Diane Reeves Fine Art Blog: Ten Stages Used for Painting Cut Crystal, Water and Stems

One of the most frequent questions still life enthusiasts ask is, "How can I paint water in a vase realistically?" Very often, artists will paint a white, blue or green "glass color" for the silhouette of the vase and a "water line" to indicate how high the water is in the vase. They may make the stems murky and tint them blue or green to imply they are submerged in water. However, for a realistic look, it may be more effective to forget it is a vase of water and just paint the edges, values, colors and temperatures we see before us. We can paint what we see, and find the water will appear on its own in the vase!

Here are some step-by-step images that may help illustrate this idea.

Stage One:

Determine the size and shape of the vase. (Ask myself, "Does it seem to be able to hold all the flowers? Is it perhaps too big, too small? Do I need to eliminate any flowers so they seem natural, not staged?")

(I decided to paint some background color over the rose that used to be on the far left - it was too far away from the vase to make sense and too "lined up.")

Next, background color was placed right up against the sides of the vase, creating the shape of the vase for the viewer.

Stages Two and Three

Background color was added in and around the vase. I paint any colors showing through the crystal vase, and through the water itself. I pay special attention not only to color, but to value and temperature as well - and transitions between colors are kept very subtle.

Stage Four

The leaf caught inside the vase is simplified and the rim of the water is indicated, breaking the leaf into two sections, one above the water, and one in the water. See how the section beneath in the water is less distinct?

Also, a prominent stroke of reflected light on the left of the vase is added. One "imperfect" stem is also placed with moderate value, temperature and edges. It's definitely touching the bottom of the vase. A pinkish reflected light is also added.

Stage Five

A second, greener stem is added. All stems must be carefully aiming toward the bloom of one of the flowers.

Stage Six

A few more stems are added, one in front of the others, and one behind the others.

Stage Seven

A fifth stem is added. Notice each is slightly different in color, value or temperature and all the edges are varied - some hard, some soft. The value is lighter and darker, sometimes from the left to the right, sometimes rom top to bottom. The bottom of the vase has been more defined.

Stage Eight

The last of the stems are added. Four evenly spaced cuts in the crystal are begun. They vary a great deal (within each one, and as compared to each other). Notice they do not stay the same value for long, nor the same color - they are reflecting surrounding colors as well as both direct and indirect light.

Stage Nine

Additional cuts in the crystal at the top area of the vase are added. Any cuts not seen are not painted (very tempting to add what "should" show, but doesn't). The cuts are made with bold colors reflected from the foliage and surroundings.