If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to paint a realistic strawberry with acrylic paints, you’re in the right place! Strawberries are one of my favourite subjects for realistic acrylic painting. From the tiny seeds to the glossy highlights, strawberries are a great way to practise realistic painting techniques.
In this step-by-step acrylic painting tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to paint a realistic strawberry using by breaking it down and using simple layering techniques. Whether you’re a beginner painter or you’re looking to improve your painting skills, this tutorial will help you learn how to paint realistic fruit!
If you’d prefer to watch a video of the process, so you can see exactly how I paint this strawberry, you can watch this on my Youtube Channel, or by clicking the video below:
I have also created a full length video tutorial, where you can paint along with me in real time, while I explain the entire process with step by step instructions. This is available on my Patreon. When you join, you also get access to every art tutorial I’ve ever made!
You can join by clicking the button below:
Let’s start painting!
To paint this realistic strawberry, you will need:
- Acrylic paints (red, white, yellow, blue, black) – the exact colours I use are listed in the full length tutorial
- Pencil (to sketch the strawberry outline)
- Paintbrushes
- Canvas or other surface to paint on
- Reference image (you can use your own, or you can download the one I’m using from Patreon
Step 1:
To begin, use a pencil to sketch a simple outline of the strawberry. Then, use a range of grey shades of paint to paint the shadow underneath. Make it darker directly underneath the strawberry, then gradually blend it into the background.
Step 2:
Then, fill in the whole strawberry with a bright shade of red acrylic paint. This will form the base colour for your strawberry.
Step 3:
Mix up a lighter shade of red, and a darker shade. Use the lighter paint to add the highlights, and the darker paint to add the shadows. This will help to give the strawberry form, which will add to the realism.
Step 4:
Use a darker shade of red to paint small dots across the whole of the strawberry. These will form the little dents where each seed will go.
Step 5:
Use a very fine paintbrush and a natural shade of dark yellow to paint a seed in the centre of each of the red dots. You may want to use a slightly darker shade when your adding the seeds to the shadowed section!
Step 6:
Mix up a lighter shade of red paint and use a small paintbrush to add the shiny highlights where your strawberry is catching the light. Keep checking your reference image so you know exactly where to paint these highlights.
I’ve included a reference image in the full length tutorial if you want to work from the same photo as me!
Step 7:
To finish your realistic strawberry painting, mix up some natural shades of green to paint the leaves and the stalk.
If you want some tips to help you mix the perfect colours, check out the video below where I explain how to make your colours more vibrant, or more natural:
Step 8:
To finish your realistic strawberry painting, you can add some final touches, such as brightening highlights, darkening shadows, or just neatening up any messy parts!
I hope this acrylic painting tutorial has given you the confidence to create more realistic fruit paintings and experiment with layering, colour, and texture. The more you practice these techniques, the easier creating lifelike acrylic paintings becomes.
Don’t forget to check out the full length tutorial if you’d like to learn how to paint this exact painting in much more detail!
