I received a record amount of feedback on my last attempt to paint water on skin. Thank you all! The biggest mistake I made was I was trying to paint water on a waxed surface like a car on skin.

I learned a long time ago light reacts with skin very different than hard surfaces. Only makes sense water would do the same. And several of you pointed that out. It also explains why I couldn’t find any famous artists who painted what I was looking for. Because skin isn’t car!

Oops.

How did I do this time?

Timelapse: https://bsky.app/profile/ballshapedman.bsky.social/post/3mqpccs4yis2q

Edit: There is supposed to be a small waterfall off screen to her left. The actual model was in the shower as a wet skin reference. I didn’t want to paint someone in the shower. And people in waterfall scenes mostly focus on the waterfall! So I adapted this one.

  • ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    14 days ago

    One of the things that can help with water is that it’s reflective rather than being colored. Since you established the waterfall in the background, slight hints of those colors can help the water droplets convey what they are more than just white.

    Since you mentioned it was a model in a shower, that’s much higher pressure water that’s conveyed well as white, not to mention I will bet the shower she was in was white.

    Nonetheless, great work!