I received a record amount of feedback on my last attempt to paint water on skin. Thank you all! The biggest mistake I made was I was trying to paint water on a waxed surface like a car on skin.

I learned a long time ago light reacts with skin very different than hard surfaces. Only makes sense water would do the same. And several of you pointed that out. It also explains why I couldn’t find any famous artists who painted what I was looking for. Because skin isn’t car!

Oops.

How did I do this time?

Timelapse: https://bsky.app/profile/ballshapedman.bsky.social/post/3mqpccs4yis2q

Edit: There is supposed to be a small waterfall off screen to her left. The actual model was in the shower as a wet skin reference. I didn’t want to paint someone in the shower. And people in waterfall scenes mostly focus on the waterfall! So I adapted this one.

  • kryptonianCodeMonkeyEnglish
    5·
    16 hours ago

    A considerable improvement, particularly over the last water on skin attempt. The highlight and the internal illumination is there, as well as shadows around the highlight. Consistent lighting angle, too. Not overly detailed, but it definitely feels like water when you see it. I particularly like the water dripping down the face that is much thinner at the top making it barely lense at all and is barely visible above the droplet. Good work.

    Only question I have is the bit on the right side of her nose (viewer’s right, not hers). Is that meant to be a water droplet or a piercing? It looks more like a piercing, so I was guessing that was the case. If not, if it is meant to be water, that droplet might need another pass.

    • BallShapedManOPEnglish
      4·
      16 hours ago

      Thank you! I really like that part of the water myself.

      And it’s a piercing! I normally don’t include stuff like that but it seemed to fit my perceived personality of her so much I tried to include it.