Gauzy altostratus

02/23/12, 19:30 am, looking northwest

This morning was warm and sunny with altostratus clouds moving northeast. Today's high is forecast to be 73 degrees F. We are in a weather change to cooler temperatures and possible rain tomorrow. These clouds moved by at a brisk pace and by mid-day were succeeded by puffy little altocumulus clouds.


The challenge in painting clouds is to capture their indefiniteness and translucency. The way I've learnt to paint these thin, diaphanous clouds is more like staining the wet paper with the brush rather than making strokes with it. If I put on too much pigment, I dab it off and try again. I'll let the paper dry and then stain another layer over the first. Even though this painting looks very pale and light, there are at least four layers of pigment on the paper. Which is cold press watercolor paper, this time.