When it comes to sketching the serene sky, the options are endless. With just a few strokes of the pencil, or brush, you can create beautiful, dreamy scenes. From vibrant sunsets to rolling thunder and lightning, it’s all about how you put the details in. Don’t let the intimidating thought of drawing the big sky keep you from manifesting your imagination and picking up that pencil.
Let’s start with the basics. As with everything, you want to start with finding your focus. Find some inspiration by looking at other sky sketches, and decide what elements you want to incorporate into your piece. The sky offers spectacularly diverse visual elements, ranging from puffy white clouds, to clear night skies, to orange-pink sunsets. It’s important to really take in the details when you are finding an inspiration – capture the color, the movement, the softness. From there, you can decide what you want to draw.
Next, use your imagination and begin to sketch. Take the details that you honed in on while finding your inspiration and add them to your sketch. It’s important to remember that no two skies are alike, so let your imagination run wild and have fun with it. It’s also important to use light strokes at first, as you can always go over them to make them stand out more. Trust your pencil!
Once you have the basic elements of your sky outlined, it’s time to go deeper. Begin by focusing on the finer details. Think of the little puffs of cloud, or the stars and planets in the night sky. Capture the way the sunlight streams through the clouds, or how the rain hammers the ground. Allow yourself to be absorbed by the sky – what do you feel when you look at it? Let your sketch express that emotion.
Finally, ascend your sketch to its full glory by adding texture. Use your pencil to stroke the clouds, and draw thin lines that can symbolise rain or snow. Give the stars a twinkles, and take your time. It’s so easy to get lost in that tranquil skyscape, and it’s even easier to send beautiful pieces of art out of that creative bubble. So grab a pencil and get sketching.
When it comes to filling in the sky, choose your colors wisely. Start with a base color that will work well for the hue of the sky, and then layer over that for added depth. When you layer colors, start with the lightest hue and work your way up to the darker shades. For example, use a light blue, and then layer a turquoise or navy blue on top to add depth.
On the other hand, for a night sky, you want to use a black sans any color. After creating your base, add richness to your sketch by adding the stars and planets that you drew with just your pencil. Use white or silver paint to add glimmer and sparkle, bringing your piece to life. Don’t forget the tiny details, such as the Milky Way, or the dark clouds that create drama in the night.
To bring a sunset to life, you’ll want to use a warm color palette of oranges, pinks and purples. Layer these colors over one another, starting with the lighter shades and working your way up. Then use a thin layer of white to create the glimmer of the sun reflecting off the clouds. And, of course, the sun itself – don’t forget the star of the show! When drawing the sun, use intense yellows, oranges and reds. Then, go back and use thin strokes and patterns to highlight the texture of the clouds.
When creating a cloudy sky, start with a gentle layering of blues and greys. Don’t be afraid to mix things up by adding a touch of pink or purple to your pallet. From there, you can use thick and thin strokes of white to simulate the textures of the clouds. You can also draw lines and patterns of different colors to add drama and interest to the painting. Finally, bring it to life by dabbing some silver on the cloud to represent them reflecting the light.
Now that you know the basics of how to draw the sky, the only limitation is your creativity. Abstract and surreal skylines can be achieved by simply mixing colors and playing with textures. Whatever it is you decide to draw, the joy of being able to escape reality for just a moment and observe the beautiful skylines is something that is truly remarkable. So go get drawing, and escape into the sky.
