REFERENCE
When my lecturer set the arrangement on the table, I knew the watermelon slice would be the main focus. Around it were limes, a carrot, an onion, large green leaves, purple flowers, and a can with stems and leaves sprouting out. The task was clear: capture the composition in paint, but simplify the busy scene into something balanced and unified.
I began lightly sketching the big shapes first—the bold triangle of the watermelon, the curved carrot, the rounded limes, and the broad leaf stretching to the side. The container, which in reality had printed text, I reduced into a simple yellow-and-white block so it wouldn’t distract. Once the drawing felt right, I washed in broad colors: a deep magenta background to push the objects forward, a muted table surface, then the fruits in their natural hues—red watermelon, orange carrot, green limes, and brown onion.
Slowly I deepened the shadows, added veins to the leaves, and dropped tiny seeds into the watermelon’s flesh. The purple flowers I only suggested with a few strokes, just enough to remind the viewer they were there. In the end, I sharpened details around the watermelon and carrot, leaving the rest softer, so the eye rests where the story is strongest.
The final painting is not a perfect copy of the setup but a thoughtful simplification—turning a crowded table into a harmonious still life.