Painting water that looks believable can be a challenge. It helps to understand exactly what you’re looking at.

A novice painter might wonder "what color is clear water?" Well, the answer is if it’s clear there is no color.

In the case of a clear stream, as this one was, what one is looking at is the coloration of the stream bed, being influenced by sunlight, shadows being cast upon it and reflections mirrored upon it. Additionally light refractions caused by the currents within the stream can also pick up other surrounding colors.

Painting all of these elements may sound tedious, but when painted convincingly , the end result can be dramatic as well as producing a calming effect.

With a little imagination you can almost hear the sounds of the stream as it flows onward to its destination.