NOTES:
The color of water: it has no color but will reflect the color of the sky.
Calm Water:
- reflected objects are very recognizable. Mirror effect.
- clean water: no color but might reflect the color of the sky but…the color of the lake bottom, for example, might affect the color of the water.
- dirty water: reflections are lighter than the objects.
Rough Water:
- reflected objects are still recognizable but distorted. The ripples need to follow a consistent pattern. This pattern involves perspective (placement of waves, ripples, etc).
- reflections become elongated (and broken) when the surface of the water develops ripples.
- the ripples might be painted smaller as they approach the horizon.
The length of Reflection: depends on whether the object or plane is tilted toward you or away from you (longer when the object is tilted toward you)
Edges:
- the reflections can be hard or soft-edged (it depends on the state of the water)
- the soft-edged object can not reflect with a hard edge.
Rocks:
- few rocks are perfectly round
- they are solid objects. Never represent a rock like a cloud.
- feel the edges.
- think about textures and brush stroke direction.
- think about suggesting veins.
- if one rock is placed in front of another rock …a sense of depth is achieved.
- check the rock edges exercise.
Composition:
The reflection is part of the composition, think about the reflection shape as an isolated element.
The reflection itself can work as a strong focal point.
If the values or length of the reflection are not correct, they can affect the whole composition.
Reflections are part of the rule of thirds or odds.
Create a travel experience for the eyes: the viewer can enter the composition following the shape's reflections.
About Edges:
IF THE SHAPES BEING REFLECTED ARE HARD EDGED….the reflections can be hard or soft edged.
A SOFT EDGED SHAPE can not reflect with a hard edge,
About colors, values, etc
The reflection can be darker or lighter than the object itself:
-clean water: reflection similar or darker than the value of the object;
-dirty water: lighter than the object;
Note: clean water has no color but reflects the color of the sky.
Many factors affect reflections: if yiou can see the botton of the lake or river, for example, if it’s early morning, summer, winter, sunny, windy….if you are in South America or in Norway, etc, etc.
…..THE COLOR OF THE REFLECTION IS a mixing of the color of the object being reflected, plus the sky color, plus the local atmospheric conditions (summer, winter, etc) plus the color of water (muddy-gray, muddy-brown, etc)
IF THE SHAPES BEING REFLECTED ARE HARD EDGED….the reflections can be hard or soft edged.
A SOFT EDGED SHAPE can not reflect with a hard edge,
About colors, values, etc
The reflection can be darker or lighter than the object itself:
-clean water: reflection similar or darker than the value of the object;
-dirty water: lighter than the object;
Note: clean water has no color but reflects the color of the sky.
Many factors affect reflections: if yiou can see the botton of the lake or river, for example, if it’s early morning, summer, winter, sunny, windy….if you are in South America or in Norway, etc, etc.
…..THE COLOR OF THE REFLECTION IS a mixing of the color of the object being reflected, plus the sky color, plus the local atmospheric conditions (summer, winter, etc) plus the color of water (muddy-gray, muddy-brown, etc)