38 Artists Magazine May 2019
Build LESSON
Apply the suggestions below when
you paint water reflections of any
kind. By using them, you can ensure
that the water will appear sufficiently
different from the same objects on
dry land. It may seem strange, but it’s
best to ignore nature when it
contradicts these principles.- Dark objects on dry land will
appear lighter in water reflections. - Light objects on dry land will
appear darker in water reflections. - Colors are less saturated in water
reflections compared with the
actual objects on dry land. Even
white needs to be grayed down in
the water. - Leave out details. You only need
smudges of color to depict any
reflection. - Avoid hard edges in water
reflections. - Water is almost always darker than
the sky it’s mirroring. This is
because water is denser than air
and absorbs light. To account for
this, make the values of the sky
and water reflections different.
I painted the water to look monochromatic in String Lake Beaut (oil on canvas, 14x11), just as I did for
Ready for the Next Trip (page 36). This time, I created refl ections by using vertical strokes on the
wet paint. Immediately afterward, I blended them into the wet paint using very light horizontal strokes.
The background shimmer adds another dimension to the painting.TIPS FOR PAINTING WATER REFLECTIONS
PAINT ALONG
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