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After the paper has dried, we are now ready for another wash. We are going to create more depth, and definitions.

I first start from the background. I mix a warm gray using the three primary colors. Using the large flat brush, I wash to the top area. Then with clean water, I make the soft smooth transitional blend from dark to light. For the table surface, I like to make it feel cooler by adding more blue to the mixture to turn it to a blue gray color. I start from the cast shadow area, then expand into the neighbor areas on the table surface.

Remember to observe before painting. Each color and each brush stroke should reflect your response to the observation. As I am moving the brush, I sometimes use the full brush, sometimes use only half of the brush, and sometimes even just a small portion of it. I get more water to dilute the paint in the brush to soften some areas.

As I have gone through the overlaid wash to the area outside the lemon, now I see there is a need to do another wash to the lemon to make the color richer and to continue developing its shape and volume.

I mix a warm brown color, with a good amount of water, and I gently brush onto the shadow-side of the lemon. Be careful not let the paint to touch the outside wet area. Then I clean the brush and use it to smooth the newly formed hard edges.

There are still more to do before we can wrap up this painting, but we have done a very big portion of the work. We have laid a very strong foundation for color composition, and value. Our next step is to build up more value contract, create a more defined cast shadow and more definitions in the lemon.

Continue painting a Lemon in watercolor: Next Step >
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