Okay, raise your hand if you've ever, in your lifetime, sat there STUMPED because you didn't know how to draw water? *raises hand* yeah.... I wanted to know if there was a lesson, (and if not,) could there be one? Does anyone have a link to a tutorial? Help! I'm drawing a pirate girl and she has the ocean behind her but it's not an ocean if it doesn't look like one!

Water is one of the hardest things to create for me when drawing .. I try not to look at the whole picture and just start with high lights .. but trust me laura or Jeanette will come in soon and they will have a answer for you hun .

Hi Staciarain, water problems huh? Well lets see if we can fix that for you.

I haven't got a link to a water tutorial right now but will see what I can do and will also work on a lesson for water for all those interested. Water is more a perceived difficulty because it seems daunting,especially an ocean. If you break it down into light and shade and sections, it becomes more manageable and less daunting.

Can you post the drawing you're doing so I can see what you are trying to create and help you more? Also are you working from references in your drawing of the pirate girl and ocean or is it out of your imagination? If it is the latter you still need references to make the image work and provide the realism to the image that you're trying to achieve. If you are drawing from a reference image for the ful drawing, then you need to carefully observe areas of light and shade and apply them to the drawing. I know, I know, easier said than done.

hang in there, we'll get you on the watery path in no time!

*raises hand along with Stacia* Though it is a perception problem, I think it's one that a lot of people have. A friend of mine showed me a way to do a waterfall, and in his hand the pencil worked magic. When I tried to do the same thing, all I got was a cross between a weeping willow and someone's very bad hair day...

You guys are wonderful! I can't get the drawing to scan, but I don't have a reference (I've personally never drawn from one) but I prolly should lol

Thank you so much I love getting replies to my boards (I have WAY too much time on my hands... that's what I get for being 13 lol)

Lots of things are scary til you know how to approach them. You can both do this, it just takes a little bit of rethinking and reobserving.

Heheheh, love your description of the drawing Raiva.....weeping willow and bad hair day....chuckle

Yep, Staciarain, you need a reference to make water look like water. Unless you know it inside out and can visualize it in your head in minute detail, you definitely need a reference to start from. You don't have to make a mirror image of it, but you do need a starting point.

Staciarain,

You have the best reference material at your finger tips....google "ocean" or "beach" or go take a look at the reference links that Miss Jeanette posted...one of my favorites is the Morgue...I think she listed that one too...

Good Luck,
Laura

Well what kind of water? Is it calm lake or rushing ocean?

If you dont want to use reference, try this trick, do the water like if it was hair

I dont know if these are good examples..[attachmentid=1491][attachmentid=1492]

I don't know if anyone is still interested in this subject but I did come across this tutorial for "making waves" .

It is intended for painting rather than drawing but a painting starts with a drawing anyway so I think it is still helpful.

Making Waves - Drawing Lesson by Donald A. Jusko