"Yummy Color"- Paint a Realistic Watercolor Still Life

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Paint a realistic watercolor still life in this article featuring excerpts from “Sweet Spots,” by Christine Proskow, featuring the work of Judy Nunno in the Fall 2022 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine.

In this watercolor still life demo, Judy Nunno provides a step-by-step breakdown of her painting process to help you create your own vibrant watercolor still life! Luscious color and mouth-watering realism lend her still lifes a sense of joy and visual delight. Nunno, a self-taught artist who developed her artistic skills through books, demos, workshops and experience, finds her meticulous approach entirely gratifying—although she admits that it requires “skill, patience and a great deal of time.” Elaborating on her detailed renderings, she says, “I’ve been told numerous times that I need to loosen up, but I’ve learned through years of experience that painting in a realistic style is what I most enjoy doing and what I do best.” All told, a single painting takes the artist an average of 40 to 50 hours to complete. “They say, ‘The devil is in the details,’ but not for me,” asserts Nunno. “I love the challenges involved in painting complicated subjects and the thrill of successfully capturing them. Being immersed in a complex work allows me to tune out the rest of the world and just enjoy the process of painting.”

Having painted realistic watercolor still lifes and portraits for 15 years, Nunno offers well-considered advice: “Paint how and what you enjoy most, not what others suggest you paint.” To those who wish to use bolder color, she says, “Don’t be afraid to experiment. You could start by adding a few more layers of glaze to your painting to intensify the colors.”

Watercolor Demo: Paint a Realistic Watercolor Still Life

Artist’s Toolkit

Winsor & Newton Watercolors

Aureolin
Alizarin Crimson
Opus
Winsor Blue
Burnt Sienna
Brown Madder
Vermilion
Quinacridone Red
Winsor Red
Mineral Violet
Bright Violet
Neutral
Sepia
Winsor Yellow
Sap Green
Viridian
New Gamboge
Cobalt Blue
Scarlet Lake
Indigo

Surface: Arches 300-lb. 15×22 cold pressed paper

Brushes

Loew-Cornell Ultra round: Nos. 4, 6and 8
Esconda Ultimo

Tip: Compelling Color

Here are some general tips for creating vibrant colors in your watercolor still life:

Always use professional-grade watercolor paints since they have more intense pigments than student-grade offerings.
Watercolor dries 50 percent lighter than it appears when wet, so mix colors for washes twice as dark as you want them to be.
Apply multiple glazes to intensify colors.
Keep pencil lines light; excess graphite will muddy the paint.
Use a dark background to make the subject’s colors pop.

Judy Nunno realistic watercolor still life of candy in jars — Licorice and Lollies (watercolor on paper, 22×22)

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Final Step

Judy Nunno realistic watercolor still life finished painting — For the dark background, I applied two thin layers of a mixture of alizarin crimson, indigo and sepia, allowing the first layer to dry completely before adding the second one. With that second layer, I completed Opening a Can of Worms (watercolor on paper, 15×22).

Meet the Artist

Judy Nunno (judynunno.com), is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, the Florida Watercolor Society, the Southern Watercolor Society, the Gold Coast Watercolor Society and the Palm Beach Watercolor Society. Her paintings have been published in seven Splash: The Best of Watercolor books. She exhibits her work in national and international shows and has won more than 100 awards.