[AE CS5] Building a blue sky with clouds

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Depending on what the final result should be, this can be done in a few different ways – so let us know what you’re trying to achieve exactly and then we can give more input.
Just as a simple way of achieving this:
Create blue solid, add a vertical gradient on it, from light blue to a deep sky blue.
Shoot a few nice clouds on a sunny day with a still camera- cut them in PSD, and add them as 3d layers in AE.
Now depending on what the camera move is, there’s a few ways to position them.
If you need to pass through clouds, well that’s a different story.
As I said, the final result dictates the way to approach this.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Duca Simone luchini]

Hi Big Tudor,
you’re always special!
Okay for your example but I need also to pass through clouds… like a Camera on a airplane oder like a bird eyes. I’ll use a Camera to move inside and across the sky and for this reason I ask you …

THX!

[Joey Foreman]

This can be done visually convincingly with multiple 3d layers of cloud imagery, but your next step up would be a particle generation system. AE has a couple built in, but if you’ve got some cash to spare, Trapcode Particular would be the way to go.

Joey Foreman
Editor/Compositor/VFX Artist

[Duca Simone luchini]

Okay Joe,
I have Particular (Trapcode) but I’ve not a tutorial for this jon (Clouds)… any suggestions?

THX!

[Joey Foreman]

https://tutorials.forgingfire.com/2008/05/making-clouds-with-trapcode-particular/

Joey Foreman
Editor/Compositor/VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Also, these may help:
https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/smoke_screen/
https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/animating_a_still/
You may also be able to get some help from a 3d app- if you are familiar with one (anything from Bryce to Vue will do). Render out some clouds that travel to the camera and then comp in AE.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist