Back in 2015, I created some custom cloud and star brushes in Photoshop and tested them on six quick sky paintings. The brushes sped things up so much, I was able to finish each piece in under an hour. Scroll down to check out two step-by-step cloud tutorials—plus grab the free Photoshop brush downloads I used.
Want to create skies that feel straight out of an anime scene? Whether you’re painting soft, dreamy clouds or bold sunset skies, this tutorial walks you through the essentials—cloud shapes, placement, color choices, and simple techniques to bring your skies to life.
Not sure what canvas size to use? I’ve got you—check out my canvas size guide to set up your file with the right dimensions from the start.
🎁 And to make things easier, there’s a free downloadable sky brush you can grab to speed things up.
In this cloud tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
Paint large, dramatic cumulonimbus clouds
Create long, stretched evening clouds near the horizon
Add delicate cirrus, cirrocumulus, and altocumulus cloud layers
Bonus techniques:
Watch a speedpainting demo from start to finish
Add atmospheric depth to your skies
Use rim lighting for glowing cloud edges
Create light rays for a more dynamic look
Paint subtle, moody night clouds
Brush Settings (Default Brushes Used)
While many artists rely on custom cloud brushes, this tutorial focuses on making the most out of Photoshop’s default brushes like:
Chalk
Charcoal
Oil Pastel
Recommended Brush Settings:
Shape Dynamics:
Size Jitter: Random brush tip size (control with pen pressure)
Angle Jitter: Random rotation
Roundness Jitter: Slight squish of brush shape
Minimum Diameter & Roundness: Adjust as needed
Scattering:
Scatter: Enable Both Axes
Count: Set to 1–2 for subtle variation
Before You Start: Understanding Clouds
Before you jump into painting, it helps to understand how clouds behave. They might look soft or surreal, but they still follow the same lighting and shading principles as any other object. Depending on how dense they are, clouds can appear translucent or reflect light in unexpected ways. If you’re new to light and form, I recommend checking out a few basic lighting tutorials to build a solid foundation.
Study lighting basics (I’ll create lighting tutorials soon!)
Look at real cloud references on Google Images.
Practice outlining different cloud types: cumulus, cirrus, nimbus, etc.
Understanding Cloud Types (Quick Tutorial)
Learning the basics of cloud types can help you place them more naturally in your artwork—and give your skies more variety and realism.
Here’s a quick breakdown of common cloud prefixes and what they mean:
✅ Avoid perfect symmetry. Natural clouds are messy, uneven, and always changing.
The cloud on the top has symmetry and appears more cartoony.
The cloud on the bottom is asymmetric and appears more natural.
Because we are painting anime-style semi-realism, the second cloud works better for us.
2. Placement of Clouds
Scatter your clouds randomly across the sky instead of placing them evenly. This randomness feels more natural and dynamic — perfect for anime backgrounds.
3. Colors of Clouds
The time of day plays a huge role in the colors you choose.
Daytime: Think soft whites and pale blues..
Sunset/Magic Hour: Go bold with warm pinks, fiery oranges, and glowing purples.
Night: Reach for deep blues, muted violets, and rich shadows.
🎨 Adjust your palette to match the mood you’re capturing—and if you want to dive deeper into why certain colors evoke certain feelings, check out my color theory article for a quick breakdown.
How to Paint Each Cloud Type
Large Cumulonimbus Clouds (Summer Clouds)
These clouds symbolize summer in many anime scenes.
Steps:
Draw the cloud shape with a darker color first.
Lock layer transparency and add highlights (work from dark to light).
Use the Smudge Tool to blend soft edges.
Unlock layer transparency and softly smudge the outer parts for a wispy look.
Painting Long Evening Clouds (Near the Horizon)
Steps:
Create a long, stretched-out cloud shape.
Use Transform (CTRL + T) to distort it.
Optional: Add shading or leave as flat colors for simplicity.
Painting Cirrus Clouds (High, Wispy Clouds)
Sketch thin, feathery shapes.
Lightly blend the edges to keep a soft, airy feel.
Use bright whites for daytime or sunset hues for evening scenes.
Cirrocumulus clouds are thin, white clouds that appear in a regular pattern of ripples. The smaller size of the individual cloud cells distinguishes them from altocumulus. While these clouds are present all year, they are not extremely common and are generally found in conjunction with other cloud types. The abundance of little clouds makes it difficult to paint. However, it is possible to do this by painting a large number of little clouds and distorting them into a perspective image.
Steps:
Paint many tiny cloud shapes with different opacities.
Use CTRL+T to distort them into perspective.
Bonus Techniques for More Epic Anime Skies
Atmospheric Effect
Use a new layer with Screen or Add blending mode and paint with soft brushes to simulate glow and air depth.
Rimlight
When the sun shines behind the clouds, it illuminates the thinner clouds completely and adds a rim light around the heavier clouds. It instantly makes the clouds pop and look more “alive.”
Light Ray Effect
Use cool tones and highlight clouds with soft moonlight. You can even add a Milky Way or nebula for a dreamy night sky.
Night Clouds
Use cool tones and highlight clouds with soft moonlight. You can even add a Milky Way or nebula for a dreamy night sky.
Final Tip
“If you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” — Tony Stark
Same thing for art — don’t rely 100% on brushes! Understanding form, lighting, and color will make you better, faster than any tool.
Keep practicing, and enjoy painting your anime skies! 🌌 Thanks for reading!
Struggling with Default Brushes?
That’s okay! Painting takes time and practice. If you’re stuck, try using a custom brush to get results faster. I’ve prepared one you can download here:
Watch me paint clouds from scratch in this short demo video:
Final Thoughts
Thanks for reading this cloud painting tutorial! I hope it helps you better understand how to work with skies and atmospheric effects in your art. Remember:
“Practice makes perfect — and happy little clouds make everything better.” – Bob Ross
If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it with fellow artists and follow me for more tutorials.
