Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Want to paint skies that feel vast, luminous, and full of atmosphere? In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create depth and distance in your sky paintings using a stunning sunrise reference and five essential tips.
🎨 I’ll demonstrate in acrylics how to:
Use cloud perspective to lead the eye into the scene
Create depth using scale, overlap, and spacing
Adjust color temperature and value contrast for aerial perspective
Handle edges to push clouds forward or back
Use transparent layering for glowing, realistic skies
Whether you're painting landscapes, seascapes, or impressionist skies, these techniques will help bring space and life into your work.
⛅ Based on a real sunrise photo, this quick acrylic demo is perfect for beginners and intermediate painters looking to level up their skies.
✍️ Let me know in the comments what skies you’d like help with next, and don’t forget to subscribe for more loose and expressive painting tips every week.
❣️Your FREE Reference and Course: https://art.malcolmdewey.art/PaintOn
📕Books by Malcolm:
52 Weeks of Creative Living: amzn.to/3WvQV5w
52 Weeks of Creative Mastery: amzn.to/3YdXCdU
The Creative Awakening: amzn.to/3zRjuBx
Sell Your Art of Not?: amzn.to/3zM6Tzs
How to Loosen Up Your Painting: amzn.to/4f5Rx9n
An Artist's Survival Guide: amzn.to/4d7Aq58
An Artist's Guide to Plein Air Painting: amzn.to/3Wg5qZO
🎨Art Materials:
Gouache:
- W&N Gouache Paint: amzn.to/3tK9V4K
- Gouache Stay Wet Palette: amzn.to/3COQ9cs
- Royal Talens Gouache: amzn.to/3DptgMR
- Gouache Sketchbook: amzn.to/4iCrgBi
- Gouache Brushes: amzn.to/3DgzjU4
Pastels:
- Jackson's Pastels: tidd.ly/4gamuJW
- Pastel Paper: amzn.to/4gcRp8d
- Artist's soft pastels: amzn.to/3ZAmprA
- Arches Oil painting paper: amzn.to/3YCLW0Y
- Michael Harding Paints: swiy.co/MichaelHarding
Acrylic Painting:
- Acrylic Paints: amzn.to/4bMXZiE
- Golden Open acrylics: amzn.to/3ZTc23q
- Brushes for Acrylics: amzn.to/41zd065
Oil Painting:
- Brush Cleaner: amzn.to/462ETmx
- Palette Paper: amzn.to/3PvBG9o
- Color Wheel: amzn.to/3HPYnzP
- Maimer Paints: amzn.to/3DZgFh1
- Rembrandt Oils: amzn.to/3IhJA2m
- Gamblin Artist Oil Colors Introductory Set: amzn.to/2sLyeQh
- Artists' Grade Gamsol Oil Color Size: 1 Liter: amzn.to/2tsbQve
- Oil Paint Brushes Princeton:amzn.to/42HOEHW
- Palette Knife Painting Set: amzn.to/39Isac6
- Artist Paint Brushes - Top Quality : amzn.to/42HOEHW
- H-Frame Artist's Easel: amzn.to/2Fn2UtK
- Canvas panels for practice: amzn.to/2Fmuuax
📽️Video Editing:
https://art.malcolmdewey.art/VideoEdit
💲Sell Your Art:
Artwork Archive: swiy.co/ARTWORK
Want to paint skies that feel vast, luminous, and full of atmosphere? In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create depth and distance in your sky paintings using a stunning sunrise reference and five essential tips.
🎨 I’ll demonstrate in acrylics how to:
Use cloud perspective to lead the eye into the scene
Create depth using scale, overlap, and spacing
Adjust color temperature and value contrast for aerial perspective
Handle edges to push clouds forward or back
Use transparent layering for glowing, realistic skies
Whether you're painting landscapes, seascapes, or impressionist skies, these techniques will help bring space and life into your work.
⛅ Based on a real sunrise photo, this quick acrylic demo is perfect for beginners and intermediate painters looking to level up their skies.
✍️ Let me know in the comments what skies you’d like help with next, and don’t forget to subscribe for more loose and expressive painting tips every week.
❣️Your FREE Reference and Course: https://art.malcolmdewey.art/PaintOn
📕Books by Malcolm:
52 Weeks of Creative Living: amzn.to/3WvQV5w
52 Weeks of Creative Mastery: amzn.to/3YdXCdU
The Creative Awakening: amzn.to/3zRjuBx
Sell Your Art of Not?: amzn.to/3zM6Tzs
How to Loosen Up Your Painting: amzn.to/4f5Rx9n
An Artist's Survival Guide: amzn.to/4d7Aq58
An Artist's Guide to Plein Air Painting: amzn.to/3Wg5qZO
🎨Art Materials:
Gouache:
- W&N Gouache Paint: amzn.to/3tK9V4K
- Gouache Stay Wet Palette: amzn.to/3COQ9cs
- Royal Talens Gouache: amzn.to/3DptgMR
- Gouache Sketchbook: amzn.to/4iCrgBi
- Gouache Brushes: amzn.to/3DgzjU4
Pastels:
- Jackson's Pastels: tidd.ly/4gamuJW
- Pastel Paper: amzn.to/4gcRp8d
- Artist's soft pastels: amzn.to/3ZAmprA
- Arches Oil painting paper: amzn.to/3YCLW0Y
- Michael Harding Paints: swiy.co/MichaelHarding
Acrylic Painting:
- Acrylic Paints: amzn.to/4bMXZiE
- Golden Open acrylics: amzn.to/3ZTc23q
- Brushes for Acrylics: amzn.to/41zd065
Oil Painting:
- Brush Cleaner: amzn.to/462ETmx
- Palette Paper: amzn.to/3PvBG9o
- Color Wheel: amzn.to/3HPYnzP
- Maimer Paints: amzn.to/3DZgFh1
- Rembrandt Oils: amzn.to/3IhJA2m
- Gamblin Artist Oil Colors Introductory Set: amzn.to/2sLyeQh
- Artists' Grade Gamsol Oil Color Size: 1 Liter: amzn.to/2tsbQve
- Oil Paint Brushes Princeton:amzn.to/42HOEHW
- Palette Knife Painting Set: amzn.to/39Isac6
- Artist Paint Brushes - Top Quality : amzn.to/42HOEHW
- H-Frame Artist's Easel: amzn.to/2Fn2UtK
- Canvas panels for practice: amzn.to/2Fmuuax
📽️Video Editing:
https://art.malcolmdewey.art/VideoEdit
💲Sell Your Art:
Artwork Archive: swiy.co/ARTWORK
