To animate water

After a tutorial with Andy, this idea, to animate water, is my new task. I have seen an animation (or performance) which was done by animating sand, but water? Because of the characteristics of water, its thinness and liquidity, I might not be able to illustrate it or even make it stay in the shape I want.




The first thing coming up in my mind is Hua-tang-ren, Chinese traditional refreshment. Hua means to draw, Tang means sugar, and Ren means people. As the name suggests, people draw a liquid of sugar on a flat surface. When the liquid cools down, it turns to solid. Here is a short film showing you how it works.



Water, however, is not as thick as a liquid of sugar. I have tried drawing water on different surfaces, but it did not work. This result, actually, fits with the concept of Tao: it is what it is, it does what it does. Also, it delivers the information that human beings cannot expect everything to be under their control. We have to follow the rules of nature and get along with it.