The color of natural water on canvas | Jonathan Pollock

Water Lilies is a series by Claude Monet painted in the Impressionist style that depicts water lilies on a pond. The detail from the water lilies to the water is almost non-existent; it's blurry. Even the colors run together. The brush strokes are highly visible with detail at a minimum.

This painting is also part of a grander series by Claude Monet. The water takes up the entire real estate of the canvas. There a few water lilies on top of the water. Monet blurs the lines between lilies and water to depict a dream-like lake. The colors run together as if water were on top of the lilies. The color is washed out. The brush strokes are very short and visible.

This image depicts a man swimming in a blue body of water. His head sticks out above the surface. The blue is highly saturated and communicates cleanliness. The waves transition smoothly to its valleys creating a calming aura. The brush strokes are highly visible. The water isn't clear. However, it's clean water.

A man sits on his horse in the bottom left corner of a green mountain range. A lake is in the middle of the painting. The lake is painted silver. It's stripped of almost all blue. It communicates that it's dirty water. Yet, the reflection conveys the calmness of nature. It's a clear reflection, which means the water is uninterrupted.

This image depicts an ocean at sunset with sail boats. The image is stripped of most color. It has a greyscale feel. The color is uniform. The brush strokes are long.The lack of color in the water communicates the eerie mood of the painting. It's as if something is about to happen. There's no clear beginning or ending to this painting.

This image depicts a lake with a town across it. The water is silver. The brush strokes are only visible up close. It is brown with highlights of blue and white. It's like a photograph. The surface of the water is smooth communicating the tranquility of the town.

This image depicts a castle moat that's overtaken by nature. The water color is everywhere. It's yellow, blue, green, and grey. The colors are dull. The reflections aren't clear either. It's ghostly. The brushstrokes aren't visible. The canvas material adds a grain to the water making it less clear.

This picture depicts a family in the afternoon on the bank of the Miami River. Across the lake is a forest. In the middle of the woods are dead trees. The water is grey with highlights of white. Its surface is smooth communicating peace in the afternoon. The brush strokes are visible, yet completely even, especially in the water.

At first glance, you see a photograph of water. Then the viewer sees a painted flower and realizes it's a painting. The water has many shades of blue and brown. It's translucent. You can see the rocks at the bottom. The waves have dark brown shadows communicating motion. The brush strokes are slightly visible, but are so realistic they feel like the surface of the water- not brush strokes.

The lower half of the painting is a lake. The upper half of the picture is a forest. The water is flat. It's the same color throughout- almost uniform. The brush strokes are clearly visible and are dream-like. The combination of color and brush stroke create a soothing effect on the painting.