How to draw anime clouds
Learn to paint various clouds & skies with this tutorial Follow these simple steps and we'll walk you through each step of the process, step-by-step. Plus a free download sky brush
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In Photoshop, many forms of clouds may be painted using custom and basic brushes. However, it will be better in the long run if it does not rely too heavily on custom brushes. As a result, this course will concentrate on utilizing the default brush.
The default brushes that I use for painting clouds are "Chalk," "Charcoal," and "Oil Pastel." You might wish to experiment with the following settings:
Shape Dyamics
Size Jitter - Change the size of the brush tip at random. Control using Pen Pressure.
Minimum Diameter - Size of the brush tip.
Angle Jitter - Randomize the rotation of the brush tip.
Roundness Jitter - Randomize the roundness of brush tip form. This compresses the tip shape vertically.
Minimum Roundness - The minimum roundness of the brush tip form.
Scattering
Scatter - Randomise brush tip location. Enable Both Axes so it scatter on X and Y axis.
Count - Number of brush tip scatter. Default 1 is good enough
Learn to paint various clouds & skies with this tutorial
Follow these simple steps and we'll walk you through each step of the process, step-by-step.
By the completion of this tutorial, you will understand how to
Before we begin. It is critical to comprehend how clouds behave. Although they look nearly otherworldly, they follow the same lighting and shading principles as conventional objects. However, depending on their density, clouds can become translucent and reflect light in diverse ways. [planning on creating lighting tutorials in the future] or Google lighting tutorials to learn all light properties.
Another thing to bear in mind is that there are several sorts of clouds, each with its own unique form, size, density, and reflecting qualities. Google Images can teach you about the numerous varieties. To comprehend their distinctive forms, movement, and height in the sky, practice reproducing their outlines with a strong brush.
The naming of clouds might be puzzling. So, here is a collection of useful information about names.
Cirro = High altitude clouds
Alto = Mid altitude clouds
Nimbo / Nimbus = Clouds that bring rain
Cumulo = Piles of clouds
Stratus = Wide flat layer of clouds
Although we are not learning meteorology here, it is important to know that there are several types of clouds in the sky. For example, we don't want to put high-altitude clouds in front of low-altitude clouds.
Shape of Cloud
We frequently want to avoid painting clouds that appear symmetrical.
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.
The form of clouds varies depending on the angle from which we observe them. Clouds that are near to us indicate that we are observing them from below. When the clouds are far away and near the horizon, we can see their sides.
Placement of Cloud
Clouds placed at random in the sky will be more aesthetically appealing. The first picture shows a more symmetrical configuration. There's nothing wrong with this because it works nicely with certain cartoon-style artwork. However, because we are attempting to create anime-style artwork, the second image with random cloud arrangement works better for us.
Colors of Cloud
Time of day, seasons, weather, and the quantity of light scattered in clouds are all factors to consider. All of these characteristics will have an impact on the colors and shading of clouds. We may utilize this basic cloud at different times of day by adjusting the color palette.
Especially during magic hour, the sky and clouds are brilliant and colorful. As a result, we may be more daring while selecting a color palette.
This is where the tutorial starts. You may paint along with the instructions if you download the free cloud brushes. Enjoy! :D
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How to draw anime clouds
26 May 2024 | 7 min read
Draw a cloud form using the cloud's darkest hue. so that the highlight may be added afterward
The layer's transparency is locked, and the cloud highlight is added. It is simpler to paint from dark to light. Many times, we would make lights by utilizing 50% opacity of the sky color and stacking them together to produce high lights.
Use smudge tool to blend the colours.
Unlock layer transparency and smudge the edge of cloud. This step is optional but will add some wispy look near the edge.
We may also paint this cloud for sunset scenery by utilizing a different color palette.
Painting Large Cumulonimbus Clouds
Summer is typically shown in anime by a large cumulus cloud. These clouds are painted in the same manner as the basic cloud: sketch the shape, shade, and smudge.
Painting Long Evening Clouds Near the Horizon
These lengthy clouds approaching the horizon are often visible in the evening. They are simple to paint since they just require two processes.
Create a simple cloud form.
Using the transform tool, distort the cloud (CTRL-T). The distortion might be symmetrical or asymmetric.
You can continue to shade the clouds, but they can also be left as a single tone.
Painting Cirrus Cloud
Cirrus clouds are high-altitude clouds that are short, unattached, and hair-like. These tiny clouds are wispy, have a silky texture, or resemble hair tufts. They are whiter than any other cloud in the sky throughout the day. They may take on the colors of the sunset when the Sun sets or rises.
Draw shapes at random.
Smudge them with a smudge tool and a wide "Spatter" brush at roughly 40% strength. We may smudge the cloud farther by increasing the smudge tool's strength.
Avoid smudging on areas where we previously smudged because this will cause the cloud to lose its fine detail. If we want to create more cirrus clouds, we need add another layer and continue the process.
Painting Cirrocumulus and Altocumulus Cloud
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.
Paint various opacity little cloud forms at random.
Using the Transform Tool, distort the cloud (CTRL-T).
So far, we've covered how to paint several sorts of clouds. Now, let's move on to another topic that might be quite beneficial for painting the sky and clouds.
Create a new layer using a blending mode like "Screen" or "Add."
Paint the glowing part with "Air Brush Soft Round".
We may also experiment with stacking numerous layers with varying blend modes. For combining sky colors, I find that "Overlay" and "Linear Dodge" blend modes work well.
Atmospheric Effect
The atmospheric effect is used to demonstrate distance or light scattering in the sky.
Rimlight
When the sun shines behind the clouds, it illuminates the thinner clouds completely and adds a rim light around the heavier clouds.
Light Ray Effect
Light rays can sometimes be seen radiating from the sky surrounding the clouds. Motion blur or radial zoom blur may be used to simply make light beams.
Create a new layer and paint around the region where the light ray will appear."
Use either motion blur or radial zoom blur.
To create a light pillar appearance, employ vertical motion blur.
Night Cloud
During the night, clouds continue to receive light from the moon or other sources. So, depending on whether there is light dispersion in the clouds, we may paint them bright or dark.
In our night sky painting, we may even include a milkyway or a nebula cloud. This will enhance the artwork's ethereal and mystical vibe.
I'm at a loss and can't even paint with the basic brush!
Don't be concerned! It takes time and effort to obtain the desired results, and I am still learning as I write this. Painting using a customized brush is the greatest technique to achieve a faster result.
This concludes my cloud painting tutorial. Remember, practice makes perfect, and keep painting joyful tiny clouds, as Bob Ross used to say.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I appreciate it! Feel free to share with friends.
Thanks for Reading!
Constantly Learning. Constantly Evolving.
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