Are you a beginner artist or did you just have a sudden impulse to paint? An attractive model in both the first and second cases can be the most ordinary apple. For beginners, this is an excellent workout in working with a rounded shape, as well as chiaroscuro. Great for drawing apple watercolor.
From nature or from a photograph?
Of course, it is best to portray an apple from nature. Set yourself on a flat horizontal surface and thoroughly examine its shape and color features. However, if you don’t have an apple at home, do not rush to the nearest store to buy. It is quite possible to use a photograph of fruit found in a book or magazine. If you draw an apple from a photograph, then in the process, keep it in front of you.
In this example, the watercolor work on a green apple with a red barrel is considered.
Beginning of work
Before you draw an apple in watercolor, you need to make a pencil sketch of it. It is necessary to draw a contour of the fruit, taking into account all the features of its shape, which side is more convex and which is less, whether it has a stalk or leaf. We also outline a place for highlight.
Try not to put pressure on the pencil so that it subsequently does not shine through the paint. If you draw on special watercolor paper, it is not recommended to use the eraser too intensively. This causes the top layer of paper to become damaged.
First color fill
First you need to faintly outline the primary colors of the apple. To do this, on a palette or on a separate piece of paper, mix light green paint with water and apply on one part of the apple. Then we connect the red paint with water and apply it to another part, without painting over the spot outlined for highlight.
It’s not scary if the colors in the picture flow one into another and mix. The main thing - try not to darken the apple with watercolors at this stage.
Continue work
Now you need to carefully look at which side the light falls on the fruit. This will help determine its darkest and brightest side.
The depicted apple has the darkest part from below. But since it is illuminated by natural light, the shadow area on it will be warm. Mix brown paint with water and apply on the bottom of the apple, as well as in the hollow where the stalk will be.
If the apple you draw is illuminated by the light of a lamp, then its shadows will be cold. This applies to any objects.
Next, draw the darker parts of the apple, adding to the paint that was used for the first pale fill, a more intense color: green on one side and red on the other.
We clarify the details
The main part of the work has been done, it remains to add the missing details to make the picture look realistic. To add more volume to a watercolor apple, you need to slightly blur the paint in its lowermost part. This will be a reflection of the surface on which the apple lies. To do this, we collect water on the brush and wipe it with paint from the picture in the right place. But do not rub too much, as wet paper is easily damaged. Now paint the stalk with a dark brown color. It is better to take a thin brush for this.
You can add a falling shadow under the apple if you want it to lie on the surface and not seem to soar in the air. To do this, consider where the light falls on him. The shadow will always be from the opposite side.
Now you know how to draw an apple in watercolor. Do not be afraid to make it too bright. Such an image will look much better than pale. In the process, often check your drawing with nature or photograph. Do not be lazy to once again move away from work and look at it from afar. This will help you see errors that you might not notice near.