Painting a Sunset in Watercolor

If we are so fond of sunsets, it is no coincidence: it is the moment when the sky turns into a true spectacle. A phenomenon that has fascinated generations of artists, who have immortalized these luminous moments in countless works.

Hello and welcome to this new article! Today, we'll capture those everyday landscapes on paper, exploring all the expressiveness of watercolor.

Some examples of paintings

To begin with, I would like to focus on two works that can serve as inspiration for us. Both exude a contemplative atmosphere, that of the end of the day suspended in time. They feature a warm palette that not only sets the sky ablaze but also all surfaces it touches, as well as striking contrasts that give the scene its depth.

1 - The Golden Hour (1875), Thomas Moran, oil on canvas

2 - Scarlet Sunset (circa 1830-1840), J. M. W. Turner, watercolor on paper

Choose an appropriate color palette

This type of landscape naturally calls for a dominance of warm tones — reds, oranges, yellows — which characterize the light of the sunset. But watercolor offers us an additional freedom: that of enriching the composition with more subtle chromatic variations. Touches of lilac or violet then naturally slip into it, adding depth and vibration to the whole.

Before you start, keep two ideas in mind that will greatly ease your task.

The first one is alternate work. It is quite natural to become impatient in front of your sheet, but some effects require time. The trick is simple: while one area is drying, the sky, for example, take the opportunity to work on another, like the ground.

The second is just as valuable. As the sky is the dominant element of our composition, I advise you to apply the rule of thirds: allocate approximately two-thirds of the image to it.

That said, you can prepare your material and your paper.

Painting a Sunset with Watercolors Step by Step

Using these markers, sketch directly onto your paper. I advise doing this before wetting the surface, as pencil does not adhere well to damp paper and may damage it.

Paint the sky at sunset

Take some yellow and apply a few touches in the area around the sun. You can also leave some areas white to suggest clouds or incorporate other colors.

Then add an orange tint in a slightly more distant area, and finish with light touches in different parts of the lower sky area.

In the upper part of the sky, apply blue tones that herald the arrival of night. You can add hints of purple and lilac to create a transition with the warmer areas.

It is important to keep some white space to enhance the intensity and brightness of the clouds.

The ground will naturally pick up the warm tones of the sky, enriched with earthy shades—brown, ochre, some reds. For now, the goal is simply to lay down a colorful and varied base. Details will come later.

Even if it may be tempting, avoid using black immediately. Start by mixing different browns and purples with their complementary colors to darken them gradually.

If the colors struggle to blend into the background, a dry brush will work wonders to absorb the excess watercolor.

Add textures to watercolor

We can now paint the wheat field. At this point, the base layer should be dry. Use a fine brush to apply small, sharp touches with different shades of orange and ocher, slightly darker.

If the lines are spreading too much, it means that the paper is still wet. In this case, wait a few minutes.

Use darker tones, leaning towards brown, to add blades of grass along the path and in the foreground, complementing them with some shades of orange and ochre.

Do not forget to project the shadows of the main elements and always without black. A brown mixed with a touch of well-diluted blue will suffice to obtain a soft and natural shadow.

The clouds at sunset are particularly sensitive to color variations, it's precisely by playing with saturation that they are given their full presence.

To shape them, draw wavy curved lines, then pass a dry brush over their lower part to blend them into the sky and connect them to each other.

Take the time to assess your painting: some areas might need a slight adjustment, while some strokes could use a bit more finesse.

Once satisfied, remove the adhesive tape, step back, and admire your work.

That's all for today. I hope this tutorial has inspired you, helped you find your colors, and, most importantly, made you want to get started. As always, I hope you found this read helpful.

Writer and illustrator: Bryam