Wednesday 18 March 2009

Look the to skies

Here's another tip for painting water - look up.

This sort of falls under the "paint was you really see rather than what you think you see" school of lessons. Many beginner painters look at lakes, ponds, puddles and want to paint the water. That flat (or not) area that surely is blue, right? Nope!

Water is reflective. How much will vary on:
  • the angle you're viewing from
  • the water activity (still or churning)
  • any materials in the water such as mud

So if you're a bit stuck on the colours you see in the water surface, then look at the sky. The water will always reflect the colours and tones of the sky to some extent.

Here's some easy ones to start:
First image, a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflected in fairly still water. Then the same kind of weather reflected in water with bits of wave. So these need blue and white in the painting.



Here's a night example:
In the first image we see the dark blue tinge of just normal night light, with touches of yellow light from building windows (most normal lightbulbs emit a yellow wavelength of light). In the second, however, it is the reflected reddish lights from nearby buildings and Greenwich Pier reflecting on the surface.



How about a more subtle example? This is the same view in slightly different light and weather. First is a clearer day, second is an overcast day. Can you see the subtle difference? A stronger blue in the first one? (both were late in the day so there's a pinkish tinge from dusk approaching too)



Finally, about that angle of view. The first photo here shows a bit what I mean by the angle you view from and also what's in the water. While it was a bright day I was looking straight down, so didn't get a reflection from the light from the sky. The water is almost opaque because it's very near the shore and mud is being churned constantly by the waves - so this gives the water it's colour instead of the sky above. The second photo is from an angle looking outwards over the water, so there's much more reflection of the daylight on the water surface. In sea views this can be why the near water is a different colour than the distance - you're near enough the area where sand is being moved around creating an opaque area in the water while the further water is deeper without materials being churned around and your angle of viewing means you see the reflection of sunlight on the water. So sea paintings can have several colours changing as you move from shore to horizon.



So if you're ever in doubt, forget what you're looking at. Look up, see what the light is like in the sky, then look back at the water. Try and see where the light is reflecting strongly or not. Then start mixing those paints.

Hope you have bright sunny days!



All of these images can be found on my Wavemechanics photo project page, and all have Creative Commons copyright so you can use them to create your own paintings. While I haven't posted any new photos in a while I promise there are many on my harddrive just waiting for editing and adding later. :)

10 comments:

Making A Mark said...

Good points Tina

In undertaking my ponds project, I'm being continually amazed at the huge range of colours that the water can be in different weatherm different months and different times of day.

vivien said...

excellent post

and that's exactly what interests me in the water and reflections on wet sand - those fascinating changes - and it isn't necessarily the sky that you see in the painting that is reflected on the water, it can be the sky directly above or just out of your composition as in your photos.

Anonymous said...

A great post Tina! And what Vivien says hold so much truth, which is why it is so hard painting a water scene from a photo. The reflections from the skies are sometimes out of viewpoint of the camera and you have to guess the "atmosphere, the temperature, the tints and tones..."
Ronell

Jeanette Jobson said...

Excellent points Tina. The light really is the key in all of this and how it reflects on the water has so many variables.

Understanding how it all works and why helps create a better painting.

Anonymous said...

Lucid explanation and a good reminder, thanks for that - and for the wonderful shots. And your generosity in sharing them.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for these points and the illustrative photos!

Gesa said...

Yes - very good points - and seeing the differences pulled together side by side through the photos is very helpful. I think that is one of the key pieces of experience: not only getting a hunch or sense but being able to explicate and 'pass it on'.

Laura Frankstone said...

Tina, thank you for this post---it's a great reminder. I'm tackling a reflection of clouds in still water in a painting I'm working on---the sky color, though, is the least of my worries in this case ;D.
In addition to being informative, your photos are lovely.

Charlene Brown said...

Thank you for spelling out a systematic way of considering reflections. I plan to add comments on reflections to my annotated on-location sketches. They're not easily recalled, and often not captured in a quick drawing or painting.

Lindsay said...

One of the reasons the project appeals to me is that its really rich to see all the various wave shots side by side. Great observations.