How to paint fruits in watercolors step by step. Learn to draw fruits and vegetables, how to draw vegetables

How to depict fruits in watercolors?
How to paint fruits or vegetables in watercolor so that your mouth waters? So that painted fruits are as fresh and juicy as natural ones?
How to convey the volume and texture of the fruit, and at the same time not “dry out” the watercolor?
These questions will be answered step-by-step master class drawing lemon in watercolor!

Basic principles on how to paint fruits in watercolor:

• The juiciness and freshness of fruits are best conveyed by the a la prima technique, watercolor painting in one layer.

One coat of paint allows maximum penetration of light rays. Light passing through a layer of paint is reflected from the surface of the paper and returns the purest color wave to us.

• When multilayer painting follows:
  • layer from light to dark
  • use transparent rather than opaque pigments
  • use purer source colors to achieve complex shades

The principle of multilayer writing is based on optical color mixing. That is why you should alternate layers correctly so that they do not cloud the previous ones or reduce the transparency of the final watercolor layer.

More information about correct selection see colorful pigments in watercolor here:

Perhaps it is better to illustrate these principles using the example of a finished sketch. Come on, I'll show you how to paint fruits in watercolor step by step.

We draw a sketch of a lemon step by step.

So, here it is, my vitamin nature. The more I watch, the more my mouth waters. 🙂 I’ll try to preserve this feeling of lemon juiciness in the sketch.

Stage I. Study of a whole lemon fruit.

1. I'm starting to draw a lemon from its illuminated part.

Here its color is as bright and clear as possible. I use a mixture of lemon yellow and cadmium yellow.

In the most convex part of the lemon we can see highlights - small light areas on the tubercles of the peel. They must be shown in order to believably convey the texture of the surface of the lemon.

For this I use the dry brush technique.

2. At the bottom of the lemon there is an area of ​​light reflected from the table surface, reflex. I paint this place with a pale blue tint.

3. Darkening will complete the creation of the volume of the lemon. own shadow.

To obtain a shade of shadow, I mix cadmium yellow with natural umber.

I paint the shadow immediately, before the edges of the illuminated part and the reflex dry out. This ensures the color flows smoothly into the color.

At the border of my own shadow I emphasize the small pimples of the lemon peel.

Thus, to convey texture, I use two tricks:

• gaps on the convex part in the light
• unevenness of the border at the turn of light and shadow

4. Falling shadow from lemon completes its volume.

To paint the shadow I use a mixture of yellow and purple. I fill with a predominance of one or another color. This helps convey the transparency of the falling shadow and connects the lemon to the table surface.

5. Since the falling shadow has the same color everywhere, at the same time I paint the shadow of the lemon slices:

As you can see, it takes very little effort to draw a whole lemon fruit. The a la prima technique is quite suitable for this. Especially if this fruit is not the main object of the composition, and I do not need its detailed elaboration.

But with lemon slices there will be more work. The juicy pulp, its shine, the fibers - all this requires more careful work, which means multi-layer painting.

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Stage II. Image of lemon slices

1. I paint the side surface of half a lemon in the same way as described above.

2. I begin to depict a slice of the fruit.

I select several shades of yellow, from pure to a mixture with umber, and draw radially arranged pulp fibers. At the same time I leave white paper in places of glare and jumpers:

3. Here and there I introduce even more shades into the moist environment of the laid spots.

I leave this layer to dry.

More useful materials:

4. You can write slices and in another way.

For example, on these lemon rings, I first completely painted the cut with a pale yellow tint of the illuminated part of the pulp. Wherein. again, it left gaps of glare.

5. When this large light spot dries, I give radial strokes with darker shades:

These strokes are quite large. I leave them to dry so I can share them later.

6. In the meantime, you can touch a little background.

Using a very pale shade of gray, in wide washes, I fill in the background around the lemons.

At the same time, I touch the light areas of the zest on the cuts.

The genre of botanical illustration leaves no one indifferent. In the new practical guide Billy Showell's Portraits of Fruits and Vegetables looks at all the key nuances from basic techniques and the use of color to composition and working with light. We present to your attention a review of the book and useful tips from her.

Let's take a look under the cover

Under the cover - beauty and deliciousness! Famous British artist Billie Showell makes the main actors his paintings of fruits and vegetables, and instead of still life he paints their portraits. The book describes which tools and papers are most suitable for painting with watercolors, simple and advanced techniques, 4 detailed master class and much more.

Do you believe this pumpkin is painted? Soon you will be able to do this yourself!

Illustration from the book

Before drawing, study the structure of the plant. Look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time, look carefully, take notes, sketches, get familiar with textures and details that you have never paid attention to. For example, observe the spiral arrangement of the leaves or the whorls along the veins of the stem.

Passion fruit - Illustration from the book

You get double benefits from drawing plants - first you meditate while looking at them, and then you get real pleasure from drawing.

Mixing paints

When painting fruits and vegetables, you will mix many colors and encounter an abundance of colors. Therefore, it is important to understand how to achieve the desired result when mixing. There is a lot of information about paints and their properties, it is difficult to remember it all, but after numerous trials and errors you will get a general idea and highlight the key points.

Don't be afraid to draw. The art of capturing true beauty an ordinary object, be it fresh green cabbage or ripe cherries, is available to everyone - you just need to light a spark of inspiration and believe that you can do it.

The result largely depends on the quality of the watercolor paper. Buy one sheet of each type and try until you find “your” paper. Be sure to make notes on each sheet (type, weight of paper and results of working with it).

To remove excess moisture from your brushes, prepare paper towels or napkins.

When visiting a botanical garden or garden center, it is advisable to have a camera with you. In the future, photographs can inspire you to create new projects, and when you start drawing, they can remind you of what a fruit or vegetable looks like as it grows.

Experiment. Look for the unusual. A lumpy lemon is much more interesting than a smooth one 😉

And most importantly, don’t put off drawing “for later.” The joy of creativity, energy and inspiration will color you.

Elizaveta Sklyarova

Target:

Talk about the benefits of a variety of fruits

Clarify and consolidate knowledge about fruits

Develop attention and imagination

Expand children's horizons

Preliminary work: Reading

B. Zhitkov "How apples are picked", "Garden"

U. Rashid "Our Garden"

V. Volina "Good autumn has come"

"What kind of gardens are there?"

"What are the benefits of vegetables and fruits"

Role-playing games

"Fruit shop"

"Canning factory"

"Family-summer preparations"

Didactic games

"What grows where"

Fruit shop"

GCD move:

Pear, apple, banana,

Pineapple from hot countries

These delicious foods

Everyone is called together

Educator: Guys, look what a beautiful fruit basket I brought! You like?

Children: Yes!

Educator: Today we will talk about fruits. What fruits do you know?

Children: Apples, pears, plums, grapes.

Educator: Well done! Do you know where fruits grow?

Children: In the garden, on a tree.

Educator: What are the names of the trees on which fruit grows?

Children: Fruity, fruity.

I invite the children to play a game "Describe and guess the fruit".

Description model: shape, color, taste, what can be prepared from it.

As the game progresses, I inform the children that fruits are very rich in vitamins, fiber, and minerals.

Educator: Guys, we are very lucky, we live in a rich region. In the territory Krasnodar region growing great amount a variety of fruits: pears, apples, apricots, peaches, quinces, plums, persimmons and others. We have the opportunity all year round eat delicious and healthy Kuban fruits. And now, I will tell you about the benefits of some fruits: apple - increases immunity so that you guys don’t get sick; grapes - cleanses the blood and tones; pear - improves heart function; apricot - good for vision; peach - makes hair beautiful and skin smooth. These are the “secrets” that fruits revealed to you.

And now I suggest you draw our fruit basket.

Creative activity. Watercolor painting "Fruit Basket"

Materials used:

Landscape sheets

Watercolor paints

Pencil, eraser

Work progress:

Children carefully examine the fruits and make sketches with a simple pencil, then paint with paints. The work is not easy. Despite the fact that many of the children in my group draw well, working with watercolors is a bit difficult for them. Unruly colors spread. I try to encourage, suggest how to improve the work. Using fantasy and imagination, some children supplemented their drawings with flowers, insects, and a bright tablecloth. And this is what the work turned out to be!

Thank you for your attention!

Publications on the topic:

“Fruit basket” made from salt dough. This activity carried out with the aim of giving children a correct idea of ​​fruits, their colors.

After creative work went for a walk. Early summer. Everything blooms, grows and lives. We saw a large lilac bush, examined it, and inhaled.

Goal: Formation of an aesthetic attitude towards objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, works of art, and artistic and creative work.

Application "Vase with fruits, flowers" ( Decorative composition) The application was carried out with children preparatory group. Purpose: To form.

Summary of educational activities with children of the middle group “Gift for Mom” (drawing with vegetables, fruits) Topic: "Gift for Mom" ​​Goal: creating a social situation for development in the process of productive activity Tasks: creating conditions for: .

MBDOU No. 316 Samara Goal: 1. Development cognitive abilities in children. 2. Development of the thought process, memory, speech, attention.

Every week we show you what cool things our readers have drawn. And this time - a line of watercolor masterpieces, which were created under the “book guidance” of the artist Billie Showell and her manual “Portraits of Fruits and Vegetables”. Be careful: everything is very tasty.

The pepper is like a real one: you just want to tear it off a white sheet of paper and cut it into a summer salad. And enjoy strawberries just like that, without waiting for salads or desserts.

Practiced drawing Elena Babkina.

You can't tell what's drawn from reality. Every detail is so drawn, every highlight and reflection! You can't hide talent.

The cat looks at the drawing very carefully: are all the shadows in place, are the tones conveyed correctly, and what is the play of color? The furry critic could say a lot if he could talk. Meow!

Olga made wonderful zucchini. In the background - just part step by step guide from book.

Olga’s garlic turned out no less realistic. Direct proof that beauty can be seen even in the most ordinary and familiar things.

And here the blueberries are almost ripe, that is, “picked up.” So many shades of blue!

Olga Valeeva immortalized beets before they became part of what was sure to be a very tasty borscht. Such beauty came out!

Tomatoes in person - a whole bunch of ripe, strong ones. The refrigerator, it turns out, is not only the most favorite thing in the kitchen, but also a whole treasure for an artist.. Every two weeks we send 10 of the most the best materials from the MYTH blog. Not without gifts.

We found the most “delicious” activity for this summer - inspiring, fragrant and even a little mystical. Watercolor painting with Billie Showell.

Her book with stunning illustrations, “Portraits of Fruits and Vegetables,” will charm anyone and teach them how to draw right away. delicious pictures. We are even a little afraid for the pages of this book: you will definitely want to taste some of them, the drawings are so realistic -). Bon appetit reading and drawing!

Let's take a look under the cover

Under the cover - beauty and deliciousness! A mesmerizingly beautiful guide to painting vegetables and fruits in watercolor. The famous British artist Billie Showell makes fruits and vegetables the main characters in her paintings, and instead of still lifes, she paints their portraits.

Review by Natalie Ratkowski:

“As an illustrator and as a fan of Billy’s detailed and very sane books, I will say that Portraits of Fruits and Vegetables is an absolute must-have for all botanical illustrators - beginner or advanced.”

Desire to draw food

For most people, painting is shrouded in a mystical aura. It is generally accepted that artists are born, not made. Indeed, artistic talent is often passed on from generation to generation, but it is the drive and passion that is inherited rather than the ability itself.

It is the desire that motivates people to learn, improve and develop artistic inclinations.

Observe and consider

Before drawing, study the structure of the plant. Look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time, look carefully, take notes, sketches, get familiar with textures and details that you have never paid attention to. For example, observe the spiral arrangement of the leaves or the whorls along the veins of the stem.

You get double benefits from drawing plants - first you meditate while looking at it, and then you get real pleasure from drawing. Isn't it wonderful?

Remember where your brushes and paints are -)

Draw!

Don't be afraid to draw. The art of capturing the true beauty of an ordinary object, be it fresh green cabbage or ripe cherries, is available to everyone - you just need to light a spark of inspiration and believe that you can do it.

Here are a couple of quick tips to get started:

• The result largely depends on the quality of the watercolor paper. Buy one sheet of each type and try until you find “your” paper. Be sure to make notes on each sheet (type, weight of paper and results of working with it).
• Preserving fruits and vegetables while working on a drawing is not an easy task. Before putting the models in the refrigerator, mark them with a “don’t eat me” sign.

• Experiment. Look for the unusual. A lumpy lemon is much more interesting than a smooth one 😉
• And most importantly, don’t put off drawing “for later.” The joy of creativity, energy and inspiration will brighten up any day, even the most difficult one, and make you happier. Draw!

Producer of creative books of MYTH Vera Yozhkina stocked up on props for delicious watercolor practice

By the way, this book inspired us so much that we have already promised each other to draw some fruits and vegetables this weekend. Then we will show in the blog what we did. Join us -)

Still in the book

Billy Showell takes a closer look at all the key nuances of botanical painting:

• Basic techniques and use of color
• Composition and working with light
• Wet and dry brush techniques
• scratching small parts and glare with a scalpel
• Best Paper for Watercolors
• What brings flower petals to life
• 4 step-by-step master class

… and much more.

P.S.: Subscribe to our creative books newsletter to receive the most delicious excerpts every week.