Hyper-realistic Paintings of Water Stun Fans

Japanese artist Yas recreates images of water on canvas that are so realistic that it seems like you would get wet if you touched one.

March 26, 2022

What’s new: Japanese artist Yas (@0_skyblue) has caused quite a Tweetstorm on Twitter after uploading several hyper-realistic paintings of water.

Why it matters: At a point when we are all on the verge of entering the Metaverse where the lines between virtual and augmented reality can become blurred, Yas has reminded us how raw talent can be used to innovate painting on a real, physical canvas.

What they’re saying: Yas’ water art is so hyper-realistic that many find it hard to tell the paintings apart from a photograph. Painting water is never easy, and Yas uses uncanny skills to make the water look real enough to touch.

“It’s so beautiful…I really love the shimmering of water. I thought it was a photo…water is so hard to draw, it’s amazing,” said an admiring fan on Twitter..
“The shading on the hands and the way they look when you put your feet in them is so realistic, I thought they were real!” said another critic on Twitter.
“It is difficult to find the right balance in the composition when painting with acrylic paints on such a large canvas…This kind of work, which is unique to painting, is much more difficult than when designing digital artwork on screen,” says the artist about their own work.

Yas’ analog masterpieces are large, and it takes hours to digitize them at high resolution.

It usually takes about a week to complete a single painting of a water theme on a F40 size canvas (100 x 80cm). It takes approximately two weeks to finish a F100 size piece (162 x 130cm).
The process of digitizing Yas’ analog paintings is also time consuming. It typically takes 3 to 4 hours to scan such a large canvas at high resolution.

Between the lines: At a time when it seems like everything is going digital, Yas’ extraordinary attention to detail and ability to transfer the mind’s eye to a real, physical medium is somehow comforting.

Yas is not alone. Sharp knife artist SouMa creates hyper-realistic masterpieces out of Japanese paper.
You can read “A Photo or Real? Neither–It’s a Paper Cut-out!” to learn more.

What to watch: Yas is not content to remain limited to compositions exclusively related to water-based themes.

Yas also illustrates pastries and fruit, and the artist actively works with pastry chefs to develop new kinds of sweets.
The artist is also an accomplished photographer and has published several art books, including the best-seller Dareka ga Sekai wo Ao ni Someru Jiken wo Hajimeta (誰かが世界を青に染める実験をはじめた), which roughly translates as “Someone Has Started Experimenting by Dying the World Blue.” The hardcover version is available on Amazon for 1,650 JPY (US $13.50).

Link to Japanese Source: https://maidonanews.jp/article/14571767