Simulated Watercolor from a Photograph

The Bridge Sunset at the Indian River photo is presented here in two distinct styles.

Art has been changing and evolving since the beginning of time. With advancements in technology, new methods of creating art are continually being developed. One such example is simulated watercolor from a photograph.

sunset under the indian river bridge
Sunset Under the Indian River Inlet Bridge in Simulated Watercolor

This technique offers artists a way of transforming digital images into beautiful works of art that look like traditional paintings done with watercolor paint. Not only does it provide an interesting way to create art, but it also allows for the artist to add their own creative touch to the piece.

The first step in creating a simulated watercolor from a photograph is to choose an image to work with. The image should be relatively small and simple enough that it can be reasonably reproduced using the watercolor effect. Having considerable contrast between the colors in the image helps to add a bit of drama the painting.

sunset under the indian river bridge
Here is the original Sunset Under Indian River Bridge photograph.

Tips for doing this yourself…

Creating a simulated watercolor from a photograph can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Choosing the right image to work with is essential in achieving this goal. The ideal image should be crisp and detailed, but also have soft edges and muted tonalities. This will make it easier to create the unique blend of realism and abstraction that makes a simulated watercolor distinctive.

In addition to having the right composition, it’s important to use a quality image that’s of high resolution. Low-resolution images can lose detail when converted into a watercolor, making certain painting techniques more difficult or even impossible to achieve. Also, try finding an image with few bright colors or highlights as these can be distracting in the finished product. With all these tips in mind, pick your perfect photo for creating your very own simulated watercolor.

Go ahead and give it a try. Or if you like what has been done here by Bill Swartwout Photography you can see more detail by clicking the images above or the links below.

Link to: Bridge Sunset at Indian River Watercolor

Link to: Bridge Sunset at the Indian River Inlet

Link to: Bill’s Indian River Inlet Collection

Link to: Bill’s Full Gallery at Fine Art America/Pixels


What if today…

we were grateful for everything?

A sunrise photograph might be more appropriate with the saying “What if today we were grateful for everything” but this is actually a sunset scene under the Indian River Inlet Bridge. Of course, unless one is familiar with the Charles W. Cullen Bridge it might be difficult to determine the hour of the day.

Sunset under the Indian River Inlet Bridge

The above quote, from none other than “Charlie Brown,” graces this iconic photograph of the sun setting under the Indian River Inlet Bridge in coastal Delaware.

The Indian River Inlet Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge located in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. It carries four lanes of Delaware Route 1 over the Indian River Inlet between the Indian River Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The underlying photograph of the Charles W. Cullen Bridge over the Indian River Inlet was taken by Bill – of Bill Swartwout Photography. The quote is attributed to “Charlie Brown” but more likely originated with Jim Henson.

To see this and more Indian River Inlet area photographs, visit: Bill Swartwout Photography’s Indian River Collection.

Can you see a difference between a sunset and a sunrise – in the above photograph? Or any photograph, really?