How to Make Drips in an Oil Painting

The water droplets on the plant can provide inspiration for your oil painting.

An oil painting uses oil paints, which consist of pigment and oils. Oil paints are typically light colors and provide the painting with a soft and natural appearance. Artists often use them when trying to depict various aspects of nature. You may choose to make drips in an oil painting when painting dew on the grass or raindrops. Even if you are not an experienced artist, you can still use basic oil painting techniques to learn how to paint the drips and drops.

Things You'll Need

• Oil paints
• Canvas
• Paint brush
• Computer

Instructions

1. Analyze the form of the drips that you want to depict. For example, if you are going to paint the dewdrops on the grass, then you may choose to physically observe this or to look at pictures online or in a book. You will see that the drops are three-dimensional, with a dark shadow at the bottom and the light reflecting at the top.

2. Paint the shape of a drop, which resembles an oval that is narrower at the top than the bottom. You may choose to use blue paint for this.

3. Outline one side of the bottom part of the drip in a darker-colored oil paint. For example, you may use dark blue to outline the left side of the bottom part of the drip. Doing this will provide you with the main part of the shadow of the drip.

4. Paint a line from the top of the dark outline diagonally to the opposite side of the drip, and paint the area in between these lines dark. For example, you may use the blue paint for this, creating a second contrast between the dark blue of the outline and the blue of the filled in area. The filled-in area represents where the shadow on the drip begins.

5. Use a light-colored paint for the part of the drip that you did not color in dark. For example, you may choose to paint this part of the drip with a light blue oil paint. This portion of the drip represents the reflection of the light.

6. Put a dot of white paint in the dark shadow of the drip. For example, you may put the dot of white paint over the portion of the drip that you painted with the blue.

References

• Explore-Drawing-and-Painting: All About Oil Painting Techniques and Materials
• Art Graphica: How to Paint Water Drips on a Vertical Surface in Four Easy Steps