Finishing off the Figure

Having completed the background in the previous stage, all that was left was to add the detail for the figure. I started off by redefining the highlights where the sun was hitting the limbs and torso, then added shade to the opposite side. Closer study of the photo showed me areas from the body that were being refracted by the water, and it's interesting to see how much of a difference it's made to the implied movement of the figure that there are areas around the arm on the right and the head and legs that have been split up like a prism, and the water has overlapped into the areas of the body.

I added more splashes, with a purer white, instead of the bluey white used previously, to the area at the bottom which has again contributed to the feeling of movement through the water because the splash is further away than the foot, suggesting the figure has already moved away from where she was.

I'm really happy with the image, and feel that it conveys movement very well, both of the water and of the figure. I'm also really happy with the level of realistic detail in it, but also how expressive it is as a painting with lots of gestural brushstrokes.