[Ryknow]

can some one please post or tell me where i can find a water tutorial for photoshop. My artwork realy lacks in the environment department. any help would be appreciated.
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[Intuos]

Water Tutorial

[eyewoo]

ha ha ha ha ... tacky and a bit mean
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[Ian Jones]

heh.

Well, I can't think of any specific water tutorial but here's a list of things I would keep in mind when painting water.

1. Water is semi-reflective. Part of it's inherent blue colour is due to the reflection of the sky. So now imagine a sunset, and yes... the water has golden reflections. The reflections are also affected by another phenomenon called the 'Fresnel' effect. The Fresnel effect refers to reflections being more visible as they are seen on surfaces that fall away from your eye. for example, standing on the beach look out into the ocean, with a sunset creeping behind the horizon you will see that the reflection of the light is the most intense far far out to sea where it is closest to the sun. now look at the waves and water closer to you, it will not have as much reflection if any. This is because when you look directly down into the water it doesn't reflect as much up to you, as when you look parralel to its surface. Try looking at a pane of glass in this way. You will be able to see directly through it, but when you view it with your face pressed against it and view along its surface it will reflect a lot more of its surroundings and therefore you wont see through it as much. So when you are painting an ocean, the water further away from you will be more reflective and the water at your toes you will be looking perpendicularily into so you will see through it.

2. Water is refractive. Any light that passes into or through it will 'bend' due to a change in density when a ray of light passes from air into the water. Test for yourself, get a glass of water and dunk a pen into it, observe it from different angles and you will see this effect in action. If you pick up a glass you will see a similar effect when you look through it. Refraction also accounts for an underwater phenomenon which I would call 'caustics' (because I understand it through 3D graphics terminology). Caustics refers to an over concentration of light, for example when you get a magnifying glass and focus some sunlight onto an ant and fry it! (everyone has tried this as a kid). So if you have a pool, then you will notice light patterns flitting around on the bottom. They are the effect from all the waves on the surface of the water. Where the waves peak they refract and bend the light into a concentrated point and thus you get the light pattern on the bottom of a pool.

3. Water has volume and density. Water is never totally clear, that is why at the bottom of a deep ocean you are likely to be plunged into deep darkness. This is because there are millions of tiny particles, waste, organic matter, dust etc... floating around until eventually in really deep water it blocks out all the light. This is a very similar effect to atmospheric perspective (where mountains in the distance are hazy / grey / bluish due to dust in the atmosphere).

Keep these thing in mind when you paint. Treat the surface of your water like any other object in your scene, considered its form first. Forget the reflections, transparency and refractions for now... because they will simply stem from the form and shape / surface of your water. Think about the individual waves and flow and imagine it as any other diffuse material like a flowing piece of cloth. Once you can register in your mind that water has form just like any other element, the you consider its properties and start adding its colour, reflections etc. I'm trying to stress the point that you shouldn't freak out and say it is too complex. Just imagine a sinlge wave for example. Consider its shape then add some reflection based on what you now know about the 'Fresnel' effect, so add the reflection of the sky on the part of the wave which curves away from you and is parralel to your line of sight, for the rest make the surface of the wave that is perpendicular to you transparent. Couple this with the depth of the water and you'll know how to paint these 'perpendicular' surfaces in different areas and depths of water. Do not freak out because it seems too complex. Anything can be painted if you break it down into small logical steps.

If you like, consider a less 'structured' scientific approach. All my babbling may be well and true but you could also paint the water with an impressionistic approach. Paint dashes of sunlight and reflection upon the surface and have fun creating a dappled play of light and form.

I think thats enuf now, I can't think of much more to say. Sorry I don't have any pictures. Go and find some reference photos with google image search and with your new found knowledge break it down into stages. Observing reference carefully is always the best way to learn.

I Hope that helps.

[Alyses]

scribble a blue thing, ripple it, wave it, distort it, cast light on it, put a plastic wrap on it, and tada! it's water!!!1 or something

i wouldn't use photoshop for that. get a 3d imaging terrain program like bryce. or terragen- terragen's free and it specializes in making clouds and ice and mountains and water and..

yeah, it's cool.
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[Ian Jones]

Alyses: That really isn't a viable solution. Besides the fact he doesn't have any 3d software (although I think Terragen is free). Even if he could, he would still need to composite it back into photoshop and the rest of his painted scene. Practically 'rendering' (excuse the pun) the method useless because he would end up patching it up so much he may as well have painted it in the first place.

Granted though, he could learn some very practical knowledge by using the 3D software it may help him deconstruct the effect to a certain degree. This sort of process has helpd me in understanding light and texture. I have learnt a stack load since I have been venturing into 3D MAX and Brazil r/s. Having to understand what makes a material look like it does is great.

[Effigy]

[quixar]

http://www.spoono.com/tutorials/photoshop/water/

Hope this helps.

[Ryknow]

thank you very much. finally someone gave me a serious reply to my question. i appreciate it. i found those other tutorials helpfull as well
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