Still life of fruits and vegetables - a familiar topic for aspiring artists and professionals. Anyone who wants to learn how to draw on paper will have to face it sooner or later.
Why portray still lifes
At the initial stages of training, one cannot avoid acquaintance with this category of paintings. Still life drawing helps to gain practical knowledge on the composition and staging of the composition, the image of three-dimensional objects and working with color. In addition, this allows you to learn how to properly use lighting to place accents, refreshing the overall appearance of the work.
How to make a still life with vegetables
Here you should adhere to standard rules: follow the shape and texture of objects, color scheme, background, arrangement of elements and composition.
For people who are not familiar with the above recommendations, you need to talk about each item in more detail:
- The shape of the elements should be varied so that the composition does not merge. Items need to stand out from each other, so it is advisable to take oversized things.
- So that a still life with vegetables “catches your eye”, you should not be afraid to play with the texture. At the same time use products with a glossy and matte surface, smooth and ribbed. The main thing is not to overdo it.
- The color scheme must be selected carefully, the objects in the picture must be combined, otherwise even inexperienced viewers can cause an inexplicable rejection of the picture. To do this, it is better to use the spectral circle. On it you need to draw an equilateral triangle - its angles will show the best combination.
- The background for a still life needs a neutral one, it should not take the viewer's attention to itself.
- It is better not to place objects on the same line, but to fill them with all the space. But it is not worth overloading the composition, it is better to replace the quantity with texture. For example, use drapery as the background.
- Lighting can be set to your taste, but do not rush to extremes. Emphasis should not distract too much attention or be leading in the composition.
Drawing: still life
Vegetables can be combined with any other products and objects, it is not necessary to be limited only to their use. The more materials involved in the composition, the wider the opportunities for honing skills.
However, novice artists should choose something simpler, especially for those who prefer pencil drawing. The only thing that simplifies the compilation of such a still life is that you don’t have to think about the color scheme, the main thing is to correctly place a light accent, so that you can transfer it on paper.
Pencil drawing
Still life with vegetables in this technique is a rather difficult task, so you should consider it in more detail.
- The objects on the sheet are placed immediately. To facilitate the process, objects need to be presented in the form of simple figures (cylinders, cubes, etc.) and a sketch should be made.
- Now the drawn elements need to be adjusted to the shape of vegetables. Lines of shapes bend and erase excess.
- Small details are drawn last, when the contours of objects are ready.
- Add texture, if present.
- Next, impose a hatch. You should start from light to dark, that is, shadows indicate last. In addition, strokes should convey the relief, so the lines cannot be just straight.
In general, portraying a still life with vegetables is not as difficult as it seems at first glance - just add a little effort and be guided by the rules of composition.
Seasonal Ideas
Still lifes are different. If desired, their creation can be timed to the time of year. For example, spring compositions are usually made up of flowers: lilies of the valley, tulips, snowdrops. However, plants can be any, not associated with a particular season. In this case, bouquets of daffodils, irises and even roses are depicted.
Flowers are also present in summer still lifes, but they are diluted with various small berries and fruits: cherries, plums, apples or pears. And the shades for such works are used warmer, conveying the atmosphere of the season.
The next period is also rich in flowering, but artists prefer to make an autumn still life of vegetables and fruits, playing on harvest associations. Traditionally, the images feature pumpkins, apples, grapes, currants, corn and, of course, dry maple leaves. In short, the work can accommodate many crops, so it turns out very bright and positive.
Winter still lifes reflect the New Year's mood, so the compositions for them are most often composed of tangerines, spruce branches and cones, lit candles. And the background is a snow-covered window frame or ice patterns on glass.
Thus, we can say that the most recognizable stories are autumn and winter, since it is almost impossible to mix up the seasons they depict.