How to Draw a Banana – Two Realistic Banana Drawing Tutorials To Try

Did you know Bananas are a berry and not a fruit? This is due to the seeds embedded within the flesh just like a blueberry. In this tutorial, we have two different banana drawings for you to try. We begin with an unpeeled banana sketch, and then move on to create a peeled banana drawing. This easy banana drawing tutorial will be a challenge for beginner and more experienced artists!

Unpeeled Easy Banana Drawing Tutorial in 17 Steps!

Bananas are actually very easy to draw if you go about it in the right way. We break the banana down into a series of easy-to-follow steps. In the first steps of this tutorial, we show you how to construct a realistic banana outline using simple shapes. We then move on to build up realistic coloring and texture in our banana sketch. You can see a brief outline of the banana drawing steps in the collage below. 

The medium that you choose for this banana drawing tutorial is completely up to you. If you are a beginner artist, then we suggest a medium that is easy to work with, like acrylic paint. If you are more experienced and have a preferred medium, then you are welcome to use whatever you feel most comfortable with. 

Gather your supplies, and let us begin to create our unpeeled banana outline. 

Step 1: Construct the Basic Banana Shape

We begin our banana sketch by creating a single shape to represent the base of the banana. Find the center of your drawing area, and create a curving banana outline. The right side should be higher and thinner, while the left end should be a little wider. 

Step 2: Draw the Stalk Of Your Banana

On the left bottom end of your banana outline, you can now draw a stalk. This stalk should be fairly short, with a protruding edge. You can also draw a defined middle line. 

Step 3: Shape the First Banana Peel 

We are now going to begin drawing the unfurled peels of your banana sketch. Begin around halfway down your initial banana outline, and draw a large curving line from the top. This line should curve down towards the bottom of the banana, ending just below the bottom outline. 

You can then draw another curving line from within the banana body and join the other end.  

Step 4: Draw the Second Peel

This second peel is mostly hidden behind the banana, so you will only draw the top part of it. Right above the top line of the first peel, draw a slightly rounded triangle. 

Step 5: Outline the Third Peel

We are now going to draw the third peel, which is the smallest so far. This peel is going to curve down from the level at which the first begins, but it is going to curve down to the right. 

This peel should also have a sharper curve and a more pointy edge. 

Step 6: Outline the Final Banana Peel

We are going to shape the final peel of our banana drawing in this step. This peel is going to extend from the back of the banana, where we cannot see the beginning of it. The bottom line of the peel should begin at the same point as the peel from the previous step and end with a sharp downwards curve. 

Step 7: Finalize Your Banana Outline

In order to create the final outline of your peeled banana sketch, you are going to add some final detail lines attached to each peel. You can then erase the overlapping outline between the banana and the stalk. 

Step 8: Apply a Base Coat to the Banana Peel

We begin our coloring process by creating a base coat for the outside of the banana peel. Find a bright banana yellow color, and use a regular brush to fill in all of the outer areas of the banana peel. 

Step 9: Begin Coloring the Banana Flesh

We are completing the base color coat for our whole banana outline in this step. Find a cream-yellow color, and use a regular brush to fill the inner body of the banana and the inner layer of skin. 

Ensure that your color coat is even and smooth without any blotches.  

Step 10: Contouring Your Banana

We are now going to add some contouring to the banana with a slightly darker shade of tan paint. Using a small blending brush, carefully add some stripes of contouring to the body of the banana drawing. You can also add these stripes to the inner layer of the skin. 

Step 11: Deepen the Contouring and Shading

In this step, you are going to deepen the contouring and also create some shading. You will need a light shade of stone-grey paint and a small blending brush. Begin by enhancing the contoured areas on the banana body and skin. 

You can then add some light shading to the parts of the skin and banana where they meet to create more depth.  

Step 12: Shade Your Banana Peel

Now that you have contoured and shaded the inner parts of the banana and skin, you can move on to focus on the outer peel. You will need a small blending brush and some dark brown paint. Using this, apply some shading around the outer peeled layers and the end of the stalk. 

Focus this shading on areas where the peel sits on top of the outer skin and areas where shadows would naturally be created.  

Step 13: Blending Out the Colors

In this step, you are going to use a little light green to blend some of your shading and contouring colors together. Use a small blending brush to apply some of this green color to the stalk and the outer part of the banana peel. Blend the colors together to create a smooth transition with a clean blending brush. 

Step 14: Remove the Banana Outline

In order to enhance our realistic banana drawing, we are now going to remove the dark black banana outline. Use a fine brush and the corresponding color at each point of the outline and carefully trace over the black. 

This will result in a seamless realistic banana sketch.  

Step 15: Highlight Your Banana Drawing

As we finish our banana sketch, we are going to apply some highlights. Use a small blending brush and some white paint, and apply patches of highlights to the areas that would naturally capture the light. These will be the areas that are opposite the shaded areas. 

There should be highlighted areas on the inner banana, on the inner layers, and on the edges of the main body.  

Step 16: Add Some Final Structure

To finish your unpeeled banana sketch, you are going to add some final structure. Use a small blending brush and some light brown paint to apply some structure to the shaded parts of the inner banana, the inner skin layers, and the stalk.  

Step 17: Finish Your Unpeeled Banana Drawing

To complete your unpeeled banana drawing, use a fine brush with some dark brown paint to create some realistic streak lines on the stalk. Finally, use a small blending brush and a light yellow color to shade the inner rim of each peel, and then apply some light black shading on the ground below your banana sketch. 

How to Draw a Banana With the Peel On

Now that you have learned how to draw a banana with the peel partly taken off, we are going to draw a whole banana, peel and all. The shape of this banana is a little easier to begin with, but the focus is going to be on creating realistic texture and color. Here is the final realistic banana that we are aiming for. 

As with our previous unpeeled banana drawing, we are going to break this banana sketch down into easy steps. Beginning by constructing the basic banana outline, we then show you how to create intricate details in the stem. This tutorial is compatible with both physical mediums and a digital tablet, you can easily adapt the instructions to suit your chosen medium.

Regardless of the medium that you choose, we recommend that you use something that can easily be removed for the construction steps and outlines. If you are using a physical medium, use a very light and easily erasable pencil. If you are using a digital tablet, draw the construction outlines on a separate layer that you can delete later. 

Step 1: Shape the Top Line of the Banana Sketch

The very first construction line of this easy banana drawing tutorial is a very simple curved line. In the center of your canvas, draw a steeply curved line, that has a slightly more gentle slop on the left side. 

Step 2: Draw the Bottom Line

We are now going to draw the bottom line of this banana outline. Draw a second much more curved line below the first. You will now see the final banana shape peeking through. 

Step 3: Connect the Edges

You can now connect the two edges of the banana outline. Use two short curving lines to connect the bottom and top curves of the banana, creating a sausage-like shape. 

Step 4: Realistic Banana Drawing Edges

We complete our banana outline in this step by creating realistic-looking ends. On the left end of the banana, create a slightly squared-off end. On the right end, draw the stalk of the banana. 

This stalk should be quite long and end with a sharp square point.

Step 5: Draw the Inner Cut Stem

In this step, you are going to add some more detail to the stem of the banana outline. Draw a small curving line in the previously drawn stem outline, and create some more pointy texture at the very tip. 

Step 6: Finish Your Banana Outline

In this step, you are going to use the construction steps to draw a seamless outline. Once you have outlined your entire banana sketch, you can erase any construction lines that are still visible. 

Step 7: Begin Creating Realistic Texture

In this step, you are going to begin creating some realistic banana drawing textures. Start by drawing a curved line through the center section of the banana. This line should follow the curve of the general banana shape. Next, create some fine dotted texture around this line, mostly below it. On the left end of the banana, create some fine hairline texture, creating a rounded triangular shape. 

Finally, complete this step by adding fine hairline texture lines within the stalk on the right end.  

Step 8: Apply a Base Color Coat

As with our previous banana drawing, we begin the coloring process by applying a single layer of a base color. Find a bright banana yellow paint and use a regular paintbrush to apply an even coat to the entire banana, including the stalk and left end. 

Step 9: Start Shading Your Banana Sketch

With a regular paintbrush and a light brown shade of paint, carefully apply color to the cut stalk and the black end of the banana drawing. Next, using a soft blending brush and just a touch of black paint, apply a light layer of shading to the bottom outline of the banana sketch. 

Remember when using black to shade, begin very lightly and darken as necessary. Black is almost impossible to remove once it has been applied, so tread lightly.  

Step 10: Apply a Second Color Coat

To increase the realism of your easy banana drawing, you can now apply some light green color to the ends of the banana. With a small blending brush and some lime green paint, apply some soft blending to the banana stalk and the left end of the banana. 

Step 11: Shade the Banana Ends

In this step, you are going to darken the shading in the cut stem and the black end of the banana. Use a small blending brush and some dark brown paint to darken the two ends of the banana. 

Complete this step by using the same tools to darken the shading along the bottom curve of the banana.  

Step 12: Contouring Your Banana Drawing

With a soft blending brush and some black paint, apply some light structural contouring to the edges of the cut stalk and the black end. Repeat this process along the bottom shaded half of the banana, following the curvature of the banana outline. 

Step 13: Begin Highlighting Your Banana Drawing

For the highlighting step, you will need a soft blending brush and some white paint. Using these tools, apply some highlights to the top part of the banana, above the middle texture line. 

You can then create some intense highlights along this texture line with a fine brush and some white paint.  

Step 14: Blend Your Colors Together

In this step, you are going to use a light shade of tan paint to blend the different layers of color together. Use a clean blending brush and lightly blend this tan shade from the edges of the banana into the center. 

Step 15: Enhance the Skin Texture With Paint

To enhance the skin texture with some paint, use a small fine brush and some dark brown paint to apply a fine dotted texture to the banana skin. You can then complete this step with some dark brown paint and a fine brush to carefully extend the darkness of the black end line down the central texture line. 

Step 16: Create Texture Detail in the Stalk

As we come to the end of our easy banana drawing tutorial, we are going to create some final texture detail in the stem. You will need a fine brush and some brown paint. Carefully apply some fine strokes of brown that curve downwards from the stem to the center texture line. 

These texture lines should be very faint.  

Step 17: Finish Your Banana Drawing

To complete your banana drawing, you can now remove the dark black outlines. In order to do this, you can trace over the dark outlines with a fine brush and the corresponding color at each point. Finally, use a small blending brush and some black paint to create a casted shadow on the ground below the banana. 

Congratulations! You have now completed not one, but two different banana drawings. Hopefully, you feel much more confident in your ability to construct and color not only bananas, but other objects too! If you want to expand your drawing practice, we have many other exciting drawing tutorials that you can try.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Draw a Single Banana Sketch?

Many tutorials show you how to create a bunch of bananas, but in these banana drawing tutorials, we show you how to draw a single banana. In this banana sketch tutorial, we show you how to draw a banana with its peel on, and one that is partially peeled. We show you how to construct, color, and texture a realistic banana drawing in easy-to-follow steps. 

How Do You Draw an Open Banana Outline?

The great thing about our banana drawing tutorial is that we show you how to draw a banana in its skin, and how to draw a banana that is partially peeled. You will begin drawing an open banana by constructing an outline in several easy-to-follow steps, before creating realistic coloring. 

Matthew Matthysen( Drawing and Painting Artist )

Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.

Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.

Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.

Learn more about Matthew Matthysen and the Art in Context Team.