Replicating the qualities of water on a digital canvas is no easy feat. Its dynamism and complexity are unlike any other, and because of its reflective qualities, water will always look different in every environment it’s in, making it difficult to be captured digitally. Many of the fundamentals you may have already learned, including texture, materiality, and lighting, may all manifest differently when it comes to water, which is why digitally painting water is a niche all its own.

Thankfully, you’re not the first to take on the challenge, and you certainly won’t be the last. And to pave the way towards success, established artists have created entire tutorials dedicated to sharing the vital knowledge and technique required to digitally depict water realistically. 

So whether you’re looking to dip your toes into something new, or want to brush up on existing skills, here are 7 top tutorials that will help you bring your digital water paintings to life:

Stylized Water Material Tutorial: Part One

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create stylized water with Unreal Engine. The walkthrough is divided into three sections: the first covers color and foam localization, the second looks at motion, and the third focuses on foam working and special effects.

This kit includes:

• 3-part walkthrough PNGs
• Full setup PNG
• 3-part setup PNGs

Elemental Tutorial: Water

This tutorial falls under a series that teaches you how to digitally draw all of the elements. This particular tutorial focuses on how to depict water using Photoshop, covering texture, lighting and shadows, color, and more.

With this pack, you’ll receive:

• Two2-part video tutorial without commentary
• 4K PSD file
• 2 4K JPEGS

Water Simulation in Blender

If you’re an 3D animator struggling to capture the dynamism of water digitally, this tutorial will give you a helping hand. This quick and straightforward tutorial covers how to simulate water with accuracy and character with Blender.

The tutorial set contains:

• Video tutorial in Blender

Paint Water with Confidence

If you enjoy dipping your brush in both physically and digitally painting water, this tutorial was made for you. With this walkthrough, you’ll learn how to paint water traditionally and digitally using both references and your imagination. It will reveal how to understand value structures in water formations, and guide you to find inspiration from the work of other master painters. 

This pack consists of:

• 2-part 1.5-hour tutorial

Low Tide - Tutorial Pack

In this exercise, you’ll learn how to paint a character in low tides environments in Photoshop. This tutorial gives you the how-tos of capturing the lighting, reflections, and movement of this unique landscape.

The tutorial set includes:

• Over 60-minute video tutorial with commentary
• Layered PSD file
• Brushes used

Ghibli-Style Tutorial and Brushpack

Made especially for Ghibli fans, this comprehensive bundle covers drawing a multitude of Ghibli-inspired elements, including stylized skies, clouds, rivers, sea, water, and flowers. With this in-depth tutorial, you’ll also receive 250 unique brushes for clouds, water, and much more.

This pack contains:

• Over 3-hour time lapsed four-part video tutorial with commentary
• PSD settings file (.tpl)
• PSD file with palettes
• 250 brushes

Term 39 Tutorial Pack

This tutorial set covers how to digitally paint basic elements, such as fire, water, earth, and air. In this thorough tutorial, you’ll learn the fundamental techniques needed to achieve a stylized finish using many of the elements of reality in Photoshop. Although the set may be best for intermediate artists, beginners are also encouraged to try it out. 

The tutorial bundle includes:

• Video tutorial with commentary
• Layered PSD file
• Step-by-step JPEG
• Brushes used

If you’re ready to master digitally painting water, Cubebrush has got you covered!