Nature Journaling Prompt: Sky Journal

December 16th’s prompt: Sky Journal. On a cloudy day, make four thumbnail “window views” of the sky. Spend no more than five minutes per sketch. Spread the sketches throughout the day, or do them in sequence, observing the direction of the wind, and taking the time to identify any clouds and to note the temperature. At the end of the day, you’ll have four snapshots of the day’s sky.

Today’s Wild Wonder prompt was inspired by Brooke Morales’ 365 Skies project. Hear more from Brooke below.

Sky Journal by Brooke Morales

For nearly three years, I painted the sky every day as a form of nature journaling. What began as a small habit of noticing gradually became a practice of sustained attention, resulting in 1,001 consecutive watercolor skies. I treated each painting as a nature journal entry—a simple record of what I observed from my window (or sometimes, from outdoors) on that day.

I recorded the date, the time, the temperature, and meaningful weather data. Many evenings, I also recorded something I felt grateful for on the back of the page.

Through painting skies, and through nature journaling more broadly, I’ve learned that the more we pay attention to something, the more we begin to care about how it changes over time.

While my watercolor skills naturally improved with daily windowscapes, the deeper value of the practice was how it sharpened my ability to observe. Subtle shifts in light, atmosphere, and temperature became easier to notice.

Over time, those small sky studies formed a visual log of seasonal rhythms, unusual weather patterns, smoky skies during wildfire season, and changes in air quality that might otherwise fade into the background of daily life.

Keeping the practice sustainable meant keeping it simple. I worked with my small, portable Pocket Palette and a limited set of colors that allowed me to mix a wide range of sky hues without distraction. Using foundational techniques like washes, gradients, and lifting, each sky remained a quick study focused on observation rather than outcome.

As a nature journaling prompt, painting the sky invites you to slow down, look up, and record what you see. Each small painting becomes a moment of attention and care, reminding us that nature journaling doesn’t require going far. Sometimes, it begins right outside your window.

Supplies

I used the Silver Pocket Palette for nearly all of my skies and now use the larger 365 Skies Palette, a Silver Folio Palette, for my studio work when teaching.

Palette Colors

Here are the colors I use in palette. Asterisks (*) indicate my personal favorites for mixing skies.

Warm colors: Pyrrol Orange (Daniel Smith), Purple Magenta (Schmincke), Perylene Maroon (Daniel Smith), Quinacridone Burnt Orange (Daniel Smith), Quinacridone Gold* (Daniel Smith), Indian Yellow (Daniel Smith), Yellow Ochre* (Daniel Smith).

Cool colors: Cobalt Turquoise (Schmincke), Helio Cerulean (Schmincke), French Ultramarine (Winsor & Newton), Cobalt Blue (Winsor & Newton), Lavender (Holbein), Indanthrone Blue (Daniel Smith), Neutral Tint (Daniel Smith).

Don’t forget to look up!

—Brooke Morales

To keep up with Brooke’s projects, follow her on Instagram and over on her blog, Life Noticed, where she writes about mindset, creativity, art, and journaling. All images courtesy of Brooke.

Thank you so much, Brooke, for sharing your art, process, and reflections on nature journaling with us! To read more about the month of nature journaling prompts, and to see the full list of prompts, click here. Be sure to tag your art with #NatureJournaling2026 and #ArtToolkitFridayPrompt for a chance to be featured on our blog and Instagram!