4 ways to start a cloud painting

How do you set up a cloud painting? Dutch clouds painter Janhendrik Dolsma answers this question by showing 4 different methods and when to use them. A studio painting requires a different approach then a plein-air painting. A 6 min. video, fully packed with information.
Dolsma (1950) is an expert painter of clouds, beaches, dunes and of course the ocean. On his KZbin channel he shares a lifetime of painting experience in short tutorial videos with an emphasis on painting clouds. His full length tutorials (over 60 minutes) have found their way to buyers all over the world. Full tutorials can be found here: www.paintingsk...
Dolsma participated in exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Taiwan, Spain, Belgium and the USA.
Website: www.paintingsk...
Full length tutorials: www.paintingsk...
Online sale: www.janhendrik...
Blog: paintingclouds...

[@curt1286]

Great work, always a pleasure! Thank you Janhendrik! Greetings from Sweden.

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you, Curt! Best from Holland.

[@carrollwilson5169]

As always you are magic (yes I know years of practice), I love love love watching you. Thank you for the joy and love of painting you share 💖

[@PaintingSkies1]

It's my pleasure, Carroll. I get a lot out of it to. Responses like yours for example.

[@christaweeks]

So awesome seeing a new video from you and hearing your great voice!!

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you, Christa, my pleasure!

[@monikaturner7622]

It’s always a pleasure to watch your impressive paintings. Thank you very much 👏🏽

[@PaintingSkies1]

My pleasure, Monika, thanks!

[@vgcbeograd]

THIS is what I wanna paint! Sky and sea under it. Well done sir, thank you.

[@PaintingSkies1]

That's good to hear, thank you!

[@najwaal-rahbi3574]

Best channel to learn painting sky, so much thanks.

[@PaintingSkies1]

Great compliment, thanks!

[@RichardPIRAGIS-ms1hm]

This artist is the best...I've done about 10...and each one has amazed me. Merci beaucoup.

[@PaintingSkies1]

Avec plaisir!

[@JackRainfield]

Beautiful! You're making me look up at clouds more these days.

[@PaintingSkies1]

That’s great, Samantha Thank you!

[@LaMadameNomNom]

I'm so mesmerised by all your cloud paintings❤😊

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you!

[@elizabethk.stratton9586]

Magic! I love watching you create skies and clouds! They are so beautiful and you make it look so effortless. I wish I could sit in your studio every day. Elizabeth ❤️

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you for your kind words. if you have any questions, please mail me at [e-mail].

[@elizabethk.stratton9586]

@@PaintingSkies1 I tried emailing you at the address you gave me, but my email was returned to me telling me there is no such address. Elizabeth

[@PaintingSkies1]

@@elizabethk.stratton9586 That's weird, this is my email address, no typos. Maybe try my second address: [e-mail]

[@suz8481]

Love your paintings as always

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks Suz!

[@bodawei425]

Glad to have discovered your channel. I've learned a lot. Now it's time for me to practice.

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you! Practice is the key...

[@lamaleus]

Dank voor het delen. Wederom heel leerzaam en inspirerend.

[@PaintingSkies1]

Dank je, fijn om te horen!

[@kusumkakoly8079]

Thanks for sharing your talent ❤

[@PaintingSkies1]

My pleasure!

[@keithandersonart807]

I'm a big fan of your work and will always appreciate that you took the time to reply to one of my comments on a past video about the surface you work on ....much respect from Ireland !

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks, Keith. You're welcome!

[@jenniferjohnson5961]

Thank you for sharing your brilliance

[@PaintingSkies1]

My pleasure, Jennifer!

[@ishmael7478]

Thank you! Very helpful.

[@PaintingSkies1]

That's great, Ishmael!

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoyed the video. Let me know if you have questions or comments!

[@kirstenschonewolf1729]

Brilliant! Thank you so much!

[@PaintingSkies1]

My pleasure, Kirsten!

[@mariadonnelly359]

Thank you for sharing your talent

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you, Maria!

[@muallabiber9323]

Siz bir harikasiniz. Hayranlikla izliyorum tum videolarinizi👏👏👏

[@PaintingSkies1]

Bunu duymak güzel, teşekkürler!

[@elainesorensen9271]

I just love watching you thank you so much for sharing your gift ❤️

[@PaintingSkies1]

You're more than welcome, Elaine!

[@ParkerComedy]

Awesome to watch

[@PaintingSkies1]

Good to hear, Parker, Thanks!

[@marymorgan3801]

Love your work I want to learn I try

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks, Mary. If you keep trying and putting in the hours, you'll get better!

[@bluehenbrian302]

Thank you.

[@PaintingSkies1]

My pleasure, Brian!

[@sandrareginacovaslima1641]

Thank you,

[@PaintingSkies1]

You're very welcome, Sandra!

[@stathisargyropoulos1701]

Thank you Excellent Help !

[@PaintingSkies1]

My pleasure!

[@maximhollandnederlandthene7640]

Wonderful 🤗

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks, Maxim!

[@saltlifegull4091]

Love it! Humbly appreciative of you sharing your talent, skill and tips:) Question: How do you convince your clients that a painting on an MDF board is just as valuable as one on canvas? There seems to be come misconception than oil paintings on canvas are more valuable.

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you! I honestly never had to convince my clients that a painting on MDF board is just as valuable as one on canvas. The tradition of painting on panel goes back centuries (to Jan van Eyck and his contemporaries) and maybe that's why in Europe it's not considered to be less valuable.

[@marciahorton2203]

Hello from the Great Lakes State of Michigan, I am so happy to see another fantastic video. You have two cats now? What are their names? Thank you for sharing your talent with us. Stay safe and healthy!

[@PaintingSkies1]

I'm really pleased to hear you like the new video! And yes, we have two cats now. The Rag Doll's name is Sientje (an old Dutch name) and the little one is called Dora. After a rough start they're a cute couple now.

[@DineseBeckert]

Hi thanks for your beautiful work! You mentioned liquin are you then using oils? I have no clue as you never stated your medium! Thanks!,

[@PaintingSkies1]

Good to hear you like my work! Yes, I'm using oils. You're right, I should have mentioned it...

[@DineseBeckert]

@@PaintingSkies1 your the best!

[@jeethugeorge3933]

Superbbb🥰😍😍😍😍From India🙌💟

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you so much!

[@hinakhabalooch]

great video.. kindly teach us how you made canvas easel thanks

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you, Hina! The wall easel is assembled from old standing easel parts. If you google on ‘wall mounted easel’ I’m sure you’ll find one you like!

[@KIPS123]

Thank you. Did you paint with oil or acrylic?

[@PaintingSkies1]

I'm working with oils. Never was any good at acrylics. Wrote a short article about it on my blog: paintingcloudskies.blogspot.com/2016/08/oils-and-acrylics.html.

[@pietradimartino3713]

Anche se parli in inglese ti capisco lo stesso. Le tue lezioni sono molto preziose. Le metterò in pratica. Grazie.. 💕

[@PaintingSkies1]

È un grande complimento, Pietra. Grazie!

[@StevenMarkPaintings]

Hi Janhendrik, I've noticed a few times you use what looks like a pencil to draw cloud outlines. Is it a pencil? If so, how do you keep it from smearing when the oils come in contact with it?

[@PaintingSkies1]

Hi Steven, I use fairly hard pencils, at least HB. If you use softer pencils (2B or 3B) you will indeed get a mess. Just to be clear: when I was a student at the Academy I learned never to use pencil in combination with oils. The chemical reaction would damage your painting. I figured my work is not meant for the ages. Plus I never saw it in my work.

[@StevenMarkPaintings]

@@PaintingSkies1 thanks' for the reply. I've heard people talk about fixatives to seal the pencil lines, I was just curious to know what you do. Btw ... I think your paintings are meant for the ages😉

[@davidengzell6322]

Great vid! Thanks! What kind of mdf-board is that? Did you put a primer on it before to make it white and then sand it all smooth? Or did you buy it white like that? Thanks!

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks, David, glad you like the vid! I paint on ordinary 6 mm MDF board. Wrote a short article about it on my blog: paintingcloudskies.blogspot.com/2015/01/canvas-or-board.html.

[@shouldbe5423]

Super

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thank you!

[@justWithRight]

Can this technique be adopted unto ceiling murals?

[@PaintingSkies1]

Using oils for a mural is a risky business, because the oils will seal the surface, preventing moisture traveling freely through the wall. Your paint may crack after a while. You can use the glazing technique with acrylics, but I'm not sure if that's also the case when doing a mural. I'm afraid you have to look for more info on the internet. Success!

[@Mike65809]

Just curious what colors of blue are used to create the sky color?

[@PaintingSkies1]

I did a short KZbin video on how I do the blue of the sky: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKa8gpmNbtySfc0. Hope it answers your question. If not, let me know!

[@Mike65809]

@@PaintingSkies1 Yes! Thank you. Very helpful. BTW, your paintings are some of the most beautiful for sky and clouds I've ever seen.

[@PaintingSkies1]

@@Mike65809 Thank you, Mike! If you're interested in my full length tutorials, you can download them at www.paintingskies.com/video.

[@Mike65809]

@@PaintingSkies1 We appreciate your willingness to share with us. Many artists don't want to. God bless.

[@folkertvanwijk5168]

Nog steeds intrigued bij jou schilderijen. En ook zelf druk aan het oefenen. Alleen... Ik schilder met acrylverf. Dat is toch wel anders en ik vraag mij af welke van deze vier methodes in deze video het handigst is voor werken met acryl? P.s. binnenkort wil ik een tripje naar de Wildevuur Galerie maken om jou schilderijen in het echt te zien. 't Is maar 1 uur en zo'n 30 minuten dus zeker de moeite waard!

[@folkertvanwijk5168]

Oh ja mijn afgelopen vakantie was in Zeeland, driemaal raden waar ik de meeste foto's van heb gemaakt...

[@PaintingSkies1]

Leuk dat je bij Wildevuur gaat kijken! De tentoonstelling loopt nog tot 24 september 2023. Omdat acryl een sneldrogende verf is denk ik niet dat de wegveegmethode erg geschikt is. Volgens mij kunnen de andere drie prima, zelfs de nat-in-nat methode, hoewel je dan wel snel moet werken. Succes!

[@PaintingSkies1]

Ah, de Zeeuwse stranden. Prachtig!

[@dbueter]

How do you keep hair from getting on your canvas?

[@PaintingSkies1]

Getting hairs on your painting might have to do with the quality of your brushes. The better the brushes, the less hair. Having said that, my paintings still have hairs stuck in the paint. I never managed to winn this battle. Having two cats doesn't help either...

[@dbueter]

@@PaintingSkies1 Thank you abundantly! I have a cat too!

[@PaintingSkies1]

@@dbueter Ah, there you go. Cat's are more important than hair on your canvas, aren't they?

[@dbueter]

Definitely!

[@SuperOlds88]

I apologize for asking a question you have probably answered a 100 times but if you are painting on something like an MDF surface, what do you paint on the surface before you start the painting? I know you start with white sometimes or a dark but just wondering what goes directly on the MDF

[@PaintingSkies1]

I work on 6mm MDF board. Idon't prime them myself anymore, I buy them at a small Dutch firm (www.panelsforartpainting.nl/en_GB/cart/) that makes really smooth panels. If you want to know my recipe from the time I still did it myself: paintingcloudskies.blogspot.com/2015/01/canvas-or-board.html.

[@SuperOlds88]

@@PaintingSkies1 Thank you sir.

[@PureAeternum]

I seem to have a problem with the next day dry technique, mainly the smooth transitions of wet and dry paint, I've tried a thin coat of liquin prior to applying the next layer but the paint tends to form a bead at the edges when smoothing out. Putting the medium in the paint before starting and I lose the control of blending any new wet colors, not to mention losing the underpainting. I work on prepared, smooth panels, the next day layers are dry to the touch and I paint really thin. My guess is the sheen of the dry layers is what determines how the fresh new layers with disperse? the more matte the better? any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks.

[@PaintingSkies1]

My guess (but it's really a guess) is that the priming of your panels is the problem. Do you prime them yourself, and if so, which primer do you use? I wrote a short article on my blog on the subject: paintingcloudskies.blogspot.com/2015/01/canvas-or-board.html. Hope this helps!

[@PureAeternum]

Thank you for the reply, I prep everything myself, pigmented gesso (2 layers, last layer sanded with 220 grit, not very smooth as my next layer will be a heavy liquin - oil paint mixture) I'll use this as the wet on wet start. Perhaps the problem is the next day surface is not entirely dry, although it seems like it because it's dry to the touch? I think what I am looking to achieve is called sfumato.

[@PureAeternum]

also, to better answer your question. I've been using liquitex - basic acrylic gesso (cheap stuff). Next time I'll try like you specify in your blog, Thanks.

[@PaintingSkies1]

@@PureAeternum You're welcome. Keep me posted.

[@KIPS123]

So wish i could afford your your classes. But it is very expensive when i live in Sout Africa. Our rand is useless to the dollar

[@PaintingSkies1]

Send me an email at [e-mail] and we'll see if we can solve this problem.

[@sondossalemeh534]

🌺

[@PaintingSkies1]

Thanks!

[@shrutiawasthi1955]

How to make colors so creamy so that the paper doesn't tear away. My colors dry too quickly 😞

[@PaintingSkies1]

Are you working with acrylics or oils?

[@shrutiawasthi1955]

@@PaintingSkies1Oh my god.....I didn't expect such an early reply. Thank you so much. I am guilty of using poster colors. But I do have acrylics but right now I am trying to learn about the color wheel . And using expensive colors and paper is not in my budget. 😞

[@PaintingSkies1]

Learning about the color wheel can well be done with poster colors. Making creamy colors on the other hand is a problem. Unfortunately I'm not very good at acrylics, so I'm afraid you'll have to look for advice on that elsewhere. In order to prevent your paper from tearing up you'll have to prime it first. I always use Gesso, but if that's outside your budget, you could use the acrylics you already have. All the best! @@shrutiawasthi1955