Watercolor Skies for Beginners *Full Series*

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Struggling to paint beautiful, vibrant skies for your watercolor landscapes? Do your colors sometimes turn muddy or dull when you try painting sunsets? Wondering why the wet-on-wet technique is so helpful for skies?


Painting skies and clouds can feel intimidating when you’re just starting out. The paper dries fast, you accidentally overblend, and before you know it, your soft clouds look patchy and your colors turn muddy.

But here’s the good news:
When you take your learning step-by-step, focusing on one challenge at a time, you’ll build your watercolor skills with far less overwhelm. And in this Watercolor Skies for Beginners series, I’ll show you exactly how to do that.

It all comes down to water control, brush control, and timing, which we'll be practicing together in the following exercises. 

All tutorials in this series focus on the wet-on-wet technique, which makes it much easier to create those soft, natural transitions between colors. This method gives you more working time before the paper starts drying, and helps you achieve that dreamy, organic look that’s perfect for painting skies.

Take your time with each tutorial, and move on to the next when you feel ready.
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1. How to Paint a Simple Blue Daytime Sky

​In this first video, I start by sharing must-know information for painting watercolor skies, including perspective tips to help you achieve more believable results.

Then, I demonstrate how to paint a clear blue daytime sky, a perfect first exercise to get comfortable with the wet-on-wet technique and learn how to save white areas for highlights and clouds.

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2. How to Paint a Dramatic Evening Sky 

Once you’re comfortable with simple blue gradients, it’s time to add more depth and variation. In this second tutorial, we paint a dramatic evening sky using a mix of cool tones (blues, violets, and a touch of cool red).

You’ll learn how to control contrast, suggest subtle cloud shapes, and layer color to create a rich, atmospheric effect.
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3. How to Paint a Colorful Sunset

​In the final lesson of the series, we take things up a notch by painting a colorful sunset that combines both warm and cool colors.

This exercise will challenge your timing and blending skills while teaching you how to use the bright paper for a glowing light effect and build contrast by deepening your darker areas.

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Recommended Watercolor Supplies

Arches Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper 9x12" [Check it out at Blick.com]

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Royal & Langnickel Zen Watercolor Brushes [Check it out at Blick.com]

Van Gogh Watercolor Tubes [Check it out at Blick.com]

Scott Shop Absorbent Towels [Check it out at Amazon.com]

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If painting skies has ever felt intimidating, I hope this series helps you see them as an exciting opportunity to grow your watercolor skills.
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Remember, every artist starts somewhere, and painting believable, luminous skies simply takes practice, patience, and developing your water and brush control.

Enjoy your practice!

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