How to Paint Water with Acrylics, Watercolor & Oil: The Basics
Painting waves requires two essential skills: a thorough knowledge of color theory, and a good painting memory. That’s because the water is constantly in motion: unless you’re referencing from a photograph, any water painting is essentially just coming from your mind. As for color, it’s even more important for waves than for other landscapes because of the nuances and moodiness of various shades of blue. The seas must, after all, reflect the skies, but they’re never exactly the same.
Painting water in watercolor
Watercolors are a different beast when it comes to water painting, because you have to plan not only the objects on the water, but also where their reflections will be. This is unlike opaque mediums where you can paint the flat water first and paint objects and their reflections on top of the bottom layer. There’s almost no room to fix mistakes – but at the same time, there’s a beautiful unpredictability to watercolors, which is the essence of the medium’s appeal.
For inspiration, download Painting Water with Oil, Watercolor and Pastel for $2.99.
Courtney Jordan