New York Academy of Art

We are innately drawn to moving water - how it sounds, how it looks, the shift in humidity and smell in the air as we approach. There is magic and poetry in being near babbling brooks, rippling streams, lapping waves, or crashing waterfalls. In this workshop we will break down the process of painting scenes with moving water. To do this, we will think about water in layers. Is there light that passes through the water, illuminating the ground surface underneath? Does the water itself have a color? Are there areas of turbulent water filled with trapped air bubbles creating “white water”? What colors are reflecting off of the surface of the water, and where do those colors come from? How do those colors shift as they appear on the surface of the water? Most importantly, how do we capture all of those effects while also simplifying and abstracting as we go. In this workshop we will look at how other artists have tackled these problems, discuss the ways that light and water interact, paint a few small color studies to practice applying the concepts we have learned, and work on a longer painting from a reference of your choosing that prominently features water. Workshop open to beginner to advanced painters working in any full-color media that can layer, such as oils and acrylics or any combination of watercolors, gouache, and pastels. All demonstrations will be done in oil paints. This workshop is part two in a four-part series. Students can register for one, multiple, or all parts. Please email [email protected] for registration questions.