Ready for another installment of easy, cute drawing ideas in a fun cartoon style (plus one semi-realistic technique)? Let’s learn how to do three different methods of cloud drawing! Buckle up your seatbelts for some fluffy artistic exploration.
As background, my name is Lillie, and I’m an artist and teacher who delights in explaining simple ways to do sketches that bring a smile to your face — from cute frog drawing to creative variations of the “and symbol.” Onward to cloud conversations…
Cloud Drawing Techniques
Method 1: Friendly
My illustration above shows the easiest method for how to draw a cloud in a cartoon style. Pull your pen in and out in connected “U” shapes to form the “body,” almost like the scales of our mermaid tail drawing (as opposed to the “V” shapes when we did the sea urchin drawing).
Next, add shading to show the three-dimensional nature of the cloud. Ink in some sweet eyes and a smile if desired. Ta da! It’s a happy sky poof. Now let’s try one that’s a little less chipper…
Method 2: Stormy
Sure, cheerful clouds are fun, but furious, rainy ones have their own delight! As you can see from my example illustration above, the key to sketching a storm cloud is the dark gray shading, and the rain and lightning behind it.
If you’re choosing to personify your cloud, I recommend an evilly gleeful smile. That stormy guy is really enjoying making the creatures below soaking wet! If you want to add in even more weather drama, pop over to my tutorial about drawing the wind to add extra gestural lines.
Method 3: Semi-Realistic Cloud Drawings
Though I prefer using a cartoon style of cute drawings, it’s a refreshing change to sometimes try more realistic methods — and the good news is that “realistic” doesn’t actually have to mean difficult. As you can see in my illustration above, cloud drawings can be done by just layering and smudging blotches of color, evoking a colorful sunset. Add some birds and a flare of sunlight, and you’re good to go!
VIDEO: How to Draw Clouds
“Both Sides Now”
If I may digress a bit from art to philosophy and music (perhaps inspired by my recent treble clef drawing), I feel that no discussion of clouds is complete without a quotation from the gorgeous Joni Mitchell song, “Both Sides Now.” The songwriter sings: “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow, it’s cloud illusions I recall. I really don’t know clouds at all.”
To me, this song meshes perfectly with this discussion of how to draw clouds — and also gives important life ideas. The lyrics are saying that we can examine and try to draw and capture clouds (or anything in life) for years, but ultimately there is so much more to it that we will never be able to adequately understand or convey. It’s actually a lovely sentiment; there is always much more depth to explore in anything!
Cloud Drawing in Sum
I hope this tutorial has helped you learn different ways to do cloud drawings — from a fun cartoon style, to a simple semi-realistic one. What would you like me to explain how to sketch next? Do share!
Want more? Check out these creative drawings, cute snail drawing, drawing prompts, and easy octopus drawing.
The author and artist, Lillie Marshall, is a National Board Certified Teacher of English who has been a public school educator since 2003, and an experienced Reiki practitioner since 2018. All art on this site is original and hand-drawn by Lillie. She launched DrawingsOf.com Educational Cartoons in 2020, building upon the success of her other two sites, AroundTheWorldL.com (established 2009) and TeachingTraveling.com (founded 2010). Subscribe to Lillie’s monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media to stay connected!