Today I used a reference photograph from which to model my watercolor clouds. I also used watercolor paint straight from the tube; yesterday’s watercolor was made from paint left over from previous sessions.

I used Neutral Tint for all the clouds, and some cerulean for the blue. I began by defining the shapes of the tops of the clouds with an angled brush. This enabled me to make the edges sharp. I preserved the white above the cloud boundary, to reproduce the ‘white shadow’ cast on the cloud behind.  After laying down the dark border, I drew the pigment away from edge toward the center of the cloud mass to create a graded tone.

Watercolor Clouds from Photograph
Watercolor
12″x16″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

Here is the reference photo:

Reference Photo for Watercolor Clouds