How to Draw a Bell Pepper Step by Step
This tutorial shows how to draw a bell pepper (also known as a sweet pepper). It consists of just four simple steps with illustrated examples.
The fairly distinct shapes of these types of peppers can make them quite interesting to draw. In addition to their shapes another interesting thing about sweet peppers is that while they are often considered vegetables they are actually fruit.
The primary example shown in this guide is that of a red bell pepper however it also show some alternative color variations that these peppers often come in (green and orange/yellow). You can see these examples in the last step of the tutorial.
While the guide is put together in a way where it does not necessary require you to do any erasing it’s still recommended that you start the drawing in pencil. This will allow you to correct any potential mistakes.
Step 1 – Draw the Middle Section of the Bell Pepper
The shapes of bell peppers generally split into several sections. Start by drawing the forward facing section of this particular example (the one in the middle). Make it narrower towards the tip and wider toward the back. An important thing to note and very characteristic of such peppers is that their sections tend to curve inwards around the middle. This makes them somewhat narrower in those areas than they would be otherwise.
For the final little detail also draw a a small indent at the very back of this section of the pepper. Sweet peppers usually have these in those areas.
Step 2 – Add the Side Sections
Draw the other two visible sections of the pepper (one below and one above). Again, outline these to be wider toward the back/stem with inwards curves around their middles. For a nicer looking drawing try and define both sections to be somewhat close in size and shape but don’t make them perfectly so.
Step 3 – Add the Stem & Finish the Line Drawing
Coming out of the back of the pepper and curving upwards draw the stem. First, make it narrower as it goes out but then make it wider again as it goes up from the curve.
Once done drawing the stem go over your drawing to make sure that your are happy with the way the pepper looks. If so, you can trace over the lines that define it with a thin black marker or darken the with the pencil (if needed).
Step 4 – Color the Bell Pepper
As shown in this first example you can make the main body of the pepper red and the stem green. However, when coloring leave a few reflections along it’s surface. These will help show that the pepper has a smooth texture. Very lightly outline the reflections using either red (or whatever color you are making the bell pepper) or regular pencil.
Once you have the reflections outlined color the pepper and stem. To do this you can use whatever media you like or have available such as paints, markers or colored pencils.
Once you color the pepper itself you can also very lightly go over the reflections with some color as well (so that they don’t look too bright). An easy way to do this is again with a red pencil (or one of whatever color you chose to make the pepper).
In this next example (above) you can see what the pepper can look like when it’s green. Generally, for green peppers the color the pepper itself will be slightly darker than the green of the stem. Otherwise you can color it as described in the first example.
The last example if of a yellow/orange pepper. Though bell pepper come in both colors yellow can a little hard to see. For this reason mixing in some orange and even a bit of brown (or making it orange entirely) can be a good options.
Conclusion
Creating a nice looking artwork does not have to be complicated. This guide shows an easy way to create one such drawing (of in this case a bell pepper). It also provides a few different examples of potential color variations that can be used.
By giving the pepper a characteristic shape you can make it easily recognizable as a sweet pepper. You can than apply some very basic color to help the drawing stand out and to even convey a sense of a certain texture.
If you liked this tutorial also be sure to try the following:
