by Matt Smith

Imagine yourself on the beach, watching the waves. The moving water has its own rhythm, repetitions, and similarities. When painting moving water, it's essential to observe it firsthand. You can't capture its life and energy by starting with a photograph and painting from that alone. Spending time outdoors and observing the scene directly is crucial for bringing the painting to life.

Waves come and go; they can be calm and then pick up again. When I am outside painting moving water, I look for the rhythms. I search for what is constantly happening and what is unique about a specific wave, and I try to maximize and support my concept in any way I can.

Lighting is also a significant factor with moving water. The sun comes in and out, and you can see waves becoming backlit and translucent. They can also have rim lighting when the tops of them hit the sun, depending on the time of day. Again, if you are painting a waterfall, a flowing creek, waves, or anything else, don’t rely on copying something from a magazine or a book. You can't paint from a still image and expect to capture enough life and movement. Go out and observe firsthand, consistently and constantly, and infuse that experience into your own work.

It’s the same thing as moving animals or figures. When you start painting things like this from a photograph, the life is sucked out of it. In our paintings, we have to create that illusion of movement. What do you see and how can you use it to your advantage? It takes time and study, so get outside when you can and observe and paint these moving elements.

Join Matt in his instructional waterfall video series and mentoring course below: