Fake Veggie Tutorial

This is my original teaching tutorial. The phony fruit isn't five-star subject matter, but it has taught 1000 people to paint, so I have proof that it works as a learning tool. 

I painted the peppers from life and never could take a photo that was exactly like my finished painting. This is in the ball park. 

I painted the peppers from life and never could take a photo that was exactly like my finished painting. This is in the ball park. 

Draw out the image with yellow ochre thinned with lots of medium.

Draw out the image with yellow ochre thinned with lots of medium.

For your underpainting, stick to general darks and lights with no details. 

For your underpainting, stick to general darks and lights with no details. 

Steps 1 and 2

1. Paint a grid (better than mine, hopefully) to help draw the image in proportion. Use a pointy brush (a round) and yellow ochre with a lot of medium so it moves around easily. Make sure you have the image in proportion to the size of the page. Most people draw it too small. You can "erase" easily with a paper towel and redraw your lines if you make mistakes. Use thinner to completely remove mistakes if things get out of hand. Painting your drawing instead of drawing it with pencil helps avoid getting graphite in your painting and dealing with pencil shavings. 

2. Block in an underpainting. Remember, if it looks good on your first coat, you're not doing it right. Emphasize contrast! Cover all the little white canvas spots well! Soften the line/meeting place between objects, shadows, and background. Do not focus on details. Cover the whole canvas and get details later. 

Completely cover the painting with another layer of paint. Add highlights, reflections, and other details.

Completely cover the painting with another layer of paint. Add highlights, reflections, and other details.

Add more contrast, more defined highlights, smoother edges as necessary. 

Add more contrast, more defined highlights, smoother edges as necessary. 

Steps 3 and 4

3. You will be covering the entire painting again, but with more attention to detail. Don't lose the contrast between the light and dark side of the peppers. Paint the highlights and reflections paying attention to blending around them without overworking it. Another coat on the shadows and background should still have a mottled texture.

4. Finish with polishing touches like more paint and more attention to detail.

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FAKE VEGGIE TIPS

EDGES OF OBJECTS: Don't leave the edges with bits of white canvas showing OR as a razor sharp line. 

CONTRAST: Push contrast farther than you think. Mostly that means, Don't be afraid of the darks.

DON'T USE WHITE, except for highlights. 

DROP SHADOW: A background that grades from dark to light (going top to bottom) gives depth to a simple one-color backdrop.