Here’s an easy, beginner‑friendly way to learn how to draw a cloud easy , plus some tips to make it look cute or more realistic.

Step‑by‑step: simple cartoon cloud

Follow these steps with a pencil first, then outline with a pen if you like:

  1. Draw a light oval or “potato” shape
    • Keep it very light; this is just a guide.
    • Think of the overall size of your cloud in the sky.
  2. Add bumpy curves along the top
    • Replace the top of the oval with small connected “bumps” (like several half‑circles stuck together).
    • Vary the bump sizes a bit so it feels more natural.
  3. Draw a flatter, softer bottom
    • For a classic easy cloud, make the bottom more flat with just 1–3 gentle bumps.
    • Connect the bottom line smoothly to the bumpy top.
  4. Erase the guide oval
    • Clean up any extra lines so only the cloud outline remains.
    • Keep your outline smooth and confident (go over it slowly).
  5. Add a tiny shadow line
    • Lightly draw a wavy line inside the cloud, just above the bottom edge.
    • Shade under that line very softly; this makes the cloud look puffy.
  6. Ink and color (optional)
    • Outline with a black pen or fineliner.
    • Add very soft blue around the cloud or in the sky so the cloud itself stays mostly white.

Three quick style variations

You can turn that one basic method into different cloud types:

  • “Bubble” cloud
    • Use lots of small, tight bumps all around the shape.
    • Great for cute, cartoony skies.
  • “Fat, calm” cloud
    • Fewer, bigger bumps, more rounded and soft.
    • Flatter bottom, tall puffy top.
  • “Stretchy” cloud
    • Make the cloud wide and low, like a long puff.
    • Fewer bumps; they’re more spread out.

You can think of it like drawing different hairstyles: same idea, different silhouette.

Mini tips for making it look better

  • Use reference
    • Look out your window or search photos and roughly copy the outline.
    • Clouds are never perfectly symmetrical.
  • Vary size and overlap
    • Draw a big main cloud, then smaller ones partly hiding behind it.
    • Slight overlaps instantly give depth.
  • Keep lines light at first
    • Draw gently so it’s easy to erase and adjust the shape.
    • Darken only when you’re happy with it.
  • Try a “sky trick”
    • Lightly shade the sky around the cloud instead of the cloud itself.
    • Leaving the cloud mostly white makes it pop.

Tiny “story” exercise (for practice)

Imagine you’re drawing a calm evening sky in a notebook:

  • Start with one big “fat, calm” cloud in the middle.
  • Add 2–3 smaller “bubble” clouds drifting off to the side.
  • Shade the sky lightly behind them, leaving the clouds bright.
  • Add a small moon or sun peeking from behind a cloud.

Doing this as a little scene makes practice more fun and memorable. TL;DR:
Sketch a light oval, replace its edges with soft bumpy curves (flatter on the bottom, rounder on top), erase the guide, add a soft shadow line inside, and lightly shade around it for a quick, easy cloud drawing.