Painting water drips and dropsOil Painting Demonstration |
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How to paint water drips on a vertical surface in four easy steps.
This little 8" x 10" painting has a lot of water drops. I add these details to a dry painting surface at the end. I posted the largest file allowed for this so you could see better detail if you click on the above picture. Here's how to do it when the light source comes from the upper left: 
DRIP STEP 1I use a dark color - raw umber works for me but any transparent dark will do. You are making the shape of a drip. A drip will occur on a vertical or slanted surface. A cast shadow will be on the lower right (i.e., Darker). 
DRIP STEP 2You will be looking through the water and it creates a soft shadow on the top left and the harder, sharper cast shadow on the lower right side of the drip. 
Detail (above) 
DRIP STEP 3Light will be reflected on the top right and will define the top of the drop. I use Zinc White so the original color shows through. The light does NOT touch the shadow and we want to see the untouched color of the surface between light and shadow. 
DRIP STEP 4Lastly, add a highlight in the shadow area. I use Titanium White for this as I want it to be clearly defined and opaque. 
Detail (above) from Apples Still Life (below). 
Apples Still Life, 8" x 10" Oil on Linen How to paint water drops on a horizontal surface in four easy steps
This little 8" x 10" painting has a lot of water drops. I like to add fun (and fast) details to a dry painting surface at the end. I posted the largest file allowed for this so you could see better detail if you click on the above picture. Here's how to do it when the light source comes from the upper left: 
DROP STEP 1I use a dark color - raw umber works for me but any transparent dark will do. You are making the shape of a drop. A cast shadow will be on the lower right (i.e., Darker). This particular view is from the side on a horizontal surface. If you had a top view, for example, you would draw it differently of course, but the principle is exactly the same. 
Detail (above) 
DROP STEP 2You will be looking through the water and it creates a soft shadow on the top left and the harder, sharper cast shadow on the lower right. 
More detail (above) 
DROP STEP 3Light will be reflected on the top right and will define the top of the drop. I use Zinc White so the original color shows through. The light does NOT touch the shadow and the color of the surface shows through between the light and shadow. 
DROP STEP 4Add a highlight in the shadow area. I use Titanium White for this as I want it to be clearly defined and opaque. Painting drips and drops is really a piece of cake, isn't it? 
Above detail from Cherries Still Life. 
And bugs are fun too. You can see a lot of drips and drops in my Still Life section. Above detail from Strawberries Still Life. By Karin Wells / Blog
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