Apple, Half-Peeled on a Black Plate

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · red · yellow ochre · black

secondary · purple · gray

Mix red and purple for the apple's skin. Dilute black with water to create various shades of gray for the plate and shadows. Use yellow ochre straight from the tube for the peel.

techniques

• ·watercolor washes
• ·layering
• ·negative painting
• ·glazing
• ·wet-on-dry

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the washes and losing transparency.
• →Making the plate too dark too quickly.
• →Not allowing layers to dry properly, leading to muddy colors.
• →Failing to capture the subtle tonal variations on the apple.