Set up a still life of fruits and/or vegetables, and illuminate it with 11:00-at-45-degree lighting. Take a picture with your smartphone or digital camera, and convert the image to grayscale to see the tonal values.

Draw the basic shapes on tracing paper. It’s not important to add details at this point; just focus on a pleasing composition and getting the perspective right.

Place another piece of tracing paper over the line drawing, and work out the surface contour by creating an armature drawing.

Transfer the drawing onto drawing paper, and render the composition in graphite. This is a great way to ensure success in your final piece. Work out all the nuances of where the light hits, how to apply tone in the direction of the surface contour, and the color variations. Working in graphite first simplifies the following steps, making the transition into color easier.

Transfer the basic drawing from tracing paper onto good paper. I used a light box to transfer the drawing onto hot-pressed, 140-lb. watercolor paper. Use corresponding colored pencils to suggest the light source in the outline. For example, I drew the left side of the onion in pomegranate (PC195) and the right side in indigo blue (PC901). Variation in the line color prevents dark outlines on the edges of the objects.

Begin creating form in a monochromatic color scheme for each object. Use the graphite tonal drawing shown here as a guide. Leave the white of the paper for the highlights.

Using your continuous tonal color samples, begin to layer in color to darken and strengthen the forms.

Deepen the dark and midtone areas by slowly alternating layers of color for each object. Begin to add variations of color to create interest and detail.

Use a colorless blender to burnish each object. This intensifies the color and removes most of the texture of the paper.

Create harmony by using the same color in each object. To strengthen the concave areas in the pea pods, I applied a layer of pomegranate (PC195). I also used this color to create the onion’s cast shadow on the pear. Add more layers over the colorless blender to deepen and add detail.

Cast shadows can be tricky! Start by lightly defining the direction and angle of each cast shadow in pencil. The line should extend farther than the actual shadow; you’ll erase it after adding color. Lightly layer in the shadows, using alternating layers of color. The darkest area of each shadow is where the object rests on the surface, and the shadow should fade as it extends out.

Erase the pencil outline. Finish the drawing by adding any additional details. Careful planning results in a successful finished drawing. Understanding perspective, surface contour, lighting, texture, and color mixing are all part of a work of art!