• Disclaimer •

» This study is... not really a step-by-step tutorial, this is rather my notes, thoughts, and observations as you and me learn more together about the weather. As the title suggests, this TIP Article will mostly be about my weather studies BUT! Worry not, I will also give you some tips, tricks, tutorials, and nuggets of wisdom along the way because it wouldn't be a TIP Article without any TIPS right?

• Studies with 6 Different Types of Weather •

• Introduction •

‣ Hello artists, I am Iri! In this TIP Article, I will teach and learn with you how to draw 6 different types of weather, namely, the Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy, Stormy, and Snowy Weather.

‣ As we all know, in the field of Meteorology, weather is the condition of the Earth’s atmosphere in a particular area, while in Arts, weather is one of the many factors we utilize to show and tell a story, influence the mood of an artwork, or even make your artwork stand out!

‣ We will first begin with observing and studying the weather, next, we will learn the different types of elements that makes weather “weather”!

• Observing the Sky •

‣ To begin with our lesson, the first step to drawing weather is to obviously observe weather. I’m pretty sure that all of us has experienced at least 1 or 3 types of weather right? So observing the weather won’t be a problem.

‣ Creating a moodboard is one way to observe the weather!

• Question: What is a moodboard? •

Answer: Moodboards are like a collage! A compilation of images, texts, and many more. Moodboards often revolve around a certain topic or theme.

• How to Create a Weather Moodboard •

⦾ Step 1

Create 6 moodboards, 1 for each weather.

 

⦾ Step 2.

Find different images and place them into their respective category.

 

⦾ Step 2

Observe the moodboard.

 

⦾ Step 3

Jot down notes on anything you see, what you observed, or anything that catches your eye on each moodboard.

Here is an example of my notes!

↑ (Image)

 

» Sunny Weather:

Flowers, Light, Rays, Trees, Calm, Peace

» Cloudy Weather:

Clouds, Less Light, Grayish, Dull, Sad

Rainy Weather: Raindrops, Clouds, Lights On, Windy

» Windy Weather:

Wind, Leaves, Sway

» Stormy Weather:

Heavy Rain, Dark, Lightning, Windy

» Snowy Weather: Snow, Pine Trees, Ice, Snowflakes, White

‣ The observations we drew out from each moodboard will be our references or points to keep in mind while drawing each weather.

• Quick Tips •

‣ Before we embark on our weather studies, let me give you some tips and tricks in CSP, along with a quick tutorial first!

 

For a quick recorded tutorial (each TIP) , check out the short videos in here:

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QSW6Rj420WMqRJIlWOUS7Re0b1WFV3kR

¤ Tip #1 – Item Bank

» The Item Bank is a great way to store files such as images. This tool is handy when it comes to saving time when you’re looking for an image in your files, which might take you a while.

¤ Tip #2 – New Window and Flip

» Some may or may not know this but if you have a hard time constantly flipping or zooming in an out your drawing, this tip might do the trick!

¤ Tip #3 – Sub View

» The subview is a very helpful tool when you need to look at a reference image and take colors from it by using the eye drop tool. With this tool, you won’t need to constantly switch tabs since your reference image will be right there by your side!

¤ Tip #4 – Gradients

» One of the many tools I love to use. I’m grateful that this exists. Creates background bases in 3 easy steps!

¤ Tip #5 – Folders

» If you’re new to Clip Studio Paint and you don’t use folders, you are missing out on a lot! Folders help you sort out your layers, you can also duplicate a Folder and the coolest part is that the layers under that folder will be copied too!

¤ Tip #6 – Tonal Correction

» This function is like a hidden cave filled with treasure! With this function, you can correct your drawings and make your masterpiece look even more appealing not only to your viewers, but to you too.

¤ Tip #7 – The Clip Studio Asset Store

» A CSP Artist’s best friend. From this store, you can find hundreds- or even more- resources here! Plus, most of the brushes that I will be using in each weather study are from the CSP Asset Store created by talented artists, so don’t worry, I will leave a link down below!

¤ Tip #8 – Layer Blendmodes

» You can use this function to make shading and lighting your illustrations more easier! 100% recommend!

¤ Tip #9 - Transparent Brush

» This trick is basically using your brush as an eraser, I personally think it gives a natural effects especially to shadows, how cool is that!?

• Tutorial: Drawing Clouds •

‣ Clouds are also an element that determine the weather, for example, on rainy days we get darker and heavier clouds, on cloudy days we get even more clouds! How to draw the clouds you ask? Well I know 3 ways!

1. Using (cloud) brushes from the CSP Asset Store

‣ CSP Asset Store FREE brushes have a lot to offer! A great example of this is kaioppai's and ぱーらめんと's brushes!

‣ Their brushes make clouds seem like an easy thing to draw.

‣ Brushes in black and white are most-likely brushes that can use two colors at the same time, I call these brushes Dual Brushes!

⦾ Step 1

Press "Main Color" and select a color of your choice.

 

⦾ Step 2

Press "Sub Color" and also select a color of your choice, preferably darker than the "Main Color".

 

⦾ Step 3

Press or Return to "Main Color" again.

 

⦾ Step 4

Tap on the Canvas.

 

» Feel free to refer to both the Image Tutorial and the GIF Tutorial!

‣ Note: Drawing clouds using step 1 is more convenient and time saving for me! Remember that clouds have different colors too!

2. Using Default Brushes

‣ Use an air brush, eraser, and play with the opacity! It gives you a fading effect. Your clouds will look prettier!

⦾ Step 1

Create a cloud-like form with the Air brush.

 

⦾ Step 2

Adjust the density of the Eraser.

 

⦾ Step 3 (Optional)

Erase along the sides until you reach the desired cloud shape.

3. Using a Soft Brush

‣ This way, you will have more control on how you want your cloud to look like! Use a soft brush and then blur some edges softly.

⦾ Step 1

Create a cloud-like form with the Soft Brush.

 

⦾ Step 2

Blend some of the edges using Blur and Painterly Blender (Default Tools).

 

⦾ Step 3 (Optional)

Blur and add more strokes or color until you reach your desired cloud.

» Brush used DOES NOT belong to me but it DOES belong to @SukeArt on Youtube!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXOVwUw6qqJTemZEM-8pkow

 

• Closing Notes of Tutorial •

‣ Told ya clouds aren't an obstacle! Now that we got those TIPS covered, let’s start!

• Short Topics •

‣ Here is an overview of the topics;

⦾ Weather from the ground's perspective

⦾ Weather affects light and shadow

⦾ Weather creates intensity

• Weather from the Grounds Perspective •

» Weather from the ground's perspective is simply the sky, but with bits of ground. The angle or the entire illustration will be more focused on the sky and to entice the viewers, we will need to add more details to the sky, such as clouds, a flock of birds and many more!

» From the moodboard, I observed that clouds differ in shape, color, and sizes which makes each one unique.

» The flock of birds also juxtapose with the white clouds, adding more details scattered in the sky.

 

Notes:

‣ I used a gradient from the CSP Asset Store to create the sky.

‣ I used cloud brushes to create different clouds.

• Weather affects Light and Shadow •

» If you look out your window and see a huge cloud passing by, you can see a shadow on the ground, aligning with the cloud, following it.

» Weathers have elements with it such as clouds, and clouds can be transparent, translucent, and opaque sometimes, hence, only allowing a certain portion of light to pass through.

» Because of that, we receive less light on a cloudy day, more light on a sunny day, and possibly more or less light on a windy day.

 

Notes:

‣ I used an airbrush and set a layer to Add (Glow) (45%) to mimic sunlight.

‣ I also drew a tree to show the effects of light and shadow.

‣ I set one layer to Multiply (83%) to enhance the shadow of the leaves and add shadows on the ground underneath the tree.

‣ I applied Tip #9 and erased some shadows to make it look more natural.

• Weather creates Intensity •

» Have you ever tried looking directly at the sun on a hot sunny day for absolutely no reason? If you did, I hope your eyes are alright... If you haven't, please don't attempt it...

» I recall looking at the sun and immediately noticing how the trees began to disappear, it was as if the blinding light engulfed my vision. The sun's light was very intense!

» Intensity in art "exaggerates" a certain theme, emotion, mood, and many more.

 

Notes:

‣ I set one layer to Multiply (100%) and used an air brush and a dark blue color to give the tree an enhanced shadow.

‣ I set one layer to Add (Glow) (26%) and used an air brush and a light yellow color to give the sky enhanced lighting and to further indicate that the weather is sunny.

‣ I used a Bokeh brush to create little circles in the air, similar to what I observed from the majority of photos I placed on my moodboard.

• Closing Notes •

‣ Experimenting with different layer blend modes was very interesting and fun. From this, I can see how adding details to the sky helps make your art look more appealing, not boring. Adding falling leaves will add more color and details to the sky and adding less intense light will give viewers the impression that it is cloudy.

 

‣ I hope this study helps you as much as it helped me!

 

‣ It's time to check out the speedpaint!

• Link •

• Short Topics •

‣ Here is an overview of the topics;

 

⦾ Weather from the sky's perspective

⦾ Weather affects color and many more

⦾ Weather affects mood and emotion

 

• Weather from the sky's perspective •

» Earlier, we had a short discussion of weather from the ground's perspective, now it's weather from the sky's perspective! I'll keep this short. Just as how we detail the sky, we will also detail the ground. We can add elements such as grass, flowers, ripples, fog, and many more!

» Despite the sky being the main indicator of the weather, we can be just as creative and show or tell the weather using the ground.

 

Notes:

‣ I added details on the ground such as grass and flowers.

• Weather creates color and stories •

» Weather creates color in many ways, such as a Sunny Weather having vibrant and happy colors and a Stormy Weather having dull and cooler colors.

» Colors give our illustrations life, it also tells the viewers a story.

» Certain colors denote a certain definition. In art, artists often use colors as a way to show details while also hiding the meaning. Very creative, right?

 

Notes:

‣ I used dark and dull colors, most likely indicating a cloud/rainy weather.

‣ I set a layer to Multiply (100%) and used a dark green color to add a shadow using an airbrush on the lower right.

‣ I added a sword and used dull colors to go along with the color of the background.

‣ I clipped 2 layers on the sword and used Layer Blendmodes Multiply (100%) and Add (Glow) (43%) to give it more shadows and less light, achieving a 3d effect.

• Weather affects mood and emotion •

» Weather is not only used for backgrounds but it is also often used to convey emotion, just as how different colors have different meanings.

» Dark weathers > Sad mood, Light weathers > Happy Mood

» In some special scenarios, artists create a happy-like atmosphere while utilizing a darker weather, this is done in order to create a contrasting or juxtaposing effect, this sometimes draws in viewers.

 

Notes:

‣ I used the Layer Blendmode Multiply (100%) on a new layer to create a sadder atmosphere using a darker color.

‣ I added ahem ketchup on the sword ahem to give it a story or a mood.

‣ I added raindrops to indicate a rainy weather and fog to denote a mysterious yet solemn atmosphere.

• Closing Notes •

‣ I find the juxtaposition between warm and cool colors fascinating, I would love to try doing that someday! Plus, knowing that weather can be a crucial element in story telling makes me want to experiment with it, the sky's the limit!

 

‣ As usual, I hope this helps you!

 

‣ Let's watch the speedpaint first before proceeding to the next part.

• Link •

• Short Topics •

‣ Here is an overview of the topics;

 

⦾ Background elements that indicate the weather

⦾ Special effects that gives weather more flavor

⦾ Filters

• Background elements that indicate the weather •

» We have tackled on the different elements that indicate the weather such as color, color of the ground, and types and color of the clouds. What if both sky and ground are not shown on the illustration? Is that possible?

» Background elements that can be shown from both the sky and the ground such as trees can also indicate the weather. For example, snow perched on tree branches, roofs, and many more!

 

Notes:

‣ I created several bare trees and two mountains behind, these background elements indicate a snowy weather!

‣ I purposely covered the sky and showed a small portion of the ground because our objective for this part is to try and experiment with background elements to tell the weather.

• Special effects that gives weather more flavor •

» Special effects or SFX is one way to give weather more flavor, the secret ingredient to your masterpiece! Without it, it makes telling the weather even harder!

» We used special effects in our previous illustrations such as the falling leaves, pouring rain, and such.

 

Notes:

‣ I added snow resting on the branches of the bare trees and snow on the ground near the trunk.

‣ I also added falling snow and applied motion blur, adjusted the angle, to make it look like it is falling.

 

• Filters •

» Filters are that one finishing touch you add to your food before your present it to the judges. Me? I personally make sure to use filters before I export my drawings. Why?

» Well filters give your drawing this texture, or feeling, whatever you call it. In short, it makes your illustration even more complete, like 101% complete!

 

Notes:

‣ I applied the Chromatic Aberration filter on my illustration.

• I applied the Gaussian Blur filter on my illustration and erased the center using an airbrush to create a fading effect, this helps the view focus too.

• Closing Notes •

‣ Drawing the special effects (SFX) was very entertaining, and using the motion blur filter to show the movement of the particles was also very innovative!

‣ I am looking forward to trying out other filters, I believe it can do more than improving my illustration!

 

‣ Once again, I hope you guys picked up some learnings in here!

 

‣ Speedpaint time!

• Link •

• Gifts •

‣ Alright, so there we have it! We have reached the end of our weather studies but the show isn’t finished yet, we still have one more big piece to do.

‣ Since you have reached this part of the tip or video, I want to give you a weather color palette reference which I used for my weather studies and a sky & weather for different types of weather color reference as a gift of gratitude for reaching this part of my tutorial!

• Color Palette •

• Sunny Weather Reference •

• Cloudy Weather Reference •

• Windy Weather Reference •

• Rainy Weather Reference •

• Stormy Weather Reference •

• Snowy Weather Reference •

• Closing Notes •

‣ Feel free to use the gifts for both personal and commercial use. Do not re sell them, I gave them as gifts for a reason. Have fun!

 

‣ It’s time for our final piece, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

• Link •

• Closing Notes •

‣ Alright, we have reached the end of both our weather studies and the video. Thank you so so much for watching and I do hope that you learned something! Until next time!

 

‣ (High resolution images are available in the google drive.)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DzC8Q30yHB4fCSQ904WWZkMbB5JdIywN?usp=sharing

• Links to Assets (From the CSP Asset Store) •

Note: Some of them are Free, some are Paid.

 

Cloud Assets:

1470324, 1931952, 1391900

 

Snowy Assets:

1934838, 1857668

 

(Sky) Weather Gradients:

1836342, 1835914

 

Rainy Assets:

1744323, 1916952, 1790153, 1668309

 

Sunny Assets:

1713829, 1844097

 

Stormy Assets:

1919431, 1687371

 

Tree/Leaf/Flower/Bush/Shrub Assets:

1793748, 1944448, 1944449, 1942639, 1730818, 1753488, 1744308, 1668306, 1741686

 

Filter Assets:

1931525

 

Extra:

1903980

• End •