Trying to paint bubbles.

Hello everyone!
I figured I needed a challenge today, so I took on the crazy subject of bubbles. Either I got hybris, or I just didn't realize just how big of a challenge it would be.
I wasn't smart enough to start with just a few bubbles or look at references, so I went straight onto painting a person plunging into the water.
Here's my first try:

Ahem... Well, I think it looks awful, but I guess it wasn't too bad for a first try.

After this I finally came up with the brilliant idea to look at some photos. They taught me that the bubbles occur more sporadically - not just as a big blur all around the person. And that there is a mix of smaller and larger bubbles.
I also figured that it would show more clearly what is happening if the surface is shown.
Here is try number two:

I think I'm getting closer!
Next time, I should give a little more attention to the person. I totally neglected him in favour of the bubbles.

I'm looking forward to taking this on with a bigger paper. I guess I should try to find some videos of things landing in water, as to better understand how they move. But other than that, I'm not quite sure how to improve it from here.
Any ideas?
Did I miss anything?

smceccarelli

It looks pretty cool to me! The only thing that I believe it’s confusing is the surface. Are we looking at it from below? It looks like the top of water and this creates a weird viewpoint mis-match. Maybe changing the light from the top to the bottom (light surface, darker depths) would help.
Kudos for doing this in watercolor - it looks very tricky!

@smceccarelli Thank you! That is a really good point. Both about the light and the surface-angle. I didn't notice that at all.

I'm sure it would be easier in another medium. Watercolour just happens to be the only one I know xD

Chip Valecek

@embla version 2 is definitely in the right direction. As far as ideas to improve, i can not offer anything. I am terrible at water colors LOL.

Andyg

That was really hard subject matter - fantasi5c. And now for the humour.... if you were under water at the time painting this live, how did you manage to get the paint to stick to the paper?

@andyg Haha!! Had to be super-fast!