Painting a sunset doesn't have to be as hard as it looks. Natural landscapes are relatively easy to paint if you study your subject carefully and make sense of its vibrant colors so that you can translate them into your palette.
With these tips in mind, I guarantee you will vastly improve your dramatic sunset painting skills.
1. Define the Horizon Line
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| Drawing the horizon line |
A sunset must begin somewhere, so mark that location on your paper.
Do you want the sun to be seen from a very low angle?
Or would you prefer it to be in the center of the page?
Decide on this before you begin painting and mark it with a pencil. You can draw a line at this point to see what level you'll need to paint at.
2. Affix a Piece of Masking Tape to Stay in Line
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| Add masking tape to define boundaries |
Masking tape doesn't only have to be used on the sides to frame a painting. Get creative and use it to define boundaries on your paper.
You can place it under your horizon line so that you don't go below this line while painting. It also gives the painting a cleaner look.
3. Paint Bottom To Top
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| Work up from the horizon line |
When I say bottom, I'm referring to the lowest point on your horizon line. The area just above the line will receive the most sunlight, so outline those colors first and then work your way up.
Doing this gives you some control rather than moving from top to bottom.
4. Don't Use White to Paint the Sun
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| Blank space, not white paint |
After nearly 100 sunset gouache paintings, the most important lesson I've learned is to never paint the sun in white.
The color white often dulls the appearance of the sun. Instead, use the white surface of your paper to your advantage, as I did in the example above.
Here, I used primary yellow paint to paint around a blank circle. This gave it a nice contrast and it shone on its own.
5. Don't Use Muddy Colors
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| Vibrant sunset hues |
Sunsets are multi-colored and vibrant, so ensure you also mix your colors that way. Muddy browns do not belong in your sunset painting palette.
To avoid this, have your palette ready before you begin painting. Identify the colors you want to use and mix them on your palette.
This also allows you to blend colors more quickly and achieve a smoother gradient.
6. Add Texture to The Mix
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| Texture brings the painting to life |
Sunset gouache paintings always stand out when you add a bit of texture to your skies. This requires using a bit more paint, without diluting it with water.
You can preserve the vibrant colors of your skies just by using undiluted paint and expressive brush strokes.
It also gives it a more professional feel.
7. Paint Clouds in Multiple Tones
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| Pay attention to clouds |
Keep in mind that clouds almost always have multiple tones.
They may have a darker tone on the underside, with mid-tones and lighter tones on top.
Study your reference carefully to understand and replicate these tones accurately in your painting.
8. Get Creative
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| Trust the Process! |
Do you know what the most enjoyable aspect of painting a sunset is? There is no one right way to do it.
Think about it.
Nature can take on any shape or form, which is why you can have the most abstractly shaped clouds and vividly stained skies.
Borrow from nature's principles and get as creative as you can.
You don't have to worry about painting between the lines. There are no fixed shapes to adhere to.
You only need to ensure that you're drawing a semi-realistic cloud shape and that your brushstrokes are bold and confident.
These skills will develop over time, so don't worry if you can't get them right in the first go.
Remember, practice makes perfect!
Here are the colors I used in my sunset painting:
- For the Upper Skies: Coral Red* + Prussian Blue
- For the Lower Skies: Yellow + Coral Red + White
- For the Foliage: Black and Black + Yellow (for a natural green)
- For the Flowers: Coral Red + Yellow + White
You can substitute Coral Red with Pink if you don't have this color
I'd love to see your results if you try this dramatic sunset painting using the tips above! Post it on your Instagram account and tag me, artbyadva and I'll share your work on my story. 💓
Advaita Raut is a self-taught landscape artist who documents her art regularly on Instagram. You can also purchase her original artwork from her Etsy Shop.
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