The most important thing to look for in flat water such as on lakes, ponds, canals and calm oceans, particularly when you have a consistent depth (such as in a canal) is the value transition from up close to the horizon. Beginners often completely miss this value transition with the result that the water looks ‘flat’ as if pasted onto the painting. Look how the water closest to you in this painting is a much darker value than the water in the distance.

In this course unit

This course shows you how to see effects in bodies of water, such as oceans, lakes and rivers.

In this course you will learn to see:

• how objects reflect in flat water
• how those reflections change when the water is disturbed by ripples or wave action
• how bodies of water reflect the dome of the sky and how this reflection results in a consistent value change in the water
• what happens to the temperature and value of colors when they are reflected in water
• how cloud conditions affect the color of bodies of water
• how the structure of a wave and its associated foam pattern changes during the course of breaking

Total number of assignments: 3

Total number of pages: 21