Framing reflections

Art lesson #2

Framing reflections:

I have seen that many draw a full inverted replica as for the reflection of an object or scene on water etc, probably thinking that you can see everything above water in it’s reflection also. First convince yourself that it’s not the case always, by studying the photo on the left. You can see the reflection of the green box, but not the ear phones nor the small box sitting on top of the green box.

This realization helps in simplifying the reflection and probably overall aesthetics as well.

Next, if in water, if not perfectly still, I have observed that, the reflections are more like vertical washes of the brush, with water texture/flow more like horizontal strokes. The reflections are generally darker than the original.

These are all tips and tricks, not a replacement for actually observing varied kinds of reflections…