an autumn storm

Watercolour Tutorial — painting an autumn storm

Autumn often brings dramatic thunderstorms where I live — the other night, we had a spectacular one with lightning flashing several times a second for over an hour. Then came the rain, heavy and wild. There’s something magical about watching a storm while feeling warm and cozy inside.

I can’t think of another medium that captures stormy skies as beautifully as watercolour. This is where the medium truly shines — pigment flowing across the page, colours separating and merging in unpredictable ways, and that perfect balance between control and letting go. Every time I paint a storm, I fall in love with watercolour all over again.

For this lesson, we return to Tiermas, an abandoned Roman town in Aragón, Spain, to paint a sunlit ruin against a dramatic autumn storm sky. The warm autumn colours of the landscape contrast beautifully with the moody clouds above, making this a fantastic subject for learning how to paint atmosphere and light.

What you’ll learn ...

• Techniques for painting stormy skies in watercolour.

• How to balance wet-in-wet and controlled brushwork.

• Creating contrast between glowing light and dark, dramatic clouds.

• Working with autumn colour palettes to bring warmth into a moody scene.

• Tips for adding depth and atmosphere to landscape paintings.

☔ This is a full step-by-step video lesson on Patreon — perfect for a cozy autumn painting session.

Happy painting!