Watery Reflections

Reflections give dimension to a picture, add color and depth, and suggest a mood. A reflection is not a mirror image of the object, though it may seem that way. When you paint a reflection, you are painting a distorted version of the reflector and its environment.

There are a few things to keep in mind when painting reflections. It’s important to determine the perspective of the reflectors, and your distance from them will determine the size and shape of the reflections. The type of surface of the reflector is also important. Is the reflected surface rough or smooth? A rougher surface gives a rougher, more distorted reflection, while a smooth surface’s reflection can be very clear.

Reflections are commonly found in water ways of all types because of the very nature of water. They also originate in inert objects like mirrors and shiny objects, like metals, and transparent objects like glass. The following are some considerations when painting subjects in water, such as buildings, the sun and the surrounding scenery and sky.

Reflections and Color

• Dark colors in dry land become lighter when reflected in the water
• Light colors on dry land become darker when reflected in the water.
• The colors of the sky appear slightly darker on the surface of the water

Distance

The distance of the viewer to the water affects how clearly the image of the earth and sky are reflected.

• When painting objects next to the water, the shadow cast by these objects usually makes it easier to view down below the surface, as the object blocks the reflection of the sky.
• When standing close to calm water, the viewer will see only a weak reflection. Farther away, water will reflect details, acting nearly like a mirror.
• When observing dirty water from a close distance you will be able to see the overall color of the water itself.

Shapes & Angles Reflected in the Water

Reflected images should not be rendered exactly as a mirrored object. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• The reflected scene in the water is the actual object reflected from two different angles.
• The reflected image in the water bounces off the surface of the water.
• What you actually see is the reflected scene below the surface from an angle for as far as your eyes can see.
• You are actually seeing more below the reflected objects and even reflection of objects that you cannot see at all when you look directly at them.

Painting Ripples

Ripples combine the reflected colors from light and dark areas.

• Use quick, energetic brushwork with side to side strokes of a thin brush.
• Drag paint from dark reflected objects quickly into the light areas, clean the brush, then drag the paint from the light areas back into the dark.

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. “   

-         Charles Dickens