Presentation
Hello everyone. Thanks for being here once again. This new year I will start doing something I really like: Painting landscapes. In this tutorial I will show the concepts I know about how to paint the sky; skies that are essential for landscapes or backgrounds. Without further ado…
Let's get started!! (o･ω･o)
1. The sky
✦ Color and elements
ATMOSPHERE: The magic of painting a beautiful sky is gradients. The trick to get a realistic sky is to divide it into three sections no matter what time of day it is, or two if there isn't much light in the scene. The first section, the top one, will be the darkest, the middle will be the medium tone and finally a low saturated tone. This happens because when sunlight travels through the sky it passes through the elements of the atmosphere that refract it, this causes it to disperse, losing intensity, in other words, saturation.
Depending on the time of day, the colors that dominate the scene will be different.
► Dawn: At dawn, you can see the deep blue color typical of the night sky at the top and consequently degrading with warm colors: pink and/or yellow.
► Midday: During the afternoon, a more saturated blue is achieved than that found at dawn, here there is not much variation between blue and other colors.
► Sunset: At dusk, the sky changes to an orange one combined with a blue that begins to darken. Pink, purple and orange colors can also be included.
► Dusk: At dusk, a deep blue with little light dominates.
► Stormy days: Days with rain or snow storms have the peculiarity of having a grey sky.
- THE SUN, THE MOON AND THE STARS -
The sun begins to rise on the horizon and begins to rise as the hours pass, and then begins to decline to set on the horizon opposite its rise. It is for this reason that in scenes during sunrise, midday or sunset we can include the figure of the sun.
The moon, on the other hand, is an element that can be used as a narrative resource or as a source of light in the scene.
In addition, the nights can be accompanied by stars. The visibility of the stars in the sky goes hand in hand with the light in the surroundings. For example, in cities, the overexposure of artificial light prevents the visibility of the stars. They illuminate the sky. In addition, during the first rays of the sun at dawn, the stars are still visible, and the same happens with the last rays of the sun at sunset.
✦ Color harmonies
We tend to expect to find a series of combinations in nature and in illustrations that we innately like more than others. In this way, when a multitude of similar colors appear in the scene, we will feel more comfortable than when there is a confusing mixture of several disparate colors. For this reason, it is good to know the color harmonies, they will allow us to know which colors to choose to create the atmosphere of the celestial vault.
- ANALOGUES -
Analogous harmony is formed by the implementation of colors that are close in the chromatic circle. Because of their proximity, they combine well with each other. Like blue, violet and pink, which are sequentially found close to each other in the circle.
- COMPLEMENTARY -
Complementary colors are those that are opposite on the color wheel, this combination creates a contrast. This harmony can be used to contrast the figure with the background, also to contrast opposing ideas and in fantasy landscapes.
NOTE: It doesn't have to be the exact opposite, it can also be a color close to the opposite.
- TRIAD -
To create a harmonic triad, three equidistant colors are used. As you can see in the illustration below, yellow, red, and blue are three colors apart from each other.
NOTE: As with the previous example, this is just an example, it doesn't need to be an exact calculation.
If you want to know other tips I have about color in landscapes, I invite you to visit this tutorial:
✦ The sky in different climates
WINTER: Another important point to consider is the change in color with respect to the weather. In winter, we have two faces: First, sunny days with saturated colors and clear skies. This environment evokes days of fun, warmth, and innocence.
Second: During this time of year the clouds are not as deep, they are lighter. Also, on stormy days the sky turns grey due to the loss of the sun. Environments like these can bring us sadness, calm, longing, etc.
SUNNY SEASON: During this time, saturated and lively colors predominate. The sun shines, transmitting feelings of joy. These are times full of new life. At high latitudes and on clear days, we will find that the skies have more vivid and intense colors.
RAINY AND CLOUDY SEASON: Finally, in climates like these, unsaturated, gray or cold-colored tones prevail. These environments can reflect sadness, calm, contemplation, loneliness, among others. Another characteristic is the grouping of clouds, one on top of the other.
✦ Tool: Gradient
An easy way to apply sky gradients in Clip Studio Paint is to use the gradient tool. This tool is located in the Tools window. Its symbol is a square with a gradient.
- CREATE A GRADIENT -
In the «Subtool» window we find a series of predetermined gradients. But, to create our own we must do the following:
➀ We must choose a predetermined gradient, in my case I chose «Blue sky».
➁ Then, we must click on the «Duplicate subtool» icon in the lower area of the window.
A window will appear where you can set the name of the new gradient.
Now, in the "Tool Properties" window, we find the gradient settings. To change the color, we must pay attention to the nodes below the preview.
With these nodes we can:
1. Modulate the amount of each color with the arrows in the lower area.
2. Create new nodes along the entire bar by clicking anywhere along the bottom line (where the mobility arrows are).
3. Delete nodes. To delete any section of the display, you must display the gradient menu (symbol “+”) and choose the option: Advanced settings > Choose the node > Delete.
To change the gradient colors you have to:
➀ First we have to choose the color from the color wheel.
➁ Then, we have to click on the nodes as shown in the following GIF. And so on with each one.
We can apply the gradient at any angle.
TIP: If you want to obtain a perfectly vertical or horizontal gradient, you have to keep the «SHIFT» key activated while applying it. In the version of the program for Tablet or cell phone you can activate this key from the side key panel.
- ADD DOWNLOADED GRADIENTS -
We can download gradients to color the sky from the Clip Studio ASSETS materials library. Now, to add them, do the following:
➀ You have to access the «Advanced settings» option. Once there, you will see the following window.
NOTE: In this window, you can also reverse the order of the gradients, delete them, and change opacity settings or color and blend settings.
In the section "Gradient Sets" you will find a list where you can switch between folders containing gradient sets. By default, the program has a folder of gradients for the sky.
➁ Now, we will click on the wrench that is located next to the list of gradients.
➂ In the menu we will choose the option "Add gradient set".**
➃ A window will open where the downloaded sets will be found. You must select one or more and then click OK. Ready.
To choose a gradient you must double-click on it, but this will overwrite the base gradient, replacing it with the chosen one. In this case, I recommend creating a gradient that is only used as a base for the others.
In Clip Studio ASSETS we can find an endless number of gradients for the sky such as this one: A set with various states of the sky.
If we have difficulties finding gradients among so many materials, we have a shortcut within the program itself. This shortcut is found within the window «Add gradient set» seen in the previous steps. Here, apart from finding the downloaded gradients, we have the option «Search for gradient sets in ASSETS».
Clicking on it will take us to the gradients category within ASSETS. Here, gradients will appear to give color to various environments such as: The sky, skin, eyes, among others.
2. The clouds
Another inseparable element of the skies are the clouds, those masses of water or ice suspended in the atmosphere. Let's see how to make them.
To paint the clouds we can do it with any brush we like, but in the ASSETS library we can find brushes specifically created for this. The brushes I will use to paint the different types of clouds are these:
✦ Types of clouds
First, you need to know that there are three types of clouds, these are:
● CIRRUS (HIGH CLOUDS): They form at altitudes of 6000 meters. In the drawing, this is translated as translucent spots that are found in the upper part of the sky. The edges of these clouds are diffuse, they do not have hard edges.
To paint them, we can use a brush with a diffuse texture, which we will lower the opacity to 50% or less. We will make small brush strokes without marking the brush so much in the direction in which the cloud will point (these clouds are usually used to direct the gaze towards a specific point where attention is to be focused). To blur the edges, we can use the «Fingertip» and «Blur» tools.
● STRATUS (MIDDLE CLOUDS): They form between 2 and 8 kilometres high. These clouds are no longer as diffuse, they now have more defined shapes.
As with cirrus clouds, these have diffuse and elongated tips, to achieve this, a good method is to use the «Fingertip» tool.
● CUMULUS (LOW CLOUDS): They form at altitudes below 2000 metres. These clouds are the most complex because they can take many shapes and have a more defined volume.
We can simplify the shape of these clouds with a series of circles piled up against each other, but not all of them should be the same size, some large, others small. Let the contrast of shapes be visible.
In order to add color to clouds, you have to understand volume. To do this, you have to go back to the theory of light and shadow. This theory shows us the typical sphere with its direct light, its shadow and the reflected light. This same structure is followed for the general cumulus. The lights are placed depending on the direction of the sun.
And although the three values mentioned above are generally evaluated in the overall structure, these same values of light, shadow and reflected light apply in particular to each sphere. The clouds follow the principle "A microcosm in a macrocosm."
- STEP BY STEP -
Now let's look at the steps I follow to paint these clusters:
➀ I start by painting the entire shape of the cluster with a medium color.
➁ Then, I outline the areas of light.
➂ Using a darker shade than the base color, I mark the shadows. I do all this quickly and carelessly, the details will come later.
➃ Once the lights and shadows have been established with their respective colors, I begin to outline the shapes. In some areas I mix the colors, I improve the transitions between lights and shadows. I mark the details, I better highlight the shadows. The beauty of the clouds is that cotton texture. We can achieve this effect by superimposing small circles on top of each other between the limits of the colors.
After rendering we will have it, but another effect that clouds usually present is that since they are gases, they disperse.
To achieve this dispersion effect I use the Fingertip tool, which draws lines that simulate clouds moving in the wind.
These lines should only be drawn on one side of the cloud and not on the other, and they should all be pointing in the same direction.
Finally, with the Blur tool at 50% density I blur some edges and the center of the cloud. Ready, now we have a cloud cluster.
As you can see, the colors of the cumulus do not quite match the background, but this is intentional. In the next section I will explain about the color in the clouds.
✦ The color
Clouds take on the color of the atmosphere, they will borrow colors from the sky, so they should be painted with a similar color scheme.
Colorful Clouds
Iridescent clouds form when sunlight is diffracted as it hits cloud particles. This phenomenon occurs when thin clouds are beneath thicker clouds.
Blueish clouds
Clouds can appear blueish when there is no direct sunlight shining on them, so they reflect the color of the sky.
Here we see a difference, in the image on the left we have the cloud cluster made previously, in this one the colors do not harmonize; the clouds are gray tones while the sky is blue. As for the image on the right, we have a better match with the sky because it shares the range of blue tones of the sky.
Red, orange or yellow clouds
Clouds can take on these colors when the sun is close to the horizon, as sunlight disperses in the atmosphere. For example, during sunrise and sunset the light will come from below, so the clouds will be illuminated at the bottom and the top will be in shadow. You have to think of clouds in terms of boxes, when we place a cloud in perspective it is like moving a box at some kind of angle.
Gray clouds
Gray clouds form when water droplets are large and the sun's rays bounce off them. This is why they are very present during rainy seasons.
One more thing, during windy seasons the clouds are more dispersed, without many reliefs, just like in the image on the right.
White clouds
White clouds are formed when water droplets are small and allow the sun's rays to disperse in their different wavelengths. This is why we find this color at the edges of clouds, in cirrus and stratus clouds.
✦ Composition in the sky
Sky elements can also help us tell stories, through the rules of composition, as well as making the illustration more attractive. Let's look at some aspects:
- FRAME -
If the main object is far away, it is recommended to complement it. Framing consists of placing our object of interest and then surrounding it with elements that focus the viewer's gaze on that point, for example, these clouds, due to their curvature, seem to point to the center, to the sun.
- DIAGONAL -
Diagonals represent strength and movement. Anything strategically placed can serve to guide the eye; for example, the smoke trails left behind by airplanes flying across the sky.
- PERSPECTIVE -
There are many types of perspective with different vanishing points, but in this case I will only talk about one in particular. This type of perspective makes compositions with clouds no longer so flat.
For this perspective we will use a mesh. In my case, I did not draw it directly, but downloaded it from Clip Studio ASSETS.
To snap it to the background we will do the following:
➀ First we will set the horizon line.
➁ I will drag the grid to the canvas from the «Downloads» folder in the «Materials» window.
➂ Now we need to activate the «Transform» function. In tablet mode there is a shortcut in the menu bar; for the desktop version you can use the keyboard shortcut «CTRL plus T».
➃ To better snap to the perspective it is necessary to use the tool found in the «Tool Properties» window when the transform function is active. Another option would be to activate these options from the path: Edition > Transform > Choose some of the available options. In our case we will choose the «Perspective» option in the drop-down menu. Once active, with the nodes, we will snap it to the horizon.
Clouds should be thought of as boxes with one side illuminated and the other in shadow. In the case of clouds, in this perspective, it is the lower layer that is hidden from the sun. Clouds should be painted following the shape of the boxes.
Another point to consider is that the nearby clouds will be large and will cover a large area of the foreground and the further they move away from this plane they will become smaller and will group together near the vanishing point as if they were attracted towards it.
Another important consideration is that clouds in perspective cast a shadow on the ground or elements below.
3. Let's paint some celestial phenomena
In this last section I present the process I follow to paint some natural phenomena that we can see in the sky.
✦ Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is separated into its colors when passing through water droplets, such as when it rains or drizzles. For this reason, rainbows can be accompanied by clouds and/or somewhat dull environments. Let's see how to do it:
➀ To start, we will create a layer for which we must set the blending mode to «Strong Light».
➁ Then we choose a red tone in the color wheel (1) and the Curve tool found in: Tools > Figure (2)> Curve (3).
➂ We set the width of the line to whatever we like, and then create a curved line.
➃ We will duplicate the layer with «CTRL plus C» and «CTRL plus V» (in the tablet version we can do this by holding down the layer, in the menu that will appear we choose the option «Duplicate layer»).
➄ Now, with the copy selected, we will go to: Edit > Tonal correction > Hue/ Luminosity / Saturation.
➅ We will move the hue bar to the right until the red color changes to the next hue. The colors of the rainbow are: Red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue and violet.
We will repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 for each color until we complete the 7.
➆ We will merge all the color curves into a single layer using the «Merge with lower layer» function.
➇ We will apply a Gaussian blur to this layer. The blur is found in: Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. The blur level is up to each person, but in my case I set it to 70.
IMPORTANT: With the transform tool in its various variations we can adapt the rainbow to different perspectives. The complete list of transformation tools can be found in: Edit > Transform.
➈ Once again we will use the Hue/Lightness/Saturation tool to lower or increase the luminosity and saturation of the colors. Because, as you can see, the colors resulting from the previous steps are very saturated.
➉ After applying the blur some colors are lost, to fix this we create a new layer that we set to «Hard Light» mode, now, with the airbrush with the hardness at minimum we paint the color that was lost.
Now let's look at some other aspects of rainbows to make them more realistic and credible.
➀ Rainbows don't have very vibrant colors, they are usually muted. To achieve this effect we simply have to lower the opacity of the layer as much as we find convincing (although of course, we can always take some creative liberty).
➁ The inner area of the rainbow has a more vibrant light, while the outer area has a darker one.
To achieve this you have to:
➀ Create a new layer with the blending mode set to «Multiply» or «Overlay Color».
➁ Using the airbrush, paint the entire outer area of the rainbow with a dark blue tone.
➂ Lower the opacity as much as you like. Not too much, not too little.
Done, we now have a rainbow.
CIRCLE AND SEMICIRCLE: If we want the shape of a perfect circle or semicircle, we can get it with the elliptical circle shape tool. The process is the same: First, we create a red circle, followed by its duplicate. Now we have to make it a little smaller than the previous one and that's it, and all that's left is to apply the color change as explained before.
TIP: To get perfect circles, you have to keep the «SHIFT» key on your keyboard active. The same thing works with the ellipse shape tool.
MATERIAL: It is always good to understand and learn how things are done and then move on to what is comfortable. In this case, the practical thing is to download a brush from the materials library, such as:
FIGURE RULER: To make more precise shapes with the brush I recommend using the rulers. For example, if I go to: Tools > Ruler > Figure Ruler > Ellipse, and I apply it in the center of the canvas and then paint with the brush I can get a perfect circle or semicircle. Easy, right?
NOTE: To deactivate or delete the ruler you have to right click on the icon found in the layer thumbnail and select the corresponding option in the menu. If you are working in the tablet or mobile version you have to hold down the option.
✦ Starry night
Starry skies are relatively easy, let's see how:
➀ As with all skies we start with a gradient, in this case, the gradient consists of blue tones and black.
➁ The second step is to select the white color and with the brush «Airbrush > Sprayer» in a variable size between small and medium we paint random dots throughout the sky. The variation of the dots must be noticeable. This will simulate the stars. This is how easy it is to get a starry sky.
- GALAXY -
Now let's see how to paint a galaxy. In the clearest skies it is possible to see the arm of the Milky Way in which we live. The visible colors of this arm have a brown hue, but we can give ourselves creative liberties.
➀ First, take the brush «Airbrush > Spray Blur» and increase the particle density to the maximum. Then, paint two parallel curved lines that simulate cumulus clouds. Painting these spirals is like painting cirrus clouds.
➁ Then, with the «Blur» tool, blur the structure.
➂ Using a pink color, I create another misty structure in the final area of the cumulus in the same way as in the previous one. I repeat this same process with a lighter tone in the area below the previous one. This will simulate a cumulus of light. In this part, I played with the fusion modes to obtain a shiny effect.
To outline the clouds, I use the same brush with transparency activated. This allows me to erase areas without losing the texture.
Once I finished the shape I decided to change the colors, for this I used the «Color Balance» tool. This tool is located in: Layer > New Tonal Correction Layer > Color Balance.
➃ In the tools window we find a folder where there are a series of brushes to add effects. In the «Effects» folder there is a star brush, this brush was the one I used to paint some stars a little bigger than the previous ones.
➄ On a new layer I set the blending mode to «Overlay», with the soft airbrush I painted a small shine on the stars that I placed in the previous step.
Finally, place some stars, indigo and roses.
Done. I don't really paint this type of skies very often, but I liked the result.
✦ Materials
There are still more celestial phenomena that we can do for our skies, but since it can sometimes be difficult to draw them or we simply want to save time on repetitive processes, we can always turn to the Clip Studio ASSETS library of materials. In it we will find an endless number of brushes, image materials, automatic actions, among others. Let's see some examples:
- LIGHTNING -
The following brush and others of this type make it easier for us to paint the convulsive structure of lightning. But, although it makes some steps easier, there is still work to do in between. The steps I followed to paint this lightning bolt were:
➀ Set the background gradient, for cloudy skies they are tones with little luminosity.
➁ The sky will be filled with clouds with dark or grayish tones.
➂ The clouds in the area where the lightning bolt is to be born should have a glow. This is because the lightning produced illuminates the surrounding clouds.
Using the following brush and pure white, I painted one of the lightning bolts that it has configured. Then I erased the parts that seemed excessive to me. Now, to paint the brightness of the lightning bolt you have to:
➀ Duplicate the lightning bolt layer (with «CTRL plus C» and «CTRL plus V» (in the tablet version we can do this by holding down the layer, in the menu that appears we choose the option «Duplicate layer»)).
➁ Move the duplicated layer below the original.
➂ Apply a Gaussian blur. The blur is found in: Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. The level of blur is up to each person. With this, a glow is created.
➃ Activate «Lock transparent pixels» in the layer.
➄ Paint the glow of the ray with a color that matches the background. In my case I chose indigo, but pink is also a good choice.
➅ Finally, set the copy's blending mode to "Add (glow)" mode.
Once I have the lightning rendered, I go back to the clouds, giving them a defined shape and marking the lights and shadows where appropriate. Points to consider:
● Clouds above the lightning bolt will be dark.
● Clouds between the middle length of the lightning bolt will be illuminated.
● Clouds at the end of the lightning bolt will be in shadow again.
If I notice that there are areas that should have a little more lighting, I paint them on a new layer with the «Soft Airbrush».
List.
- COMETS -
To add some comets I used the following brush.
By default the comets of this brush have the glow of a preset color, to change it I did it from the tool: Hue / Lightness / Saturation. This window is located in: Edit > Tonal correction > Hue / Lightness / Saturation.
There we go, now we have a comet shower.
Farewell
I hope that what you see here helps you paint your own landscapes with beautiful skies. It would be a great help if you share it and give me a like. Thanks for coming here! See you another time! (⌒‿⌒)
Bye bye.
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