Reflections on the water

by Tissa Hewavitarane

To become a skilled landscape painter, it takes years of practice. However, starting from a few basic notions it is possible to paint an acceptable landscape which, like creating skies, trees, mountains and valleys can be applied in general landscapes. Painting reflections is naturally, part of river scenes and sea views.

To get a good reflection on the water it is necessary to bear in mind that the reflections painted in watercolours depend fundamentally on the back ground of the composition and the dark colour that is used for the reflection.

Reflections in general obey certain laws. It is much easier to understand them if you try to observe and make a study of large stretches of water the surface of which is made very light and where it's further away and dark in the foreground. This is because the horizon reflects the low, lighter part of the sky, but close to the shore the water picks up the darker colour from the sky above. Also because we're looking down at it, the foreground water transmits some of the colour of the bottom. With a large body of water, some parts of the surface are smooth while others are ruffled by wind.

Smooth water reflects the sky like a mirror but rough water picks up and relays the light from many directions, either darker or lighter than the sky depending on the prevailing conditions.

The majority of the techniques necessary to paint a river landscape are gradation in the background, trees and vegetation in the distance and the sky.

The zone of the water always has to be painted somewhat darker than the sky. The brush strokes have to belong and continuous so as not to make breaks in the superimposition.

Confusing

Water is one of the most popular painting subjects. Yet it isn't an easy one to get right. Reflections in particular, can be confusing and are often not well understood. Painting reflections in water takes practice and close observation. Novice painters usually come unstuck because, first, they don't understand the way reflections behave and second they are too timid in their approach.

Fluid and transparent, watercolour is tailormade for painting reflections in water.

There are many techniques you can use, depending on the effect you want to convey. In the painting I have shown here, note the reflection of trees rendered with dark limpid washes that give a life-like impression of the smooth and gently undulating surface of the water.

Note that the ripples are larger in the foreground. Expressive brush strokes give a sense of movement. Sharp contrasts of tone between water and reflections give a "glassy" look to the water.You've probably heard the saying "Less is more" and nowhere does this apply more readily than in the painting of water. Achieving the smooth glassy look of water requires surprisingly little effort.

Often a few sweeping strokes with a broad brush on damp paper are enough to convey the effect you want. Yet, beginners often seem to think that there must be more to it than that and insist on putting in a few odd strokes and ripples here and there for good measure.

Damp paper

Whether you apply your colours to dry paper or damp paper is a matter of preference, but there's one more important piece of advice. Choose your colours with care and apply with confidence.

The more decisively and simply you paint water the wetter it looks, so try to work with large brushes that discourage the habit of fiddling and prodding and use plenty of water to facilitate smooth, even strokes.

Mix your colours carefully on the palette and test them on scrap paper before committing yourself remembering that they should appear quite dark in tone to allow for the fact that they will fade a lot on drying.

To paint moving water well requires fast moving brush strokes.

One deft squiggle can convey far more than any amount of hesitant goings-over, so take your courage in both hands and allow the brush to follow the movements of the water.

Rhythmic strokes

Observe how I have used strong rhythmic brush strokes to impart a sense of movement and encourage the eye to follow the progress of the water. Note the contrast between the water, which is painted with thin paint and very light tomes, and the surrounding landscape elements which are painted with more definition and stronger tones.

This dark tones and solid shapes make the water appear more fluid and fast-flowing through the confident use of contrast.

The circular movement of the brush stroke depicting the reflection of the trees generates a sense of life and movement and makes us feel actively involved in the picture.

Always try to imagine a river or lake as a soft mirror, reflecting everything above it. Apart from when it is muddy and in flood a river reflects the colour of the sky, blue or stormy grey. Secondly, it reflects the things that surround it, trees, huts, earth and bridges all of course upside down.