pepper tree

 

Alys Fowler: the trick to growing tricky vegetables - the Guardian

I wanted to get back into the food based illustration as I feel it will be a good addition to my portfolio. I started with something I could do relatively quickly - I found this article about growing tricky vegetables:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/feb/13/grow-your-own-tricky-vegetables-alys-fowler
One of the tricky vegetables is chilli peppers, so I went for that as it has good colours and is very recognisable.

I tried out a few backgrounds - I wanted to get a feeling of mediterranean within the image

Yellow worked the best as works best with the colours but also simulates sunlight, which the article advises the plant should get a lot of by being put on the windowsill. 
I went for the panel of yellow as it works better with the shape of the tree - making it look like it is growing out wider while also creating a nice contrast of shapes and harsh/soft lines within the image. 

I was originally going to use a plant pot as well but I felt it would make the composition too busy and take away from the mediterranean undertone. I am pleased with this illustration, it is very simple and didn't take very long but I can imagine it going well with this article.