Paint a simple still life cactus in acrylic

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create this simple still life cactus in acrylics! This is a fun project to follow along with and is easier than it looks. Dive right in using the full video and step by step guide below!

Extra materials you’ll need:

Paper towels
HB pencil

The first step is to transfer the outline. We have provided a printable outline on the project webpage under “Resources”. Shade the backside and lay the shaded side down. Tape it into position and retrace the outline onto the canvas using a pencil.

Squeeze out some Sap Green and Titanium White. Mix these colours together using the palette knife colours to make a mid green. Paint the entire cactus.

Mix in more Titanium White to make a lighter green. Use this to paint highlights on the cactus.

Squeeze out some Brilliant Red and Sap Green to make a darker green. Use this to create shadows on the cactus. The outline sheet has guidance on where to add highlights and shadows.

Mix some Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna and Orange. Paint the entire pot in this colour using the Abstract Expression Brush.

Mix some Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna and lay this tone into the right side of the pot the one in shadow.

While the coat is still wet, add some Titanium White to the mix and lay this tone on the left side in the highlight.

Paint the inside of the pot with Burnt Umber.

Mix some Burnt Sienna and Titanium White to create a light brown shade. Use this to paint on the rim of the pot.

Paint the flower using Orange. While it is still wet, blend some Brilliant Red into the tips of each petal.

For the soil, create a rich dark tone from Burnt Umber, Brilliant Red, and Sap Green, and paint this on the inside of the pot.

For the background, mix some Cerise with Titanium White. Paint one side of the background in this colour. As you move across the background, add a little Cerise to create a gradient look.

As the cactus and pot are sitting on a wooden table, you can create a woodgrain look. To do this, paint the table using Burnt Sienna and lightly drag Burnt Umber over the wet coat.

Paint the tablecloth using Turquoise. Blend in some Titanium White to create a gradient look like the pink background.

To suggest a shadow under the pot, lay in some Cerulean Blue to the right of the pot.

To add highlights to the flower, paint some Lemon Yellow over the petals.

The last step is to create spines on the cactus. Mix some Yellow Ochre and Titanium White and use the end of a paintbrush to create a series of dots down each rib of the cactus. Allow the dots to dry.

Using a flat brush, add the spikes to each dot. Tap the end of the brush on each dot to create thin, consistent lines in a star shape.