Still life painting is one of the best ways to train your eye, and fruit is a wonderful, forgiving subject. This works with acrylics or oils.
Set up: Arrange two or three pieces of fruit on a plain cloth near a window or a single lamp, so the light comes from one side. That gives you clear highlights and shadows.
Paint in four steps:
Sketch: Lightly outline the basic shapes with a thin brush and diluted paint. Think circles and ovals, not details.
Block in shadows: Paint the darkest areas first, including the shadow side of each fruit and the shadows they cast on the cloth.
Add middle tones: Fill in the main color of each fruit and the background, letting the edges blend.
Finish with highlights: Add a few touches of your lightest color where the light hits most directly.
Squint at your setup often. It helps you see big shapes of light and dark instead of fussy details.
[Add a photo of your setup alongside your finished painting]
[Note whether you used acrylics or oils, and your favorite palette colors]
Pair it with
Reward your finished painting with Pinot Noir: The Gentle Red for Salmon and Mushrooms.
Paint the blooms from A Dried-Flower Wreath for Every Season next.
