How To Paint Rushing
Water
by Armand Cabrera
While visiting fellow painter, Charles Muench, we painted
Sorensen Falls in the Sierras. We decided to set-up our
easels on some large boulders. The rushing water was very
powerful and provided a challenge to capture on canvas.
Here’s how I approached painting this wonderful
scene outdoors.
My Extended Oil Palette
Viridian
Cobalt Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Alizarin Permanent
Cadmium Red Light
Cadmium Yellow Light
Cadmium Yellow Lemon
Titanium White
My Canvas
16x12 SourceTek oil primed linen canvas on birch panel
1. I began the painting by establishing my drawing.
2.Once I established the drawing, I started blocking
in the big shapes. I was careful to mix the colors as
accurately as possible. I constantly compared each large
shape to the other shapes around it for tone and temperature.
3. My usual plan is to work back to front and large to
small. However, the light was changing so fast at this
location, I decided to paint the water since it would
rapidly be in shadow. Water has three attributes: Movement,
Transparency and Reflectivity. When painting water, it
is best to let one aspect dominate with the other two
qualities playing subordinate roles. The obvious choice,
in this case, was the movement with some of the transparency
in the foreground playing a secondary role.
4. Concentrating on the water, I worked to get all
the nuances between the foam, spray and cascade. After
establishing the big differences between light and shadow,
I refined the shapes in smaller and smaller increments.
I was careful to keep the sense of movement and cadence.
To accomplish this, you must be careful not to "freeze
frame" the elements like a camera would.
5. With the water finished, I then focused my attention
back on the rest of the painting. Again, I turned my attention
to the things that seemed the most transient---in this
case the lower trees in the background and the rocks.
Because the spray being kicked up softened the look of
the background elements, I didn’t want to overdevelop
the distant trees or cliff.
6. I finished the rocks in the foreground by modeling
their forms and adding some highlights. At this point,
I stopped looking at the scene for more information and
focused on the painting. I adjusted anything that detracted
from the concept and focus---the power of the rushing
water.
~ The finished painting ~
Sorensen Falls, 16 x 12, Oil on Board
Armand Cabrera is represented by Fine
Art Galleries across the United States. He is currently
in the production stage of a series of Instructional Painting
DVD’s. If you’d like to be on his mailing
list, please go to his website.
www.armandcabrera.com
