PROMPT GUIDE

Water, Glass and Translucency Tag Guide for AI Art

Clear water, sparkling glass, shimmering light. The moment Rinka first thought "AI is amazing!" was seeing this kind of translucency. There's a knack to combining water and light tags, so today I'm sharing plenty of recipes that come out beautifully.

Last updated: 2026-07-10 approx. 3 min read

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Translucency is water multiplied by light

If you break down an illustration with a translucent feel, it's always made of a set: "something see-through (water or glass)" plus "light passing through it." water alone or sunlight alone isn't enough; that refreshing clarity only appears when you combine both. This article splits the tags into three groups (water, glass and light) and finishes with combination recipes.

Water tags: from calm surfaces to rain

Let's start with water tags. "Water" covers a lot: a calm surface, ripples, underwater and rain all use different tags. The basic pattern is to pick one main water tag for the scene, then add detail tags like water drop or ripples.

Water tags

Tag	Meaning	Note
`water`	Water in general	The basic water tag. Use it as the core and build on it
`water surface`	Water surface	For a mirror-like surface. Great with reflection
`ripples`	Ripples	For a fingertip touching the water or raindrops. Adds stillness
`underwater`	Underwater	Light refraction and bubbles show up easily. Add air bubble for more immersion
`partially submerged`	Body partly in water	A classic for dreamy compositions floating on the surface
`water drop`	Water droplets	Close-ups of droplets. Gives macro-style beauty
`splashing`	Splashing water	For scenes with movement. Adds energy
`rain`	Rain	For moody, damp scenes. Also good with umbrellas or raindrops (not teardrops) Details
`wet hair`	Wet hair	Gives natural realism to hair in after-rain or waterside scenes Details
`afloat`	Floating on water	Also works for floating flowers or small objects on the surface

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Glass and crystal texture tags

Next up is hard transparency: glass and crystal. glass is an all-purpose tag that works for windowpanes and glass objects alike, and crystal lets you build a dreamy crystal world. Note that this site doesn't cover tags that make skin or clothing see-through. Water, glass and light are more than enough to express translucency.

Glass and transparent texture tags

Tag	Meaning	Note
`glass`	Glass	A basic tag that works for windows, drinking glasses and glasswork
`crystal`	Crystal	For fantasy-world staging. ice crystal gives ice crystals
`transparent`	Transparent object	Specifies see-through objects like clear umbrellas or containers
`stained glass`	Stained glass	The best for church-like scenes with colored light streaming in
`glass shards`	Glass shards	For dramatic scenes with glittering shards flying
`snow globe`	Snow globe	A popular motif for a tiny world sealed inside
`bubble`	Bubbles / soap bubbles	Adds a floating feel and rainbow reflections. soap bubbles works too
`ice`	Ice	For wintry translucency. With crystal it looks like an ice palace

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Finish the translucency with light tags

The finishing touch is light. Once you've drawn water or glass, specify where the light comes from and how it passes through. caustics (the shimmering light patterns from a water surface) in particular is Rinka's top pick: just adding it to underwater or waterside illustrations makes them look far more professional.

Tags to combine with light

Tag	Meaning	Note
`caustics`	Shimmering light patterns from water	Light patterns on the floor underwater or by a pool. Your trump card for translucency
`light rays`	Rays of light	Shafts of light underwater or in a forest. Gives a mystical mood
`sunbeam`	Sunbeam	Light with a stronger sun feel than light rays
`reflection`	Reflection	Reflections in water or windows. Adds depth to the composition
`sparkle`	Sparkle	An all-purpose detail that adds shine to water or glass Details
`backlighting`	Backlighting	Makes outlines glow. Dreamy when combined with splashing water Details
`lens flare`	Lens flare	Photo-like light bleed. Don't overdo it Details
`dappled sunlight`	Dappled sunlight	Shifting spots of light. For shady scenes under trees by the water Details

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Rinka's translucency recipes

Now that we have the tags, here are some actual combination recipes. Every one of them is built from a three-piece set: water (or glass) + light + a color theme.

Underwater fantasy: underwater + light rays + caustics + air bubble
Still water surface: water surface + reflection + ripples + morning
Rainy walk home: rain + transparent umbrella + reflection + night + neon lights
Church light: stained glass + light rays + dust particles
Winter crystals: crystal + ice + snow + sparkle + blue theme
Window at dusk: glass + window + sunset + backlighting

Rinka's tips

Rinka's way: fewer colors means more translucency. The trick is unifying the overall palette with blue theme or white theme
If caustics is too strong the pattern gets busy, so when it bothers me I weaken it a little to (caustics:0.9) to balance it
reflection works not only on water but also on wet roads after rain and on windows, so using it as a "second screen" in the composition looks advanced

Checklist when it doesn't look see-through

If the water just looks blue rather than clear, that's a sign you need more light tags. Try adding light rays or caustics. If glass turns into a white panel, add transparent alongside it and specify what's reflected in it (reflection) to give it depth. On the other hand, piling on light tags blows out the image to white, so keeping light tags to 2-3 is the safe bet. Water and light tags are like magic: the more you learn, the clearer your illustrations become. Start by adding caustics to one of your favorite images.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What tag should I add first when there's no translucency?

light rays or caustics. Translucency is expressed not by the water or glass itself but by the light passing through it, so adding just one light tag changes the impression a lot.

What scenes is caustics good for?

It really shines in scenes with both water and light, like underwater, pools and waterside settings. It adds a shimmering net of light on the bottom or walls and instantly makes the water look authentic.

How do I get a nice reflection?

Use a composition where both the reflected subject and the water surface (or window or road) are in the frame. Combining it with from above or wide shot lets you show a large reflective surface.