I recently came across the below painting by Frits Thaulow titled Water Mill. Look at that water! Stunning. I subsequently went down a rabbit hole exploring his water paintings and what makes them tick. These are my findings.
I’ll walk you through the entire process using one of my recent paintings. You’ll see how I go from idea all the way through to reflecting on the finished painting.
Capturing the Water’s Movement and Nature
The first thing that strikes me about the water in Thaulow’s paintings is the wonderful sense of movement and flow. You can really feel the water. He must have had a deep and innate understanding of water and how it moves and flows over the landscape. Much like how Vincent van Gogh had an innate feeling for movement and turbulence in the sky (see his Starry Night painting).
Thaulow didn’t just throw in a few swirls and directional strokes for the sake of it. Each suggestion of movement and activity makes sense and has purpose. He also did a great job capturing the different states of water: calm, broken, turbulent, swirling, pooling, rippling, cascading, foaming, etc. This is why the water appears so realistic and dynamic.
I would say one of the reasons Thaulow was so effective at painting water was because of his sheer focus on it. His understanding of water would have strengthened with each painting, and he did many! It sounds straight forward, but if you want to be known for painting a particular subject, then you must really become a student of it. Observe it carefully in different environments. Study how it moves and interacts with the world. Paint it as much as you can. This is especially true for complex and dynamic subjects like water.
Below are a few good examples. Observe the suggestions of movement and activity. Let your eyes follow the water through the painting.
Color
Thaulow was fairly restrained in his use of color, using mostly grays and other weak colors. He relied more so on value contrast than saturation (light against dark rather than rich against weak). For reflections, he compressed the colors a touch (he took the edge off the highlights, dark accents, and saturated colors). In the painting below, notice how the reflections of the trees are noticeably weaker than the trees themselves. This is a good rule of thumb for painting reflections.
Thaulow was masterful at dancing between different states and characteristics of water. If you look closely at his water paintings, you’ll often see the colors gently shift between reflections, the color of the water, ripples on the surface, and objects below the surface. Water Mill is a good example. Look at how the pale-orange reflections of the buildings melt in with the green-tinted water and the rocks and weeds below.
I remember encountering the challenge of capturing the different states and characteristics of water in my painting, Fallen Trees and Striking Contrast. The color shifts in the water were so subtle that I didn’t see them at first. Only after carefully observing the subject in life and through the reference photo could I truly notice what was going on with the colors. It’s almost like my mind was automatically simplifying all the information to make sense of it, but in doing so, it was simplifying the nuance out of the subject.
In many of Thaulow’s paintings, reflected light is the primary driver of the colors, with the actual color of the water and what lies below its surface playing more secondary roles. This creates powerful and compelling themes, with the water partially mirroring and reinforcing the surroundings.
Often the reflections are more prominent than the subject being reflected. See the sunset painting below. The sky’s colors are the focus, but mainly via the reflections on the water.
Rhythm and Pattern
Thaulow often took advantage of the surroundings and the reflective and dynamic qualities of water to create interesting rhythms and patterns. Take his A Chateau in Normandy and A Stream in Springtime. Notice the dance between the trees, water, and reflections. There’s an almost lyrical quality to it. It reads like a nice classical piece.
Overlapping Objects, Soft Edges, and Color Links
Thaulow often used overlapping objects to create interesting plays in space and a sense of cohesion between the water and the surrounding landscape. See the leaves overhanging the water in Part of a River, and the trees weaving across the water in Evening Light Over the River Arques.
Thaulow also used soft edges and color links to help parts of the water melt into the surroundings. In Sunset at Beaulieu, Corrèze, look how the water and the reflections melt into the land in the background.
And in Old Factory, see how the water and the buildings melt together via the shadows.
Brushwork and Detail
Thaulow’s brushwork is careful and detailed, yet he retained a painterly quality in his work. It’s a nice blend of realism and impressionism. Let’s take a closer look at a few paintings to see what’s going on.
In Venice, Thaulow used thin paint, scumbled color, and dabbing, horizontal strokes. In the closeup, you can also see he drew scribbles in the wet paint to suggest ripples, possibly with the blunt end of his brush.
May Sun in Normandy showcases some beautiful wet-on-wet brushwork. The swirling strokes gently melt together, coming in and out of focus. Also notice the subtle highlights scumbled over the top.
In Canal I Venice, Thaulow used more solid and blocky brushwork. It’s almost like a mosaic. Notice how he used thicker strokes for the lights compared to the darks (a contrast in both value and texture).
In Area of Venice, it appears Thaulow built up layers of thin, scumbled color, with some colors more opaque than others. You can tell the paint is thin as you can see the texture of the canvas below.
Key Takeaways
- It’s good to be known for something, like Thaulow was known for painting water.
- There’s something to be said for painting the same subject over and over again, in varying environments and conditions. It will allow you to truly get a feel for that subject and to paint it in an honest and convincing way.
- Thaulow didn’t just throw in a few swirls and directional strokes for the sake of it. Each suggestion of movement and activity makes sense and has purpose.
- He did a great job capturing the different states of water: calm, broken, turbulent, swirling, pooling, rippling, cascading, foaming, etc. This is why the water appears so realistic and dynamic.
- A good rule of thumb for painting reflections: compress the colors a touch (take the edge off the highlights, dark accents, and saturated colors).
- Water provides many opportunities for creating interesting rhythms and patterns because of its dynamic and reflective nature.
- You can use overlapping objects, soft edges, and color links to create a sense of cohesion between the water and the surroundings.
Want to Learn More?
You might be interested in my Painting Academy course. I’ll walk you through the time-tested fundamentals of painting. It’s perfect for absolute beginner to intermediate painters.
Thanks for Reading!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this post and I hope you found it helpful. Feel free to share it with friends.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
absolutely very significant paintings and your observations too.
Thanks a lot
Amazing how I thought this was an actual photograph. He is a wonderful study!
I love the way Thaulow paints water. Thank you for introducing him and his methods.
Such a lot of work researching, and reproducing his work. Thank you for all your efforts in educating those of us who struggle with the techniques and fundamentals of painting and drawing.
Thaulow’s paintings are superb to look at, exciting, alive and draw in the viewer’s attention. Thank you Scott for breaking down his techniques into manageable parts to help us understand how it is achieved
Marilyn Ecob
Thank you for introducing another artist and for your truly insightful and generous commentary.
I can see why you like them but they are rather ’photographic’ not impressionist
I recognized the Lead painting from a visit to the philadelphia museum of art.
I had no idea of his many extensive water orientations! Just wow!
I will find a book of his collections.
TY for expanding on this theme of Fritz’s realistic water paintings!
Good morning Dan.
Where do you find so many magnificent but relatively unknown artists from years gone by? Thank you for showing me so many wonderful artists’ work that I would otherwise have missed. I always love your take on viewing art.
Good stuff, always.
Many thanks.
Gina T in NC, US
Thank you for such a capti-
vating artucle. So chuck full
of learning broken down into
digestible bites. I am learnjng
pastel painting,mostly self
taught. I wish you taught
padtels vs. oils! But I always
find appkucable ideas in
your articles. You ate a
wknderfuk teacher!
Luusa Lehmann
Love the water pictures. Also liked your close up picture of a stream. I find it quite difficult to do reflections
You have out done yourself with this study, as Frits out did himself with these beautiful water scenes. I hope to reference hours style in the future. Thanks Dan…Bob
Loved seeing these amazing paintings by an artist I had never heard of. The colorful reflections and graceful movement of the water in the midst of beautiful surroundings and somewhat clunky buildings really appealed to me. Thanks for sharing and analyzing!
Thank you for sharing this artist’s beautiful waterscapes. Your analysis helps immensely to understand the techniques that are used for reflections and motion in the water.
I am a constant beginner of watercolor and find painting water is very difficult in this medium. Frits Thaulow’s paintings are enchanting! I feel peaceful while viewing each one. Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic example work and commentary.
Thank you for the introduction to Frits Thaulow. I love his work and will do more searching and learning from his example.
What a lovely ‘Rabbit Hole’!
I am working in watercolors so a question about your first example: Do you think Frits Thaulow used a WC white, a bit of gouache or perhaps just lifted darker color to get the lightest swirls to look like brush strokes? It definitely doesn’t look like saved white paper. I want to paint realistic water and light in my paintings while retaining the watercolor feel of the medium in other parts of my landscapes w only hints of distant objects. That’s what I want others to see.
Thank you for your insights and excellent explanations & examples in your daily feed. I look forward to them.
Dan, I join these others in my appreciation of both Frits Thaulow and your deep and sensitive analysis of his technique.
I am inspired!!
Holy mackerel – You positively blew my mind! These are gorgeous! And your filtering of their requirements came as powerfully as the renditions were . Bravo!
Thank you for sharing this.
The previous articles have said it all Dan!
A wonderful article, an artist and paintings I’ve never seen before.
Thank you for the work you do it’s inspiring.
Go down more rabbit holes!
Hi Dan,
Thank you for researching Frits Thaulow’s Water Paintings as you really can feel the movement in the water, and the temperature of the water. It’s worth study time to try to emulate his work. And valuable reference material.
Amazing! Thank you Dan for introducing me to an artist I had never heard of. The water in his paintings look so real and lifelike, and yet he still maintains that painterly look. As you say you can almost ‘feel’ the water. Inspirational! Thank you for the explanations on how he may have achieved this. I have just completed your Sunrise/ Sunset course…..Maybe do a ‘ How to paint water and reflections course’.(?)
Hi Dan
I read all your posts, but this one was written just for me! I live by a river and try to capture its many moods in paint. Mostly it’s not turbulent and reflections are fun to try and reproduce. I loved all the Thaulow water scenes and will make a very thorough study of them.
Thanks again.
Lynne
Thank you so much for this wonderfully informative study into how this artist painted water. It was fascinating!
Thanks again!!
Thank you for the wonderfully detailed and informative study into how Frits Thaulow paints water. I found it absolutely fascinating and it will be something I will reread.
Thanks again.
I’m not familiar with this artist, but what stunning paintings.
thanks for this post,,, I truely love Frits’water studies
shows how he really looks and does not fall for cliches
I never seen water so beautifully rendered as this. I join the list of thank you’s Dan, for introducing us to Frits and your well considered and helpful commentary.
What an exciting find is Frits Thawlou. I can’t thank you enough as I almost all my paintings have water of some sort in them. Also a very erudite and helpful critique which helps me to now look further into other artists’ water work as well. I most love the way he manages to get his water to “gleam” in the light – to look wet in fact. Thank you.
Dan – thanks so much for introducing us to this amazing artist! Hard to believe he wasn’t/isn’t well known. And also thank you for your detailed and spot on observations! Always so helpful! Since we “don’t know what we don’t know”…..it is so helpful to point out how to actually look at a painting and learn from it; then how to observe and truly see. Otherwise, I’m just loving ghe beauty of a scene or painting without understanding it.
Thank you so much for this compelling and inspiring post, highly appreciated as always! 🙏👏
Wow! Thank you so much for bringing this painter to my attention and all your hard work. So grateful.
Great stuff, Dan.
Thanks for sharing!
Shawn
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US SUCH GORGEOUS PAINTINGS. THEY TAKE MY BREATH AWAY! EVEN THOUGH I TEACH WATERCOLOR, I AM GOING TO SHOW THEM TO MY CLASSES.
ELEANOR
WOW! These paintings of water take my breath away! The water is so real and
lifelike that I want to scoop it up and drink it. Thaulow captured the movement,
reflections, & depth of the water so realistically. Thank you for introducing me to
this wonderful artist, and thank you for your key takeaways on his paintings.
Thank you, Dan for sharing your valuable insights!! I love Frits Thaulow’s work and like many, struggle with water. I just wiped off the water in the painting I’m working on!!!
Beautiful selections for us to view! I am truly thankful for your continued efforts to
provide great art studies for those of us who love to paint. thanks again!!
bonnie