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Check out the Watercolor Demos and Handbook links in my signature for a myriad of painting tips.
Welcome to the forum.
Doug
We must leave our mark on this worldHi Timmy,
Welcome to the Watercolor Forum.In the Learning Demos, scroll down to the section on Water and Waves and you will find these threads:
WATER AND WAVES
Avon River by Rod Webb
Boat in an Estuary by Rod Webb
Loon and Water Reflections by Shelley P
Water by Rich Williams
Water Reflections by Rod Webb
They will demonstrate graphically how to paint water.
The link is in my and Doug’s signature lines or at the top of this sub-forum.
Sylvia
This is a painting of a rushing river ( small falls ) near my summer place. To capture rushing white water you need to indicate a height – that is the water must indeed fall – so paint the river top and then the rocks in the foreground where the water tumbles. Leave the water areas white as you paint the landscape and rocks. Then start with your lightest blue/green and weave this into the water as an underpainting – being careful to keep lots of whites open. On your pencil sketch you may want to put some maskit splotches to presevrve key white water areas.
Make the rocks random so you don’t end up with all the rocks along each side – piut a few in the middle above and below the falls.
Then move to darker blues and weave these into the flow – still keeping whites to make the water dance. Also remember that rocks don’t just sit on the surface of the water – but you will see a small shade of them under the water where it rushes close to the rocks…so put a little weaker colour at the rocks base.
For splashes use gouache and use sandpaper and a sharp exacto knife to scrape the rocks to give them a watery look and splash spots.
Look at all the video and demo suggestions above – they’re great. But one of the secrets is to paint the water last – but keep it in mind as you paint the rocks and landscape. And be sure to indicate where the water’s coming from and the height also suggests fast flowing water. One more thing – paint furiously and fast and loose when it comes to the water – that’s the way it flows and taking too much time or going into the paint again and again will spoil the effect.
Practice the water on small scraps of paper – you’ll pick up a rythum that way. Just any old scraps and some pigment to practice for a few minutes at the end of the day. You’ll be a master water painter before long.
Hope this helps a little.
UNK
Hello Timmy. Lots of information for me as well! Thank you Wilf. The flowing water in your painting is great. Will try this next week when I have a few days free.
Happy Holidays.Athena
Athena
Hello Timmy and all!
Painting moving water? I was attracted by that topic naturally. I am a whitewater kayakist, I have been observing (hi Karenlee, we enjoy the same thing here) and using moving water for over 15 years and it still amaze me. The energy, the shapes, the reflection, the splashes…kayaking in it as painting it are both equally fun I reckon.
I am tempted to jump into some coaching questions with you to hekp you find what you like so much about moving water that makes you want to recreate it. But I would not do that without your agreement. And in fact, since you are asking for the ‘How to’, everybody can share their best way to achieve a good mooving water result (nice job UNK) and I believe all answers can be equally good.
Mine? Pouring water, masking fluid splashes, drawing ‘water shapes’ and mask them out, lifting color, salt, scratching… I have lots of fun doing it, mostly over a Fredrix canvas because water run so fast on that surface. Then I feel like I am taking risks, just like I do in my kayak:lol: . I share with you a piece that I have done on such canvas very simple in terms of values and composition. Let me know what you see, feel, think? And others too!
BTW, Merry Christmas all!
Stéfanie Vallée
www.stefanievallee.com
Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!These are all great suggestions! This site is a wealth of knowledge!
Have fun and post your painting for us when it is done!
Reggie
Life is short so savor every moment!Study your reference carefully . look for the Whites and save them . Then paint just the color you see , maybe even upside down ,so you are just seeing . Look for the gradations , they will be important in water.
JuneFollow your Bliss and the Universe will open doors for you , where there were only walls. Joseph Campbell
Pedro
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