Paint Realistic Rain & Moody Clouds in Watercolor | Essential Techniques | Step-by-step Tutorial

Learn how to paint a dramatic and atmospheric stormy landscape in this step-by-step watercolor tutorial. I'll guide you through the entire process, from mixing the perfect stormy grays for the clouds to capturing the subtle effect of falling rain over a mountain range. We'll build the painting from the background to the foreground, finishing with detailed trees and foliage that bring the scene to life. This demonstration is perfect for artists of all levels who want to learn how to create depth, mood, and realistic textures in their watercolor landscapes. 🎨 In this tutorial, you'll learn: • How to mix dark and light grays for realistic storm clouds using colors like French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna. • Techniques for painting falling rain and mist by letting the watercolor flow naturally. • How to create a sense of depth by using lighter, cooler tones for distant elements and warmer, darker tones for the foreground. • The importance of wet-on-wet techniques and how to control your water with a spray bottle to keep the paper workable. • Methods for softening and lifting color to create soft cloud edges and highlights. • How to add foreground details like trees and foliage using splattering and scraping techniques. My PATREON MEMBERSHIP PAGE: https://www.patreon.com/joecartwright - in addition to ad-free content you get exclusive content (new videos will be more in depth than those on my YouTube channel), hi-resolution reference photos, photos of my finished painting, and drawing outlines where available. Other benefits are also included. My teaching manual: Mastering Watercolors - A Practical Guide: https://amzn.to/3CgYQfB Why I wet the back of my watercolor paper: Here is a video I made which explains why I wet the back of the paper. https://youtu.be/f3SlN7jfxRw How to use a spray bottle: https://youtu.be/tpW38--afEA ⏱️TIMESTAMP⏱️ 00:00 Intro 00: 25 The drawing 00:45 The colors of the sky and ground 06:54 Painting the sky and the ground 21:17 Painting light rays in the sky 21:53 Painting the distant hills 28:11 The middle distance and foreground bushes and trees Materials used: Paper: Quarter sheet, 185 gsm Arches Cold Pressed watercolor paper (Approx. A3 size) Watercolor paints, all are Winsor and Newton: French Ultramarine Cobalt Blue Cobalt Turquoise Burnt Sienna Raw Sienna Raw Umber Permanent Rose Scarlet Lake Aureolin or lemon yellow Cadmium Orange Cadmium Yellow Brushes: Size 8 & 12 round watercolor brushes Mop brush for wetting the back of the paper Small hog hair fan brush. Bristles about thumbnail size Rigger brush Other material: Waterproof backing board, I use 6mm thick matt black acrylic, which I purchased off eBay, held at about 20 degrees