Painting small waves
Note the yellow line that shows how the little blue wave top is parallel to the pattern in the
sand.So, how do these bright lines form
on the sand? Well they form
because the top of the wave is not
sharp, but curved like a lens and
like a lens, it focuses the light like a
lens(see diagram opposite).Were the wave 'peaked' the
difference might occur as shown in
the second diagram.OK, so now we know that small waves
are usually rounded. The more
scientifically minded might say the were
flattened by gravity or that water finds its
own level.Whatever the case I want you to consider
the information in the photograph below
and understand how the total structure of
sand, wave, light and reflected light
works and how we might transpose that
to any painting we might do of a wave.http://www.geocities.com/~jlhagan/lessons/waves.htm (2 of 3)1/13/2004 3:45:05 AM