Follow this step-by-step to make a cloud viewer like Constable's
Illustration by Hannah Flanagan
John Constable was born in 1776 in Suffolk. His parents hoped he would join their family business as corn millers and merchants but Constable dreamed of becoming an artist.
Constable wanted to do things differently to other artists. Instead of painting faraway places or cities where people went on holiday, he painted places that were special to him. He loved to paint outdoors which made his landscapes feel fresh and like you were really there.
John Constable
Cloud Study (1822)
Tate
Constable painted outdoors. Next time you want to make a painting, could you take paints or pencils outside and have a go at painting the weather? If it starts to rain, you could let the drops fall on your page and see what effect it has!
Illustration by Hannah Flanagan
Between 1821 and 1822, Constable created an extraordinary number of cloud studies in Hampstead Heath, London. He called his cloudscapes 'skying'. He carefully labelled each study on the back with the date, time, weather and other details. All small but important for maintaining an accurate record of the ever-changing sky.
We don't know if he used a cloud viewer but we like to imagine it could have helped him frame his view of the ever-changing sky. Let's make our own, inspired by Constable.
You will need:
2. On the rest of the space, draw and name the basic cloud formations. Research and right down basic facts about them to help you identify the cloud shapes you see.
3. Decorate your cloud viewer! You could glue cotton balls or scrunched up balls of paper, tissue or tissue paper around the border to make 3D clouds. You could paint the edges to add drama to the weather!
4. Take your viewer outside, or use it to look out the window. Grab a pencil and sketch the clouds you see through your frame.
This activity was adapted from Meet the Artist: John Constable by Hannah Flanagan. Available from Tate Shops and all good bookstores
