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Michelle
The Power of Sky and Light: Capturing Mood
One of the most exciting parts of painting is deciding where your focal point will be. It’s the heart of the piece—the place where your viewer’s eye lands first and lingers the longest. Sometimes, it’s obvious. Other times, it takes a bit of thought. In this painting, the drama of the sky was calling to me right from the start, and I knew I wanted that intense, moody atmosphere to take centre stage.
I wanted to capture that feeling of vast open space and contrast the glowing warmth of the ground with the deep, stormy sky. The sky is where all the action happens—the bold, sweeping strokes of purple and violet are layered to build depth and movement, while hints of magenta give a subtle vibrancy to the cloud edges. I wanted that sky to feel powerful and almost overwhelming, like it’s about to unleash something spectacular.
But I didn’t want the ground to compete with the sky. The land is kept simple and almost abstract, with just enough texture and tone to ground the scene without distracting from the drama above. You’ll notice I’ve placed just a few small hay bales in the distance to break up the expanse and add a sense of scale. They’re subtle, though, because I wanted the light to be the main feature on the ground—sharp streaks of orange cutting through the landscape, guiding the eye back up to the sky.
Working with oils gave me the chance to really build up that luminous glow and take my time blending the sky. Unlike acrylics, which I love for their quick-drying and bold, punchy effects, oils let me slow down and layer gradually. It’s just a different approach—both have their strengths. For this piece, the slower drying time helped me achieve that rich, atmospheric feel without losing vibrancy.
Try this tip:
Next time you’re planning a painting, decide on your focal point before you even pick up your brush. Ask yourself, “What’s the story I want to tell?” Once you know, use contrast to your advantage—like a bold, vibrant sky against a simple landscape. Keep the supporting elements understated so they don’t fight for attention. That way, your focal point stays strong, and the mood you’re aiming for really shines through.
Give it a go! Let yourself be bold and intentional with where you want your viewer’s eye to land. And most importantly, have fun experimenting with your choices. You might just surprise yourself!
Let me know in the comments if this was helpful or if you plan to try this.
14 thoughts on “The Power of Sky and Light: Capturing Mood”
Thanks for your great paintings Michelle and your hints. I’ll try to paint that wonderful stormy, active sky though in acrylics. Perhaps a retarder will somehow work.
Retarder is great for slowing the drying time down and working wet in wet technique 😊
Thank you, These are good tips!
You are very welcome Jean. Hope you found them useful.
Breathtakingly beautiful, Michelle! The deep colors! Do you also have a video about working with oil paint?
Thank you so much Astrid. This is something I’m planning to create for the membership which you are part of so watch this space. Michelle
Stunning painting. I love the shock of color. I am quit timid. Should try bolder colors!!!
Thank you so much. It takes practice but I’m sure you will get there if you want to paint bolder.
Great painting! Thanks for sharing the painting and your process!
You are always welcome Dan : )
very interesting ideas, thank you. I will try to use your advice in my work.
That’s great Grace. I hope you find it useful.
Very intrested!
Thank you very much.