When you look at a brown onion, the first thing you notice is probably the brown.
It seems obvious. You see the subject, identify its main color, and start thinking about how to mix it.
But when we're painting, simply knowing the name of a color isn't enough.
A brown onion can contain warm yellows, soft reds, touches of pink, violet in the shadows, and subtle changes in value that are easy to miss at first.
This is something I often emphasize when teaching watercolor: the more carefully we look, the more there is to see.
We Often Paint What We Think We See
Our minds naturally simplify what we're looking at. We see an onion and think, "brown onion."
But if we stop and really observe it, that first impression starts to change.
Instead of looking for one brown mixture, I can begin to notice the warmer and cooler areas, the changes in value, and the colors hiding within the shadows.
The subject hasn't changed. I'm simply seeing more of it.
This is especially important in watercolor because we often build color gradually. Small changes in a mixture or a transparent layer can make a big difference to the way a form looks.
A Small Color Study Can Help
This is one reason I like to make a small color study before beginning a painting.
It gives me a chance to explore the colors I can actually see rather than deciding beforehand that I simply need "brown."
For this onion, I explored warm yellow and red mixtures and then introduced other colors for the lighter and darker areas.
The goal isn't to find one perfect recipe. It's to understand which colors work together and how they change as the form moves through light and shadow.
Here is the short color-mixing study for the brown onion:
The same approach applies to a red onion.
It may look red at first, but closer observation reveals pinks, deeper reds, purples, and cooler colors in the shadows.
The name of the object gives us a starting point. Observation tells us where to go from there.
Here is the short color-mixing study for the red onion:
The More You Look, the More You See
When painting from nature or a reference photo, I always encourage my students to spend a little time looking before they begin.
Where is the lightest area?
Where does the color become warmer or cooler?
How does the value change as the form turns into shadow?
Which edges are sharp, and which ones become softer?
You don't need to record every detail or paint every variation you see. The purpose is simply to give yourself enough information to make thoughtful decisions while painting.
Observation is part of the painting process.
Brown Onion Watercolor Painting Tutorial
Now let's take a closer look at the brown onion painting.
It may look simple, but there are a few moments where careful observation makes a big difference.
One of the main challenges is making the onion look round. I kept looking at my reference photo and paying close attention to the tonal values. At first, some of these changes can be difficult to see, but the longer we look, the more we begin to notice.
And then there are the greens. They needed some extra attention too, so look carefully at the different green areas rather than treating them all as one color.
Materials
For this painting, I used a hot-pressed 640gsm paper.
Pigments
Lemon Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Perylene Maroon, Perylene Violet, Permanent Rose, Sap Green, Perylene Green, Ultramarine Blue, and Manganese Violet.
Brushes
Fine Tip Brush N4 and Round Synthetic Brush N7
You don't need exactly the same pigments. Feel free to experiment with the colors you already have in your paint box.
If you'd like the detailed color mixes and painting directions, I've shared them on Patreon along with the directions for the red onion. You can find them here.
Look a Little Longer
The next time you sit down to paint, try not to begin with What color is this?
Instead, ask yourself:
What colors can I actually see?
Look for subtle temperature changes. Notice the lightest and darkest areas. Pay attention to what happens to the color as the form turns away from the light.
You don't need to paint every detail. You simply need to give yourself enough time to really observe before deciding how to represent what you see.
Because sometimes, improving a painting isn't about learning another technique.
It's about looking closely enough to notice what was there all along.
With love,
Kristine 💚
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