There is a sense of beauty in every person. And one of its manifestations is fine art. Drawing is calming, relaxing and allows you to realize your creative potential. If you are just taking your first steps in painting, then some recommendations on how to draw a still life with fruit will certainly be interesting and useful.
Such living “dead nature”...
Still life is a word of French origin that translates as “dead nature.” This is the essence of such paintings: they are combinations of various inanimate objects. Most often, artists paint vegetables and fruits, that is, things that require rich colors. Another feature of this composition is the image of the fabric. Objects may lie on it or a table may be covered with it, but all artists try to meticulously draw the texture and color of a piece of material. Still lifes fit perfectly into any interior - this is another reason to learn how to draw them: the finished painting can decorate the hallway or kitchen. And every time you pass by, you will not be able to resist praising yourself for your zeal and perseverance.
In order for the work to proceed smoothly and nothing to distract you from drawing, you need to prepare in advance everything that you will definitely need:
Canvas or sheet of paper. The size can be any, but the quality must be excellent. Otherwise, the lines will fall poorly, and because of this you can completely cool off on fine art;
Simple pencils different hardness and softness. With them you can easily create various effects, including shadows and volumes;
Nature, that is, objects, fabric - everything you want to see in the picture;
Good lighting. To draw small details and build shadow projections, the lamp must be diffuse and have a powerful bulb.
Now you can start studying master classes for beginners, describing how to draw a still life with a pencil step by step.
You should start drawing with a sketch. It is he who determines how easy or difficult it will be for you to work. This sketch is made with a hard pencil, and with strokes, and not complete lines. Otherwise, after the auxiliary contours need to be erased, traces will remain. All objects that are provided in kind are depicted in the sketch using simple geometric shapes. The main purpose of a sketch is to determine the spatial arrangement of objects on the sheet.
"Friendly company"
Professionals advise starting to draw still lifes with images of large objects: you can make a serious mistake in small details. Therefore, our picture shows kiwis, grapes, pears and bananas - objects with quite obvious structural details.
Instructions:
1. We start with a sketch. To do this, on a separate sheet, draw the location of each part using a triangle.
2. Using chaotic strokes, without strong pressure on the pencil, we sketch objects in the form of circles and ovals. Grapes are circles, pears are ovals, lemon is a larger circle.
3. We outline the contours with clearer lines and erase the auxiliary lines.
4. Make shadows using a hard or hard-soft pencil.
5. Draw the lines of the structure of pears, bananas and grapes using a TM pencil.
6. We detail the kiwi in the section. Using a hard-soft pencil we make the core of the berry, depicting it as multi-layered, with seeds.
7. Lightly shade the lines in the center with an eraser to give it a natural look.
8. Draw the main lines, erase the auxiliary ones.
9. We color all the depicted objects - the picture is ready.
Beauty demands... to be eaten
Despite the literal translation of the name of the genre, the artist’s main task is to show the perfection and naturalness of the depicted “goodies”, if we are talking about a still life with berries and fruits.
Instructions:
1. Limit the drawing area to a few strokes.
2. Sketch a mug with a strawberry sprig.
3. Add the outlines of apples and pears.
4. Draw a thicker line around the outline of the fruit.
5. Coloring apples and pears matching colors, given that each fruit has an unpainted area - a highlight. On the widest part the color should be the most intense.
6. Use red strokes to detail the strawberries.
7. We finish drawing the mug, making it in color.
8. Color the fabric, shading the areas that are partially under the fruit. The picture is ready.
Draw a bowl of fruit
Fruits and berries look very beautiful in a vase. In this case, we can do without fabric, which means we don’t have to draw extra shadows.
Instructions:
1. We start with a vase. Draw a straight cutting line.
2. Add a semicircle, making it a little flat for stability.
3. Draw the slightly curved rim of the vase.
4. We make line sketches of fruits (oranges, bananas, grapes - the simplest nature).
5. Use an eraser to remove unnecessary lines, including those that intersect with the rim of the vase.
6. We determine the contours of the berries that will be in the foreground, “darkening” those that will be in the background.
7. Draw the surface on which the vase stands.
8. Add highlights to the jug and draw additional decorative elements to your taste.
9. Coloring the picture - so we managed to draw a still life “vase with exotic fruits”.
Tricks for Beginners If you paint in black and white, don't forget about the shadows: they will attract special attention.
Don't neglect the background. A wall, a window frame, an old tree – these elements add a unique atmosphere.
Avoid monotony in color images by adding orange, green, cream, and blue colors.
Don't try to combine many elements in one still life.
In general, with the arrival of spring, it seems that there will be more time to walk and relax, but as usual there is three times more work and also studies, sessions, exams... The paradox of life! But I'm not going to complain! I accept this fight!
We don't have victories, we only have battles. And the best we can hope for is that we will find something worth fighting for. And if we are lucky, we will find someone who is ready to take this fight with us.
Marina Baidakova wrote to us:
Marina Baidakova
If it's not too much trouble, could I have a lesson on drawing a still life with a pencil? if possible in a simpler way, and then in a more complex way. Thank you!
To be honest, I myself have not mastered such complex techniques; I usually draw and the like. I think it's time to start studying serious matter! I don’t undertake to teach, but rather I’ll tell you what professionals advise in this matter.
I read a few books on this topic and here are some tips:
- When looking at nature and your drawing, squint and you will see that a lot is generalized and only the tonal colors that you need to convey in your drawing are visible.
- When working with paint, apply strokes to the shape of the object, often step back and look at your work from a distance.
- Try to listen and analyze any kind criticism.
- Do not paint the objects you draw with the same color. Look carefully and mix, add to the main color other colors present in this object, otherwise the still life will not be drawn, but painted.
- Don't give up if your first attempt isn't entirely successful. Repeat the same still life, only from a different point of view. How more work you do, the better. Quantity directly affects quality.
- Don’t throw away your works, even unsuccessful ones, but put them in a folder and after a month or two, lay them out, carefully analyze them and select the ones that, in your opinion, are most successful.
- Do not stop there, complicate the task with each work, alternating drawing with painting, working from life with working from memory, from impression.
The task is to not violate the idea that you have in mind during the drawing process. Therefore, you cannot draw starting with a separate object, gradually adding the rest of the image to it. In this case, it will inevitably be violated comparative sizes items, the drawing may not fit into the sheet or may be significantly smaller than needed. I started draw apples with a pencil: The first step was to define the contours of the future drawing using a pencil: 
And then I colored them with pencils. 
This is my first attempt, in the future I will try to make a step-by-step lesson. Try to draw apples too, or take any other example. Show your drawings and what else you want to see on. I did this tutorial a long time ago. Now I draw much better. Check out my new lessons, they are absolutely great:
- Drawing ;
- Still life from
What is this concept of “still life” for a beginner artist, of course? What might it include? And how to draw it yourself?
What exactly are we depicting?
First of all, you probably imagine a vase of flowers or fruit, a jug of milk or vegetables, cups, dried bream. In general, this word literally translates as “dead nature.” And the still life itself can contain different (usually inanimate) objects in quantities of two or more, which lie on some surface. More often these are fruits and flowers, sometimes vegetables and kitchen utensils. It is also customary to draw glasses or vases. How can we draw a still life with a pencil step by step? We will understand all this by following the simple instructions and guide below.
The simplest method
We will draw a fruit and flower still life with a pencil (for beginners). Naturally, experienced artists can (and probably should) write differently. Let's start with the basics!
Geometry is our everything
Step 1. First of all, you need to imagine any object in its simplest form. Use your imagination. What does the vase most resemble? That's right, on the cylinder. A basket is a parallelogram, an apple is a circle, a pear is an oval, and so on according to the same principle! Flowers, petals and leaves are striking with their symmetry. By the way, previewing cubist paintings may be useful for this. This is where the geometry of the universe opens up to us in its entirety! It will also be very important to arrange the items correctly on the sheet of paper. They should not “roll off” the table, but lie or stand straight. So our sketch is more like
Step 3. We continue to draw a still life with a pencil step by step. We outline the fruits in circles and ovals. They may overlap each other. Therefore, our circles will not be very even.
Step 4. Let us designate the flowers, their centers, and also the petals. Gradually add leaves.
Drawing the texture
Step 5. Draw the petals.
Step 6. Now we carefully shade our drawing. At the same time, we add a wicker texture to the basket. We shade the fruits in a circular pattern, leaving more highlights to make our fruits look juicier. Shade the flower petals and leaves from the center to the edge.
Step 7. Our still life in pencil, moving step by step, is almost ready. If you decide that the light falls on the left in the drawing, then add horizontal shadows to the right of the objects using shading.
Additional Image Tools
You will be surprised, but with the most ordinary eraser you can not only erase unnecessary things, but also draw, creating lighter tones. This is done on an image made with charcoal and pencil. Many people think that the basics of graphics are line and shading. And only with the help of them do artists distribute dark and light tones. However, sometimes it is easier to use a regular eraser, that is, an eraser. It is especially convenient in cases where you need to get pale, fairly thin lines that softly fade into darker tones. Here, for creativity, you will need smooth paper, which will facilitate the process of erasing the charcoal lines.
Another means of representation can be an ordinary finger! Neem is easy to grind graphite powder on a piece of paper when you draw a still life with a pencil step by step. This unique technique also exists in nature and can easily be used to depict “dead nature” - your still life.
So create, draw, dare. Perhaps you will come up with some new drawing technique, who knows... Good luck and patience!
Did you know that the process of drawing not only instills in a person a sense of beauty, but also helps to cope with stressful situations, calming your nerves and creating peace in your soul? In view of this, it is recommended to devote at least some of your free time to this activity. Let's learn how to draw a still life with fruit with a pencil.
General information
To learn how to paint a still life with fruit, you must first understand what the term itself means. In addition, you need to know what attributes a future artist should prepare to create his own masterpiece. A painting depicting inanimate objects (it doesn’t matter, one or more) is called a still life. Translated from French this term sounds like "dead nature". Depending on your flight of fancy, you can use flowers, household items, fruits and vegetables in your paintings. Still life often contains an element such as fabric (of any color and texture).
Required Attributes
To cope with the upcoming work and master all the nuances, you need to prepare in advance necessary tools. You will need:
A sheet of paper or canvas (it all depends on what size you want to create your first masterpiece);
Simple pencil;
Fabric and objects that you will use as nature;
Good lighting.
If you plan to paint a picture, then, in addition to everything, you must decide what type of paints you will use (watercolor or oil) and choose brushes and a palette accordingly. And, of course, don't forget about water.
Graphics technique
In order for your painting to turn out most similar to the chosen composition, you must first master the technique. You should learn to convey highlights, shadows and texture. A still life with fruit in pencil begins with a sketch. It is depicted on a separate sheet. Here they simply record the arrangement of objects without drawing them completely. When the sketch is ready, you can begin to depict the elements on the main canvas. When drawing, do not press too hard on the pencil. Otherwise, when you delete an incorrectly drawn line, marks will remain on the paper. When creating the outlines of objects, you should not draw every line; draw a sketch with chaotic movements. You should know that artists use pencils of varying softness for individual lines. During the image process, the set allows you to create various effects on paper. That is why, if you want to do everything right and depict a beautiful still life with fruit, approach the choice of “tool” with great responsibility.
Creating a Sketch
As everyone understands, to start working, you first need to create a composition. You must decide on the main background of your painting, as well as what elements will be present in it - whether you will depict one object or decide to use several. For example, you can paint a still life with fruits and vegetables, or diversify your picture with a bouquet. It is advisable to use plain fabrics as a background. Next, use whatman paper to determine the center of the composition and sketch out a sketch of the future painting. The first thing you should draw are simple elements: an oval or a circle. For example, an ordinary apple is depicted using a circle; to sketch grapes, details in the form of small balls are used. The main thing is to make sure that the objects are located in their places, that is, maintain proportionality.
We depict objects
When you have managed to correctly position all the objects on the sheet, it’s time to move on to drawing them. To do this, write fruits into the figures shown using clearer lines. Make all details, contours clear and remove auxiliary lines. To create the right image do not forget to use a pencil to position the shadows correctly. This action is performed using shading, initially darkening the darkest places with a gradual transition to lighter ones. The shadows are drawn with an extremely sharp pencil when applying layer by layer. The final stage is to check the image of all objects, special attention should be paid to the tone layout.
Still life with fruit - step by step
Let's explore how to create a painting using an orange, grape and kiwi as an example. It is better to use real items for this purpose, so purchase them in advance. Believe me, to acquire skills and practice, it is better to draw from life. To make it easier for you to create your first masterpiece, strictly follow our instructions.
Drawing details
First, we outline the location of the fruit on paper. To depict the halves of a kiwi and an orange, draw inclined lines and only then draw ovals. Now you can start directly drawing the fruit. Let's start with orange. To do this, we divide its sketch using an auxiliary line into two parts. Then we draw slices in each half, depicting them as triangular sectors.
We fill the area where the grapes should be located with circles, and for the kiwi we draw only the core. It is advisable to start shading the sketch with grapes. To do this, using the softest pencil (8 "M"), draw each circle in a circular motion. Please note that the lightest place in the grapes should be the middle, as well as the edges. This is done so that the berries do not merge with each other. Now let's move on to drawing the orange. First, let's shade the peel. To do this, use a “T” pencil to apply shading to the shape of the fruit. Then we will apply spots and dots. This is done with a "TM" pencil. This way you can convey the texture of the orange.
Draw the fruit slices with a “T” pencil. We move from the center to the edges. To more accurately convey the image of the fruit, use a “TM” pencil to depict “feathers”. To make the drawing more similar to the original, use an eraser to make the corners more round and erase a small circle in the center. It's time to portray a kiwi. For this purpose, use a “TM” pencil to apply strokes to its surface (without pressing). And to make the fruit more realistic, we will make small lines on the surface with stronger pressure. Now let's draw the core. In the center of the kiwi, using a “TM” pencil, draw rays (several layers). This way we will convey the texture of real fruit. Using a soft pencil, draw the seeds, then use an eraser to make the middle lighter.
grape leaf
If you have some free space left on your workspace, you can add an element such as a grape leaf to your still life. To do this, let's draw the shape of a leaf in the form of a spatula. After which we will create veins that must come out from one point (this characteristic feature grape leaf). We make a more accurate sketch of the leaf shape. Now you can supplement the veins with smaller branches and create the corners of this element. Let's start shading. Using a “T” pencil, from the point where the veins converge, draw dashed lines to the ends of the element. Next we will add volume.
To do this, apply an additional layer with a “TM” pencil. But you only need to do it at the edges and top of the sheet. The final stage of painting involves applying shadows and bringing out the veins of the leaf more clearly. Your painting is ready. Many people believe that painting a still life with fruit is much easier than painting, for example, a still life with a bouquet. In principle, there is no big difference between these paintings. When creating both drawings, it is necessary to depict every detail. The only difference is that still lifes with fruits and flowers have more elements.
In the lower grades they teach children how to draw still life, that is, drawing from life objects of symmetrical shape, toys, household items, vegetables, flowers, fruits, arts and crafts, and bodies of geometric and combined shapes. To do this, it is necessary to introduce students to objects of folk decorative art, toys, household items, and teach them to see their characteristic features and beauty; consolidate skills in drawing objects of symmetrical shape, using axial and other auxiliary lines; teach to see the color of an object and depict it correctly. You will need paper, pencils, watercolors, brushes, jars of water; toy folding pyramids.
How to Draw a Toy Folding Pyramid
Toy folding pyramid, helps children better understand the meaning of the axis of symmetry in the construction of objects of symmetrical shape.
- Drawing begins by drawing a center line on which the height of the object is marked.
- Then the height of the rings of the pyramid is plotted on the axial vertical line, marking them on the axis with horizontal thin lines.
- The pyramid connects both sides of the base to the top.
- Next, draw the details.
- Having finished the pencil drawing and checking the correctness of the general structure, the children begin to work with watercolors.
The drawing begins with a search for composition. You need to harmoniously place objects on the sheet and determine the overall size of the image. Next, outline the relationships of objects by size, determine the proportions and basic shape of each object. Then the arrangement of objects in the picture is checked. For example, when drawing a still life composed of a mug and an apple, the apple is closer and the mug is further from the viewer. Part of the mug is not visible because it is blocked by the apple. At the first stage, the work is done in pencil (constructing a still life), at the second stage - in color (monochrome or color watercolor). The procedure for working in color on a still life is as follows: - select a light paint solution for the illuminated surface of the apple and paint the entire surface of the apple with the resulting paint solution (except for the highlight);
- select a tone for the illuminated part of the mug and paint over the entire surface (except for the highlight);
- select the tone (on the palette) for the background, comparing it with the light areas of the objects;
- paint over the area of halftone and shadow on the surface of the apple with a weak solution on top of the first layer; the boundaries of the paint layer are slightly blurred clean water to make smooth transitions;
- select the appropriate tone of paint and fill in the area of shadow and halftone on the mug;
- Strengthen the color where necessary or weaken it by rinsing with clean water.
Sequential drawing of an object of a combined shape
The figure shows the gradual progress of constructing a linear drawing combined form item and watercolor work. When painting a still life, the first painting of relatively large surfaces with watercolors in the main color tones is carried out in the light intensity of the illuminated areas, while in small light areas (on highlights) the paper remains clean. The second layer should sculpt the relief of objects, linking their color relationships with the background and with the plane on which they stand. The third, final layer should unite all tonal relationships by superimposing halftones, enhancing the shadows of their own and falling ones, revealing the volume of objects and giving their characteristics in terms of colors and various materials.
When working with watercolors, you can use another method - working in the raw, pouring one color into another.
