Hello! Welcome to this tutorial in which I will show you the love

Hello! Welcome to this tutorial where I'll be showing you my workflow for integrating weather into your illustrations.

 

I will approach it from the point of view of drawing technique and also storytelling, and talk a bit about weather as a tool to help us tell a story.

 

Video tutorial

I. SUNNY WEATHER ✿

  Its main characteristics are: 

✿ Blue sky.

✿ White clouds.

✿ Sun in all its splendor.

 

  Color:

✿ Saturated colors

✿ Colors lean towards warm tones.

✿STORYTELLING ✿

 

At a storytelling level, I would place this type of weather in drawings where the character is happy, joyful; in my perception, it can communicate innocence. I also feel that a clear and sunny sky can be a symbolism of a character's mind, of how their mind is calm and lucid.

✿ Time to draw ✿

 

After you have your idea for the illustration and the sketch, we start with the sky:

 

The first thing is to create a gradient between blues, with the lightest blue in the part of the sky closest to the earth. Then we add a simple sun by making a white circle.

We continue with the clouds; remember to make them white and draw them at a prudent distance from the sun. Also, remember that we can use clouds as a tool to direct the viewer's eye in this way:

We continue with the background and character details, maintaining warm and saturated colors.

 

Let's not forget that to add depth, the farthest elements in the drawing comply with the following:

✿Smaller scale.

✿Less detail

✿ Atmospheric perspective.

THE SUN! To create the final details with the sun:

1- We apply a soft Gaussian blur.

2- With the airbrush, we create a glow, which we'll set to a blending mode and lower the opacity.

3- As a final touch, you can add sparkles!

Here are some of the brushes I usually use:

And that's it! The drawing with sunny weather would be finished!

II. CLOUDY WEATHER ✿

Its main characteristics are:

✿No sun (you don't say).

✿Gray clouds.

✿Dark mood.

 

Color:

✿Desaturated colors.

✿Colors that lean towards cool tones.

✿STORYTELLING ✿

 

If sunny weather can mean a character has a clear mind, cloudy weather is the opposite. This type of weather, in terms of storytelling, can speak about a character who has doubts, whose mind is full of heavy thoughts. We can also express that the character in question is discouraged, feels without energy, perhaps going through a bad moment and feels dejected.

When drawing this type of weather, keep in mind that what we are seeing in the sky is the darkest part of the clouds, which is the underside. In this type of weather, clouds are dark and gray; I usually use shades of gray that lean towards blues.

Let's remember not to overdo it with dark tones; it will depend on each drawing, but personally, I don't recommend using very dark tones, much less black for clouds. Also, keep in mind that clouds tend to be very close together and often overlap.

✿ Time to draw ✿

 

To create a cloudy sky, I start by creating a gradient of gray tones with a brush that has a soft edge texture.

Here are some cloud brushes that I find very good:

We can just leave the cloudy sky as is, but if we want to add more details, we follow these steps:

 

1-We are going to draw the silhouette of the clouds, but only the bottom part. To make this part of the drawing easier, we can draw irregular shapes with rounded edges.

 

2-Now, with a brush of our preference, we fill these guide shapes and little by little we begin to add detail to the clouds. For this part, I like to use the airbrush tool to better define the shape of the clouds, either by erasing parts or adding more volume.

Keep in mind that to add depth to clouds, when they are closer:

✿They are darker.

✿They have a larger scale.

✿The edges are more diffused and soft.

And done!

In the video tutorial, you will be able to see the speedpaint process of this drawing:

 

III. RAIN ✿

Its main characteristics are:

✿ Gray clouds.

✿Water drops.

 

Color:

✿Desaturated colors.

✿Colors that lean towards cool tones

 

✿STORYTELLING ✿

The most obvious storytelling interpretation of rain is the act of crying, with raindrops being a metaphor for a character's shed (or unshed) tears. It is also associated with sadness, melancholy, and loneliness, but it is not always tied to meanings of sorrow or affliction, as, depending on the composition and colors we use, it can represent calm and cleansing.

 

✿TYPES OF DROPS ✿

 

Rain usually has a defined direction, so the drops must follow it. This doesn't mean it has to be exact; the drops can subtly vary their direction to look more organic.

We can draw the drops by hand, one by one, and then duplicate them, or we can use brushes. Personally, I find the latter the most practical option. Here are some brushes I usually use:

To add depth to rain when drawing, we can make the farther drops have lower opacity and size than the closer drops. We can even blur some drops to highlight those that are closer.

Mixing different rain drops will make our drawing look more interesting.

 

✿CONTRAST ✿

 

Remember that to draw rain and truly appreciate the drops, we must create contrast between the background and the drops. I usually resort to color or focus contrast.

When drawing rain, we will not only be drawing the drops themselves but also their interaction with the rest of the elements within the drawing. The interactions I always draw are:

 

1- drops hitting surfaces and producing a reaction.

2- drops accumulated on surfaces and accumulated water collecting on surfaces.

 

Some examples of how drawings with rainy weather look when applying all of the above; remember that you can see the process of both in the video tutorial.

IV. SNOW ✿

In snowy weather, just like with rain, we need to create contrast with the background so that we can appreciate the presence of snowflakes.

 

✿STORYTELLING ✿

 

In terms of storytelling, snow can be very flexible for us: snow, being white, can represent purity, innocence, peace, and we also have the direct association of snow and Christmas. But on the other hand, we can go to the cold side and use snow as a symbol of loneliness or sadness.

 

The great thing about this type of weather is that we can draw a sunny day with snow, where the colors can be more saturated and therefore cheerful, giving the drawing a more optimistic and positive vibe. Meanwhile, on the other hand, the same drawing can be cloudy, with desaturated and muted colors, allowing for other types of symbolism.

 

✿TYPES OF SNOWFLAKES ✿

 

The types of flakes I integrate into my drawing are:

1- Round flakes, which convey a calmer and more peaceful atmosphere.

2- Elongated flakes, which I usually blur, and give a sensation of speed, chaos, and disorder.

You can draw snowflakes manually or use brushes. Personally, I prefer brushes for practicality. Here are some I really like:

The types of flakes and their direction can greatly change our perception of a drawing. We can keep this in mind when drawing to further enrich the message we want to convey with the drawing.

To add depth to snowflakes, we do exactly the same as with rain: we place smaller-scale snowflakes with lower opacity in the background, apply a Gaussian blur, and they will be ready.

When drawing snow, keep in mind the interaction of snow with the environment and characters, as snow accumulates. In the case of characters, snow generally accumulates in their hair and clothing.

For the rest of the elements in the drawing such as plants, houses, objects, etc., we have to draw the interaction with snow differently, since, being static elements, snow will accumulate differently. Remember that to give everything a more organic touch, you can have certain elements completely covered by snow while others may be protruding from it, as in the case of the grass.

Not only must we ensure that snow accumulates on elements within the drawing, but also if the flakes are falling in a specific direction, the snow accumulation must be consistent with that direction.

Let's not forget that when we create completely snow-covered ground, we must include the footprints left by characters, sleds, cars, etc. Everything that interacts and has movement within the drawing leaves tracks in the snow.

For a more complete tutorial experience, watch the video tutorial; it's more comprehensive in terms of information, and you'll see how the drawings are made <3

V. THE END

Thank you for making it this far. I hope the tutorial has been helpful. Don't forget to practice a lot~

See you in the next tutorial!