Get moving with a Sky Painting

If I am not feeling particularly creative, or full of energy, one thing I can do to get myself fired up is tackle an imaginary sky painting. They go fast ( especially if you are working small) and, by nature of the subject matter, are easier than more detailed subjects. Once I start I feel the excitement start to flow, and before long I am totally absorbed.

Clouds and Fields - 8x10 oil

All you need to remember in order to make your imaginary subject matter authentic is a few rules of atmospheric perspective.

Tips:
Clouds farther away (at the horizon) are cooler.
Clouds closer (overhead) are warmer.
Clouds farther away show their sides and are more elongated.
Clouds closer show their bottom surface and are broader, rounder.
The sky is warmer than you think (don't use only blue)!

Evening Clouds - 5x7 oil

These three cloud studies were started loosely ( I had nothing I was working from) then grew from my imagination. Paint scrubbed onto the canvas suggested shapes and forms which I then refined.

Clouds Above the Hills - 11 x 14 oil