Anywhere, Anytime Art: Gouache

PROJECT 4 FRUIT

When my baby is falling asleep at night and I must be very quiet, I set my painting desk in the kitchen where she can’t hear the clattering of paintbrushes and tubes. The kitchen is a great room for inspiration. You will always find colorful subjects to paint whether it’s the fruit basket, herbs in a pot, or the boxes, bottles, and food packages stacked on the shelves. Painting the labels can be a good lettering exercise. Then you have the bowls, glasses, water or wine jugs; the teapot; the coffeemaker; and the tablecloth and napkins, which are full of motifs.

Let’s start with the fruit basket. We’ll pick an orange with its leaves still attached.

PAINTING ORANGES

Let’s paint a few oranges with leaves.

STEP 1Begin with the ...