Answer

Nick replies

Painting a figure that looks soaking wet requires taking a number of things into account, dependent on the style of clothing and such. What sort of fabrics or textiles are they wearing? Think how wet leather looks and behaves differently to wet silk. While treated leather can have a degree of stiffness and water resistance, silk quickly becomes waterlogged and clings to the forms beneath it.

Then I work up an unclothed figure to drape the wet clothes upon. It makes it easier to work out material clinging to the form. I paint a female figure, with longish hair and flowing skirt. This also influences the pose, which is something else to consider. Wet clothes are less comfortable and heavier. That can affect how you move, and even how you behave. You might choose a different route through a house to avoid spoiling an expensive rug, for example.

Your figure work is likely to have more character if you give them a back story. What sort of hair do they have? Curly hair and straight hair might both hang the same when soaked, but may look quite different as soon as they begin to dry.