We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: capturing water digitally can be one of the hardest technical challenges of the digital art world. Whether it’s perfecting the subtle variations in color, refraction and reflection of light, or a sense of movement in a still painting, sometimes, getting even one of these things wrong can throw the whole piece off balance. 

That’s why we’re here to talk through three core principles to help you achieve digital water swimmingly!

Color

While you may have colored water blue as a child, in reality, water takes on the hues of its surroundings, which is why it’s important to begin with a solid color palette when painting water digitally. In order to decide on the right colors to achieve a realistic body of water, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the context? Whether it’s a murky brown swamp or green-blue ocean waves, context is key to building the base, shadow, and highlight colors within the palette. 
• How dynamic is the water? When more movement is taking place, there are greater opportunities for light to reflect its surroundings in multiple ways, often leading to a more diverse and varied color palette.
• Is the piece stylized or realistic? If you’re aiming for a stylized look, you may choose to use fewer, brighter colors to achieve a flatter appearance when deciding how to paint water in your scene. On the other hand, a realistic piece may take on a much more layered and shaded look using a greater number of subtle colors. 

PRO TIP: While some may choose to add the background after drawing the water, depending on the complexity of your backdrop, you may want to begin there instead. Remember—the color palettes for both the water and the background should be quite similar, so consider starting with the background first so that you have a better understanding of how the water may distort and reflect it.

Lighting

Though lighting is an essential aspect of painting water, it’s also one of the trickiest. Light interacts with all of water’s curves and shapes differently, and there’s a number of concepts to grasp before jumping in.

Reflection vs. Refraction

Reflection refers to light bouncing off of the water’s surface and mirroring objects surrounding it. Alternatively, refraction is the bending of light as it passes from air to water, which creates the apparent distortion of objects below. For example, if you are painting a still-life digital piece that involves objects partly submerged in a glass of water, the elements that are beneath the surface will likely appear distorted.

Highlights and Shadows

Detailing your piece with highlights and shadows is indispensable when it comes to achieving a realistic finish. In fact, omitting this layer is one of the most common oversights when it comes to learning how to painting water.

Whether it’s still or moving, shading using lighter and darker hues will help capture the unique variety of water’s appearance. When doing so, it’s best to begin on a new layer using a softer brush so that you can change opacity if you find it too harsh. 

Don’t underestimate the power of subtle differences in your final piece!

Movement

Water can be many things at once—e still but also conveying energy, or dynamic while capturing elements of stillness. That’s why the movement of the body of water you’re trying to depict should be one of the first things to consider when starting the piece. Here are a few tips to help you just that:

• Practice by painting still water first. One of the best exercises you can practice is simply drawing still water. Although this may seem a bit dull, the same principles—including reflection, color, and shadows—apply to both, but one takes far less experience to perfect. Once you’ve mastered drawing water when it is calm, you’ll easily be able to add moving elements to achieve a more dynamic finish.
• The details make the piece. It doesn’t always have to be larger elements that convey movement. Just like subtle differences in lighting can dramatically change your piece, adding fine details like bubbles, sprinkled droplets, or foam can breathe plenty of life into it.
• Use the same brush. When you’re drawing the details, be sure to be consistent in the type of brush you’re using, including its size and opacity. The same body of water within the same surroundings will behave similarly. So for instance, if you’re drawing a wave crashing in the ocean, taking time diversifying the size of the water droplets being sprayed may in fact confuse the appearance of movement.

Still feeling stuck learning how to paint water? Find your flow with Cubebrush!