How to Color a Red Sunset/Sunrise Cityscape: Easy Alcohol Marker Tutorial

Pillie and Pop
Apr 15
3 min read

Updated: May 19

Follow Along with This Free Coloring Practice Page!

Blending for Beginners guide with four frames showing different techniques. Text highlights color wheel, transitions, wet lines, and motion tips. Free printable for adult colorists who want to learn how to blend with alcohol markers.

How to Color a Red Sunset/Sunrise Cityscape

Finished picture from the tutorial. Shows a cityscape in a scalloped pink frame. There is an orange to red sky ombre for the how to color a red sunset/sunrise adult coloring tutorial. Picture is a coloring page colored with alcohol markers and acrylic markers.

Follow along with the free printable to learn how to color a red sunset/sunrise cityscape! This easy alcohol marker tutorial includes easy blending techniques and a free practice page to color along! We hope you enjoy this coloring tutorial as much as we loved making it for you!

Happy Coloring!

Supplies:

Alcohol Markers

4 Shades of Yellow
3 Shades of Orange
2 Shades of Red
6 Shades of Purple (or less - just for city buildings)

Ohuhu Color Codes

Yellows:

Y00 - Lemon Mist

Y03 - Pastel Yellow

Y040 - Calamansi

Y070 - Acid Yellow

Oranges:

Y4 - Quince

YR170 - Chrome Orange

YR190 - Cadmium Orange

Reds:

R070 - Agate

R150 - Zinnober

Purples:

V5 - Lavender (Artist Loft)

V22 - Lavender Wisp

RV35 - Bright Lilac

RV34 - Faded Lilac

R24 - Dark Violet Light

V020 - Pale Lilac

Acrylic Markers

Golden Yellow
Bright Yellow
Purple

Sky Gradient

Step 1: Yellow to Orange

Step one for the coloring tutorial. Shows blending from yellow to orange for the sky ombre.

Use your darkest yellow and color around the sun using circular motions.
Use your lightest orange and use the same circular motions to color around the yellow, slightly overlapping the colors.
Use your darkest yellow again to blend the colors together. Use circular motions to avoid streaks and blend evenly.

Step 2: Light Orange to Dark Orange

Step two for the alcohol marker coloring tutorial. Shows using an Ohuhu alcohol marker to blend from light orange to dark orange for the sky ombre.

Repeat step one, this time with your orange gradient.
Fading from light orange to dark orange before transitioning to red will help with a smoother transition in the next step.

Step 3: Dark Orange to Red

Step 3 for the beginner coloring tutorial. Shows blending from dark orange to red to complete the sky ombre.

Repeat step 1 again, this time transitioning from dark orange to red.
You can then use your lightest shade of orange or your darkest yellow to blend the entire gradient together, creating a smooth sky ombré.
If you need to, you can also repeat the blending process, this time going from red to yellow, to fix any streaks.

Sun Gradient

Step 1: Lightest Yellow to Second Lightest Yellow

Shows blending from light yellow to a slightly darker yellow using alcohol markers for the sun.

Color the center of the sun with your lightest color using circular motions.
Color around your lightest yellow with your second lightest yellow, slightly overlapping the colors.
Blend the yellows using your lightest yellow, using the same circular motions used in the sky gradient.

Step 2: Finishing Sun Gradient

Shows finishing the sun gradient for the coloring tutorial.

Repeat step one with the rest of the yellows until the sun is filled in.
You can then use your lightest yellow to blend the entire sun again if needed.

Step 3: Color Over the Lines

Shows coloring over the lines of the sun with acrylic marker.

Use a yellow acrylic marker to color over the lines of the sun.

City Scape

Step 1: Building Base Colors

Shows coloring in the city using different colors/shades of purple alcohol marker.

Color the buildings using different shades of purple.
Then color over the lines of the buildings using a purple acrylic marker.

Step 2: Windows

Last step for the coloring tutorial. Shows using an acrylic marker to color over some of the windows in the city to make them appear lit.

Using a chisel tip, add rectangular windows to each building, using a darker shade of purple than the building.
You can then color over some of the windows using a yellow acrylic marker if you want any windows to appear lit.

We would love to see how yours turned out! Tag us on TikTok or Instagram @pillieandpopcoloring so we can admire your artwork!

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