditional tools such as brushes and knives but can also be softened and "personalized" by using unconventional tools. Natural sponges hold up very well for use with oil colors and mediums. Odd tools like cotton buds and small scrap/rag cloths are also useful in moving, blending or removing color. They can also be used to add texture to areas, even to create a unique look. Try other materials for other effects, such as cheesecloth to lay on washes over the base warm glow. The texture of the threads will yield a distinctive "feel" to the finished piece.

Although underpainting is unnecessary, if you practice that technique, you will achieve a depth and richness to be envied. Allow a bit of a bright tone to peep through the overall sky color, suggesting the hidden secret under the sky, and you will build interest. The tone you use for underpainting could be a sunset red or orange. Although this sounds severe, allowing tiny portions of this tone to show will give an overall glow to the work--an unexplained source of light and warmth.

Once the overall tone is established, work in the areas of clouds. The initial shapes can be soft, but you will want to build to a more robust "thick" look, giving the shapes real dimension. Shadows are important and the same reflected colors mentioned in reference to oil painting. The glowing and reflections are essential to realistic clouds.

Once you have completed the painting, you might want to consider coating it with a varnish or medium. In the case of oil painting, there are several varnishes to consider, even some with UV protection to help preserve the colors. It is customary to do a final coating of some sort over oils because they often dry with an uneven surface quality. Dry areas and shiny areas need to be blended to a more uniform look. This is easily accomplished with one of the products designed for final coating of paintings. Acrylic mediums do essentially the same thing, offering a uniformity of surface sheen. They also give the surface a final protective coat, useful since the work is usually displayed without glass or other covering.

Whether you brush, knife, sponge or use another tool, there are limitless challenges and rewards to capturing skies and clouds in your paintings. Go outside, look up and paint!

Enjoy your painting!