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In our last step, we have sketched out the drawing. We now begin painting. We are starting the painting from the background. I used a one and a half inch flat brush to apply clean water to wet the area outside the lemon. Let's take a close look from this angle. There is a good amount of water on the surface, but soon the water will be absorbed by the paper. Be careful not to let your brush move into the outline, to avoid the unnecessary clean up when we work on the lemon. As I am about to finish wetting the bottom of the paper, the area at the top is drying, so I add some more water to it.

After we wet the area outside the lemon, we are ready to mix the paint. Here I gently apply the mixture color into the wet paper area. Since the paper is still wet, the water helps to distribute the paint quite evenly. As I am painting half way down, I am adding a bit blue color into the mixture. As you observe the picture, you would discover the fabric on the table surface appears cooler than the area hanging in the background. I have done the primary wash to the area outside the lemon. Now I wash my brush and squeeze off as much water as I can from the brush, and I am ready to lift-off while the paint is still wet and still on the surface. This lifting-off method creates the feel of the change of dimensions and the fold of the fabric.

Continue painting a Lemon in watercolor: Next Step >
Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6. Step 7,