How to Paint a Lemon Slice

Use watercolor paints to paint a realistic-looking lemon slice.

Painting a slice of lemon can be a fun and fairly easy project for an artist. These instructions explain how to paint a life-size slice of lemon using watercolor paints. You can take advantage of the watercolor paints' translucent quality to create a realistic-looking lemon.

Things You'll Need

• Watercolor paper
• F pencil
• Watercolor palette
• Tube of Medium Yellow watercolor paint
• Tube of Lemon Yellow watercolor paint
• Watercolor paintbrush, size 0
• Small bowl or jar of water

Instructions

1. Sketch the outline and basic features of the lemon slice on your watercolor paper using an F pencil.

2. Squirt a dime-sized amount of each of the following watercolor paints onto your palette: Medium Yellow and Lemon Yellow.

3. Paint the rind of the lemon using a size 0 brush coated thinly in Medium Yellow paint.

4. Mix a small amount of water with Lemon Yellow paint on your palette until the paint resembles the translucent insides of the lemon.

5. Leave a thin circle of blank paper immediately inside the yellow circle you painted in Step 3 to create the white inner rind. Coat your brush in watered-down Lemon Yellow. Create the inner segments of the lemon by painting side-by-side triangles with their tips pointed inward. Leave thin lines of white between each segment.

6. Give texture to the inside of the lemon by adding thin lines of watered-down Lemon Yellow over your previous coat of paint, once it is dry. Use short, light strokes for the best effect. Use a damp brush to "lift" the paint from any areas of the lemon that need to be lighter or more translucent.

7. Allow your painting to dry for at least 24 hours.

References

• Wetcanvas: Watercolor Painting, My Way!: Bowl of Fruit
• Elfwood: Watercolor Technique