How to paint a waterfall with Acrylics

 This waterfall was a practice for the real one, and since I could not find any 'How To's in any of my books, or any that looked realistic and artistic,(NOT impressionistic) I came up with my own technique for waterfalls. At least, I think it is my own, As Solomon says, there is nothing new under the sun... so, in some century someone may have come up with something similar. I haven't found them yet though!
       When painting anything, always keep in mind that paintings are prone to disaster. As a rule, take three looks at the original for every glance at your reproduction.

Design your painting by sketching it out on a sheet of paper using simple shapes to remind you of the objects that you are going to place there.

Is the painting going to be from your imagination? Or a photograph? Remember, if this is your first waterfall, you will learn a lot more from painting with a photograph. You can't really run back to your memory and check important details if you have never taken the time to notice them before!

Keep in mind:
~What time of year is it?

~Is it a specific place? What details will help you know where it is?

~What time of day is it?
       Early morning sunlight casts a misty, pale, yellow-white glow on the top/ taller objects, leaving most of the world in purple shadows.
       Mid morning bathes everything in bright straight light with fewer shadows than morning. your shadows should deepen into a brown color as they recede farther from the light.
       Afternoon leaves hard straight light, showing up the brilliant colors, but the shadows have a distict, hard contrast, usually deep brown or straight black.
       Evening comes in an orange light with deep blue shadows which are on their way back to purple.

~Balance the major objects to draw your eye THROUGH the painting. The photography rule of thirds is helpful.

~Where is your eye drawn first when you look at your simple sketch? Remenber, those areas that you want to attract the eye should have more detail. Those that you want the eye to shift away from (to flow down/through the painting) should be left softly blended, giving a 'blurry' effect.


         First, paint the area black, solid black. you will not want to cover all of this up with your water as it will give you depth and  the 3D look to your painting.
          All water falls over something in order to create a waterfall. It may be dirt, or, more likely, rock.  Look at your picture of the real waterfall. Where does the water separate to reveal those little glimpses of a jutting rock? What shape are the rocks? Remember that where the water naturally runs off is going to be smooth and flat or slanted downward as water wears at the rocks over time.
      Paint in your rocks. Shade them as if they were not going to be under water. Again, these little details are what bring your water to life.

      Look at the color of the water in your photograph. What color of blue is the water wherever there is no whitecaps? Is it blue? Is it Gray? Green? Brown? Mahogany?
      Take the color that you just chose, and use it as a base color wherever the water flows the 'deepest' (thickest?) over your rocks. Use lots of paint. Make sure that when you use large amounts of paint you do not get paint in the ferule of your brush as it's hard to get out and can ruin your brush if you don't get it all out.

Look at your Photograph. What color highlights your water? While your base color is still wet, pick up a good amount that color on your brush and stroke it through your base color. Look at your photograph. where is it  the lightest? Are some parts only in moderate tones?

 Stroke your brush back and forth to blend the colors together more where it is needed. Above all, pay attention to the lights and darks in your photograph. Imitate them. By the way, you don't have to do a perfect job. Your water will not look exactly like the one in the photograph. But do try to do your best. the sloppier you are, the less it will look like real water and more like blobs and smears of multicolored paint
.
    Also, your waterfall should not look exactly like mine. Every person has their own style which comes from the way they imagine their art work should look, the way they hold their brush, and the way they move their hand. It is personal and distinct to you alone, just as you have your own handwriting and I have mine.

Now, clean out your brush and wipe it dry. Take that ultimate light color that you made, and dip your brush in it. You want enough paint on your brush so that you are actually painting, But you want little enough paint so that when you stroke through wet paint, it creates a light airy stroke. This is called the "dry brush technique". Again. Watch your Photograph. Stroke over the waterfall.
       Glob paint to your brush and dab at the canvas to make the water have those thicker, more "Whitewater" ripples going over a rock.
        To create that misty, splashing look that all waterfalls seem to have, use your dry brush technique around the edges of your waterfall, and flying on the surrounding foliage.

NOTE: (know what I am going to say already?) Look at your Photograph and see which way, and where your water sprays up. Think about it. Where is the water going to spray the most? When it leaps off of a rock, or when it hits the top of the next rock? Does any water bash against the sides of the cliff and spray out?
Think about where the light falls into your still little pools of water and on the surrounding foliage and add it carefully.
Stand back and take a look. How is the overall composition?
What do you see that you like?
What do you see that you don't like? Can you fix it? or it it a 'stuck' part of the composition?
How is your perspective? Should the trees REALLY be that large next to the waterfall? Are your bushes the size of trees? What gives the perspective? what size comparison do you have?
Spend as much time as you need to fix these things, remember
     "A painting is never complete, only abandoned."


     Once you have completed it to your satisfaction, all you need to do is sign your name to YOUR Artwork!
No matter what your painting turns out like, remember that painting is like learning to write. You have to practice over and over and over again.
    Save your artwork, even if you think it doesn't look good. One day, when you are a little discouraged, you will want to see how far you have come since you started, it's guaranteed to brighten your day, and fun to look back and see what you did when you were.... younger!