This Simple Trick Makes Water Reflections So Much Easier in Watercolour, by Richard Burton on YouTube. 33 min 13 s.
- Video length
- 33 min 13 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Tape your paper to a board or table so it stays flat while you work wet areas.
Mix a pale sky wash in your palette. Keep it weak so you can build the colour slowly.
Wet the sky area with clean water, then lay the pale wash across it in even strokes.
Add slightly stronger blue near the top and blend downward while the paper is still damp.
Let the sky dry until it is just damp, not shiny, before painting the water.
Paint the water with horizontal strokes in a tone slightly darker than the sky.
Add reflections by pulling short vertical strokes down from the shoreline into the wet water.
Soften the reflection edges with a clean damp brush so they blur into the water.
Leave highlights unpainted or lift colour with a damp brush and paper towel.
Let the painting dry fully, then check the tones and add any final darks.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep reflections lighter and less detailed than the objects they mirror.
Work on damp paper, not soaking wet, or the colours will spread out of control.
Lift overworked areas with a clean damp brush and blot with paper towel before repainting.
Paint horizontal water strokes and vertical reflections to keep the two areas distinct.
Questions
Do I need special paints for reflections?
No. Standard watercolours work fine. The effect comes from timing and brush direction, not from a special product.
How do I stop reflections looking messy?
Keep them simple and soft. Use fewer strokes and blur the edges while the paper is still damp.
Can I fix a reflection I painted too dark?
Yes. Wet the area with a clean brush, lift some colour with paper towel, and let it dry before adding a lighter tone.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
