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Paul-Shanghai — How I Draw Water in Pencil
Published: 2014-01-03 08:12:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 5643; Favourites: 184; Downloads: 104
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As per many a request, I have put together a little tutorial - I am still learning so be gentle with me if this doesn't meet all of your expectations - with your feedback I am sure I can make the future ones better and better.If you want any of the pictures used in a large format - just let me know by leaving a comment and I will send you the link directly.
ATB
Paul
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Comments: 58
Greeeeeat
Thank you. Water is something I want to try to draw/paint and it's not so simple.
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It's simpler than you may think - keep it clean, shape and remember contrast dark blacks, bright whites and soft greys
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I hope whatever your using it for works out for you?
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Oh goodness, even with my glasses I can't read that little type any chance of making the words bigger?
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This is really helpful, thank you! I did my first attempt at painting water earlier and I'm not happy with the outcome. I'm hoping that by following this advice I can save my painting!
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I hope so too - let me know how you got on
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Well it didn't turn out perfectly (and nowhere near as good as yours 
Here's the finished piece if you would like to see - any critique or advice you can offer would be very greatfully received 
dagger-13.deviantart.com/art/K…
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Very helpful tutorial! Btw your drawings are amazing!
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I'd quite like to like to have the link, please.
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Sorry been busy - this link should provide you with what your after
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I wouldn't mind that link, just for greater clarification.
Please.
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Here is a link to the outline drawing
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Fantastic tutorial! You actually made it sound easy 
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My pleasure - I am sure I will do another one soon
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Wonderful tutorial, thanks for that!...I love detailed work, so I'm looking at drawing or colouring something with water. I would love to know where you get your mechanical pencils from 
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Thanks for the comments - if you check out this paul-shanghai.deviantart.com/j… you will see at the bottom their is a list of all the items I generally use, and links to where you can find them on Amazon - I do not work for or get any commission from Amazon 
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Aww you're very welcome Paul, and thank you so much, I really appreciate such a quick response and all your help..I've copied and pasted your comment to a note program so I can look it up when I finish here
I will most definitely seek out the Tumbo Eraser, I have one of those battery operated ones that you load with an eraser...but they aren't good for fine detailed work like the Tumbo seems to be, thanks for that!!
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Paul, I'd love to have the larger size. The white text on the blue shading is a little difficult for my eyes to read. I am enjoying though. Thanks.
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Just sent you a couple of links
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Just sent you the link via a note - enjoy
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Nice one. I was hoping you were going to do something like this. Next you can do a time lapse video of you drawing one of these
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Wonderfully put together Paul - very good of you sharing your knowledge.
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Very helpful, I think this is the first water tutorial on DA I have seen, I'd like to give this a try if you could send me the link
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Thanks Paul - just sent you the link
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Cheers Paul, much appreciated, I'll let you know how I get on
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Thank you for sharing your knowledge and ideas on water formation, Paul
Very interesting read
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simply amazing!!!!!!!i have been looking all around to know how to draw water....thanks!!!!!!!!
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whoaaaa O_O
one more thing added to my things-i-must-learn list!
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hm... you seem to say that you can just make up a bunch of stuff, but I would think it would be important to know how water behaves and the types of things it does. Like, there's a little ball of water in those close-up images in step 5, since water likes to make balls (especially when it slows down), and there's more detail on the upward flowing part of the water than on the downward pouring part of it because the poured water is all going the same direction and nothing's upsetting it, but the upward water is upset from the falling water, so there's more stuff going on in that part. And the black vs clear parts of the poured water is from reflections from things around it. ...It might just be me. That's the type of thing I try to figure out about water. (For myself, lately I've been thinking about how water moves out of the faccet, where colors are reflected at, and how those light square things are formed at the bottom of swimming pools and other shallow waters - I think that has to do with the waves hitting the side and reflecting back, having waves moving more than one direction, plus the light shining through the water in-between. I've thought about trying to make a tutorial about some things myself, if I ever feel I know enough.)
I think it looks like you have a good way of getting water to look right. I'm a little surprised about how the highlights stand out when you outline them. It's not noticeable that they're outlined, but they stand out a lot more. I think that's neat. I might try that with highlights.
The words seem kind of small. I think it would've been nicer if the whole image of the tutorial were larger.
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Thanks for the very constructive and thoughtful comments - I never intended the tutorial to discuss fluid dynamics, or how light refracts and reflects when hitting water - I could do, but then that would require a 30+ page book. I merely hope to pass on some ideas, tips and support to those that want to try and draw, rather than just tell everyone to "practise".
I agree that drawing water is far more complex, but the biggest barrier to drawing it, seems to be 'just giving it a go' - I was also scarred about drawing water when I started, as I was about drawing complex Potraits etc. once you can start to break any picture or idea down to smaller elements of black/white and shades between, it no longer becomes 'scary' - this is the message I am trying to convey.
Thanks again for your comments, your feedback is appreciated
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I think I just feel as though I need to know stuff before trying something, or else I second-guess myself too much and don't know what I'm doing. Maybe you have a point there and I might should think less about how to do stuff 'right' and just do stuff. ^_^"
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Thanks - I realise it's not a 'full how to hold a pencil' type tutorial, but hopefully it gives some ideas and I can expand on it next time
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Wow, that's great! Thank yu very much!
But... I have a silly question: Do you use a reference? And, if you don't use any, would it be useful for a beginner?
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