Watercolor Tutorial: Lemons

 

Lemon Watercolor Tutorial

Painting a lemon in watercolor might seem challenging, but you can do it with just a few colors and a little patience! Lemons have such a bright, cheerful yellow that they’re perfect for watercolor practice. Follow along with this demo, and you’ll see how a couple of tricks can make the process easier.

Step 1: Draw the Outline

Start by creating a pencil drawing of your lemon. If you’re not confident in your freehand skills, use a grid. Divide your reference photo and your watercolor paper into quarters. This will help you match the proportions without complicated calculations. Be mindful when using watercolor; pencil lines can show through since the paint is transparent. To avoid this, use light dots at the grid intersections, which won’t be noticeable under your paint.

Step 2: Make Test Swatches

Before diving into the painting, create some test swatches of your colors on a piece of scrap paper. Test your lemon yellows, leaf greens, and shadows. This step helps you get a feel for how your colors will look on the final painting, and it also gives you confidence when you start to paint.

Step 3: Start Painting Your Lemon

Begin by laying down your lightest yellow for the lemon’s main body. Start with a soft wash of lemon yellow, letting the paint flow naturally to capture the smooth roundness of the fruit. Once dry, you can go back in with a slightly darker yellow, like a touch of cadmium yellow, to add shading where the light doesn’t hit.

Step 4: Paint the Leaves

For the leaves, mix lemon yellow and cobalt blue with a tiny bit of black to create a rich, dark green. Apply this to your leaves, using the mix for the shadows to add depth. Remember to observe how the light hits both the fruit and the leaves so that your painting looks convincing.

Final Step: Touches and Details

Once your painting has dried, go back in for the final touches. Strengthen the shadows with another layer of color, and add tiny details like the lemon’s texture or veins in the leaves.

Watercolor is all about layering and patience—let each layer dry before adding the next! Most importantly, enjoy the process and be proud of your work. You’re learning and improving with each brushstroke. Happy painting!