Here’s a fun and easy way for painting clouds when using watercolor. With this method, you can create cumulus type clouds using only a piece of tissue.

Begin by painting a wash for the sky. Before the paint is dry (watercolors dry quickly), take a piece of tissue, crumple it a bit, and begin dabbing different areas of the sky where you want the clouds to be. The crumpled tissue will only remove some of the paint, leaving colored patches. Because of the softness of the tissue, the clouds will look light and natural.

Note: A piece of cotton won’t produce the same effect, as it soaks up more of the paint, and the clouds may appear too even. Paper towels are rougher, so a crumpled piece often has a hard edge that will show up in the shape of the clouds. Facial tissue, bathroom tissue, and even napkins work well.