This apple chestnut watercolor exercise is the second one in my autumn/fall series. Today is Apple day, so I thought it would be fitting to include an apple in this week’s exercise.
Of course, an apple already has these wonderful autumn colors; red, yellow, green. So it’s not difficult to get an autumn feeling from one. But to make it even more ‘autumny’, I decided to add some chestnuts as well. For me, they really scream autumn.
It is really relaxing to build up your painting, adding slightly darker shades each time. Don’t rush, just take your time. Enjoy the feeling of your colors blending together and watch those autumn colors come to life on your paper.
Have fun with this exercise! Please let me know if you liked this one.
You can find a small video of this exercise on my Instagram @thecreativecooldown
Supplies used:
Watercolor paper 300gr (Arches), watercolor (Kuretake Gansai Tambi), paintbrushes (da Vinci), fineliner (Copic), washi tape, palette, jar.
Alternative supply suggestions:
You can use your kids’ watercolor paints. They may not have as much pigment as the ones in the art stores, but it’s definitely something you can start with at the beginning.
However, it is also possible to do this exercise with colored pencils, crayons, or alcohol markers. Use what you have.
If you only have regular paper, please be aware that your paper cannot hold that much water and will probably warp. Try taping it down to prevent it from warping too much.
Instructions:
1. Start by sketching an apple with some chestnuts. Add some other elements, if you like. You can make it as complicated and detailed as you want. A circle with a stem and some smaller circles for the chestnuts is the minimum you need to draw on your paper. I grabbed an apple and borrowed some chestnuts from my son and drew that. For me, it’s always a little easier to do that than to draw something from memory or to make it up in my head.
2. Start with the lightest color that your apple has (whether that’s a real or an imaginary one). For my apple, that was a light yellow. I left a small part of the apple, where the light hits, white. If you don’t have a reference, decide where the light is coming from.
3. Pick a slightly darker color and go over your last color. You can do this while the color from step 2 is still wet. Use this especially on the part of the apple that’s on the opposite side of the light. Keep adding darker and darker shades.
4. Pick a light beige color as a starting point for your chestnuts. Again, remember where the light comes from and make sure these sides are a bit lighter and don’t have that much paint.
5. Keep adding darker shades of brown to your chestnuts. You can start by adding these colors when the paint from step 4 is still wet. Wait till it’s dry to add the final details. The side opposite the light source and the parts that are in the shadow of the apple should be the darkest. That’s why I like to have a reference of some sort, this makes it easier to see the shadows and the light. Don’t forget to color the stem of the apple.
6. Add some shadows to the apple and the chestnuts and you’re done with this apple chestnut watercolor exercise!
If you liked this exercise, you might like my Mindful watercolor butterfly exercise as well.
