How to Paint an Onion in WatercolorsWatercolor art lesson |
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Print and transfer basic line drawing to your stretched watercolour paper. 
Apply a light wash of Raw Sienna and while still wet dab spots with a tissue to lift some paint for the highlights. 
After allowing to dry, rewet the onion and apply some Light Red. Again dab with a crumpled tissue while still wet to save highlight. 
While the paper is still slightly damp apply some more Light Red using a small round brush. 
Using a mix of Raw Sienna/Lemon Yellow, paint the fallen outer skin and then apply dabs of Light Red while the wash is still wet. 
Using the Sienna/yellow mix, apply a wash over the whole onion. 
This time, while the wash is still wet, use a clean damp brush to lift some paint for the highlights. This will give a soft edge. 
While still damp, apply some Light red ( thicker mix ,very little water ). 
Also apply some Burnt Umber to the damp surface. Use very little water with your Burnt Umber so your paint will be thicker. At this time you can paint the top stem of the onion, markings and dark edge. 
Allow to dry and then re-wet the whole onion and apply some light red (thicker mix) to the right side. 
While the surface is still damp, use a dark brown watercolour pencil to apply the thin vertical lines following the shape of the onion. 
Using a black watercolor pencil, add darker touches to some lines and also to the base. 
Using a mix of Burnt Umber/Light Red, paint in the markings on the fallen onion skin. 
Use a rigger brush and paint in the fine lines on the skin. 
Using the black watercolour pencil, darken some parts of a few of the lines. 
Draw in the fine roots using your black watercolour pencil. 
Lightly wet the background around the right side of the onion. Wet an area larger than the shadow size. Make up a mix of Burnt Umber/Ultramarine blue to produce a brownish grey. Paint in the shadow shape wet into wet. Also, using the same technique, add shadows under the fallen skin. Then, while still damp, apply some Light Red (thick mix, little water )to the inner edge of the shadow that touches the onion. 
Re-wet the shadow area again and add a mix of Light Red/Burnt Umber to warm the shadows. 
To produce a brighter highlight, scrape the area with a sharp hobby knife to allow some white paper to show. 
Paint in the shadow lines around the loose piece of skin at the base of the onion. Then darken the lower area with Burnt Umber to finish your painting. I hope you enjoyed painting your onion. Happy painting until next time,
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