Easy Pineapple Painting: A Step-By-Step Guide

Painting a pineapple can be a fun and easy activity to do with kids or for a themed party. There are several ways to paint a pineapple, and you can use different colours and techniques to create your artwork. You can use acrylic paint on canvas, and start by drawing a rough outline of the pineapple with chalk. You can then fill in the fruit with earthy colours, light creams, blues, and greens. You can also try enriching the colours by increasing saturation levels and using blues, violets, greens, warm yellows, and oranges. Another option is to paint a bold stripe background and then paint the pineapple in front of it.

Prepare your materials

To prepare your materials for painting a pineapple, start by gathering your art supplies. You will need paint, a canvas, brushes, and a palette. For the paint, you will need a range of colours, including yellow, green, black, white, and red. You can also add blues, violets, oranges, and yellows to enrich the colours and add variety. Consider using acrylic paint, as it is versatile and suitable for both beginners and professionals. Ensure you have a range of brush sizes, including a medium and small round brush, and a flat brush, such as a 5/8" flat brush.

Next, prepare your canvas. If you are using a stretched 3D canvas, you may want to wrap it with painter's tape to create clean lines. Alternatively, you can prime your canvas by painting it with a base colour. Some artists suggest using a grey base colour, while others prefer a light primary magenta or a cream colour created by mixing yellow ochre and white. You can also add a small amount of water to the paint to adjust the consistency.

After preparing your canvas, set up your palette. Squeeze out the desired colours and mix them to create the shades you need. For example, mix a little phthalo green with mars black to create a very dark green for the pineapple's stem. You can also mix yellow ochre, white, and red to create the perfect cream or light yellow for the pineapple's body.

Additionally, you may want to use a T-square ruler to help create straight lines and a piece of chalk or a pencil for drawing the initial outline of the pineapple. These tools will help you create clean, precise lines and shapes.

Finally, have some water and paper towels or a cloth nearby to clean your brushes between colours and thin your paint if needed. With your materials prepared, you are now ready to start painting your pineapple!

Outline the pineapple

To outline the pineapple, start by marking the middle of your canvas with a pencil—this will be the bottom of the stem. Then, using chalk, draw a curved line to represent the top of the fruit or the bottom of the stem. This line should almost reach the same height as the fruit. Remember, the leaves of the pineapple are about the same height as the fruit itself.

Next, draw an oval shape with a flat bottom. This will be the body of the pineapple. You can then add some loose zig-zag lines for the top of the stem, and some loose lines on the inside of the stem. Keep in mind that you don't need to worry about making the stem look realistic—you can paint it "expressively".

At this point, you have created an "under-painting" of the pineapple. You can now mix a little phthalo green with mars black to create a very dark green. Use a medium-sized round brush to get most of the shape and then switch to a smaller round brush to get the stems to a point at the tips.

Now, you can start adding some colour to the pineapple. Use a round brush to paint the sides of the stems like you would highlight grass or leaves. You can use a brilliant yellow-green colour, which will stand out against the dark green base layer.

Paint the background

Painting the background of your pineapple artwork is a fun and creative process that can be approached in several ways. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Choose Your Colours

Select a colour scheme that complements the pineapple theme. You can go for warm colours like reds, oranges, and yellows, or experiment with earthy tones like light creams and blues. If you want to make your pineapple pop, consider using a bold colour like magenta or violet as your base.

Prepare Your Canvas

Before you begin painting, it's essential to prepare your canvas. If you want to create a striped background, use painter's tape to mark off the areas you want to keep white (or your chosen base colour). Make sure the tape lines are level and evenly spaced apart. You can wrap the tape around the sides of the canvas if it's a 3D stretched canvas.

Paint the Base

Using a flat brush, paint the entire canvas with your chosen base colour. You can make your brush strokes go in any direction at this point. If you plan to create a striped background, make sure the base colour dries completely before applying the tape.

Create the Stripes

Once the base colour is dry, it's time to create the stripes. Use a smaller flat brush to paint between the tape lines and on the sides of the canvas. Be careful not to add any water to your paint, as it may bleed under the tape. If this happens, don't worry! Simply use a small brush to touch up any messy areas with your base colour.

Enhance with Effects

After removing the tape, you can enhance your background with subtle effects. Use a credit card-sized piece of plastic or thin cardboard to drag small amounts of paint around, creating interesting textures. Be careful not to overdo it, and remember that these effects are meant to enhance the background, not dominate it.

Final Touches

Once you're happy with your background, you can use stronger lights and darks to make the pineapple shape stand out. Use traditional painting techniques or precise drags to create depth and dimension. Remember to leave enough of the background plain so that the pineapple's shape and leaves can be the focal points.

Paint the body

Painting the body of the pineapple is where things start to come together. You can begin by drawing an oval shape with a flat bottom in pencil. This will be the outline of the pineapple's body. If you're struggling to draw the shape, you can always use a traceable—a pre-drawn outline that you can place under your canvas and use as a guide.

Using a piece of chalk, draw a curved line that represents the top of the fruit, or the bottom of the stem. The leaves of the pineapple are almost the same height as the fruit, so the midpoint of the canvas is usually a good place to start.

Now, it's time to add some colour. Mix a little phthalo green with mars black to create a very dark green. Using a medium-sized round brush, start painting the sides of the stem, almost like you're painting highlights on grass or leaves. Don't worry if this part feels intimidating—you can always paint the leaves expressively without making them look too realistic.

For the body of the pineapple, you can use a range of colours. Start with a light primary magenta base colour and apply cool colours in blocky marks using a large flat brush. You can vary the direction of these marks to provide movement while keeping the paint neat. Add various greens for the leaves, and don't be too careful about following the drawing—this step is all about creativity and having fun!

Finally, work on the pattern of the pineapple's skin, adding variations of greens and lighter yellows with dabs of yellow ochre and raw sienna. Leave some gaps for the base colour to show through, creating flashes of contrast.

Final touches

Now that you've laid down the base colours, it's time to focus on the finer details and make your pineapple pop!

First, ensure that the colours you've used are rich and vibrant. You can do this by turning up the saturation levels. For example, swap any neutral shadow colours for blues and violets, and make your greens, yellows, and oranges brighter.

Next, strengthen the highlights on the pineapple's skin. This will help to clearly define the light and shade of the fruit and make it appear three-dimensional. Use a small brush to carefully paint over any areas that need tidying up, such as where colours may have bled under the tape or outside the lines.

Finally, add some final touches to the leaves. The pineapple leaves should be almost the same height as the fruit, so make sure they are nice and tall. You can add some loose zig-zag lines to the top of the stem and some loose lines inside the stem to give it texture and depth.

Your pineapple is now complete! Step back and admire your handiwork.

Frequently asked questions