Morrowind Watercolor HD Upscale (Normals-Parallax-Shader)
🟠 Updated over a year ago⚠️ Install Order · 4 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview

🔍 Analysis
- 👍 2.1% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #173 of 342 Models and Textures mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Morrowind Watercolor Textures (0. 2)
Patches for Atlas (Optional Files), Tamriel Data and OAAB Data (Separate mod page) now available!
This is part of a series of mods to overhaul Morrowind's appearance to have a stylized painterly aesthetic. There are several full texture packs and then a Kuwahara based DOF shader that gives distant objects a painterly effect.
Morrowind Watercolor HD Upscale (Normals-Parallax-Shader) (Also includes a patch for Project Atlas)
Tamriel and OAAB Data Watercolor HD Upscale (Normals-Parallax)
PBR SSS Foliage Retexture (Vanilla - TD - Mods - Watercolor)
PBR SSS Heads (Vanilla - TD - MacKoms - and Watercolor Patches)
Analog Film Shaders for OpenMW
UPDATE:
I've now included a new shader that provides outlining on distant objects. It is a tweaked version of the MWToon shader by Goldstone.
The texture pack has now been split into three files, the basic diffuse textures that are compatible with Vanilla Morrowind / MGE and OpenMW, the normal maps that are compatible with any OpenMW setup, and the PBR textures that are designed for use with Wareya's PBR (but might work with Rafael's while looking a little weird). This should make it much easier for non-PBR and non-OpenMW users to get the textures set up.
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to Epoch for sharing the masking workflow I based the face upscaling on.
Also thank you to NightRaven109 the creator of PBRFusion who trained the depth model I used to generate height and normal maps.
Instructions:
If you are using regular Morrowind just download the diffuse textures, if you're using OpenMW you can also download the normals (which includes heightmaps) and if you use Wareya's or Rafael's PBR shaders for OpenMW you can download the specular file, which includes roughness that matches a painted appearance for all textures as well as ambient occlusion for some textures at the moment. In the future I might create some more robust variation in roughness and add metallicity.
Fixed Kuwahara DOF
This effect applies a painterly shader to things in the distance. It's built from Vtastek's cinematic bokeh DOF, and Epoch's port of Oilify by Lord of Lunacy. It works fine on my end but I haven't checked it with different resolutions etc. In the screenshots I'm also using a modified version of MWToon to give edges in the distance a bit more definition. In terms of shader order I recommend the Kuwahara after SSAO but before any clouds or fog shaders, I think the effect looks a bit too aggressive on the fog and having it behind it masks it better, but obviously tastes may very.
Cinematic DOF
Reshade Ports
Original Oilify
Distant Outline
This effect applies an outline in the distance, basically an inverted
A texture pack that upscales all Morrowind and OAAB Data textures 2-4x in a watercolor style, designed for OpenMW and Morrowind. Includes optional Normal/Parallax maps for OpenMW, PBR support for Wareya's PBR, and a fixed DOF. With 34 endorsements and 1,610 downloads, it's a niche but functional overhaul for players seeking a hand-painted look.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Covers the entire game plus OAAB Data, so you get a consistent hand-painted look everywhere.
- Optional Normal/Parallax and PBR support means you can push visuals further if you're into that.
- Small but active community (34 endorsements, 1,610 downloads) — it's a niche gem.
⚠️ Cons
- Only 34 endorsements — it's a niche mod, so don't expect widespread testing or support.
- Watercolor style isn't for everyone — it drastically changes the game's atmosphere.
- Requires OpenMW or specific shader setups (PBR) to get the full effect, which adds setup complexity.
For Morrowind players who want a fresh, hand-painted look that covers everything, including OAAB content. Perfect for OpenMW users who enjoy tweaking shaders and want a cohesive art style. Skip if you prefer the original gritty textures or want a more realistic overhaul.
💡 Beginner Tips
- If you're using OpenMW, make sure to enable the Normal/Parallax maps in the shader settings for the full effect.
- For PBR support, you'll need to install Wareya's PBR mod first and follow its setup instructions.
- Back up your original textures folder before overwriting, so you can revert if the watercolor style isn't your thing.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Morrowind Mods
- Author
- LiamMello
- Version
- 0.2
- Downloads
- 1,610
- Endorsements
- 34
- Category
- Models and Textures
- Created
- 6/21/2025
- Updated
- 8/22/2025
🔧 How to Install Morrowind Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Morrowind →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
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