Learn how to draw a banana with a step by step tutorial, and then shade it using only crayons.

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in America, and a very healthy snack, but do you know why? Here are just a few fun facts you may not know about them.

Bananas are considered a mood enhancer because they contain the amino acid, tryptophan and Vitamin B6 that helps the body produce serotonin.
Bananas can help lower blood pressure and protect heart health due to high potassium and low salt content.
The inside of a banana peel can help relieve itching and inflammation, such as from bug bit or poison ivy.
Bananas are a great pre-workout snack because they are loaded with potassium that aids in maintaining nerve and muscle function during work outs.

If you’d like to have your students do more “still life” kind of drawing, mixing this popular snack with an art lesson might be a fun idea. If they have a real one on hand to refer to, great, but if not this tutorial will walk them through drawing a whole bunch. Literally.

This project even makes the most of using crayons as a media, as the subtle shading that’s needed can happen easily with two colors that are probably already in their Crayola box. It just so happens that when you color yellow over the very light gray color that Crayola makes, you end up with a lovely shadow that is perfect to give a banana some extra dimension. It’s not to dark, and not too light, and will never smear like oil pastels do. Who knew crayons can sometimes do a better job than more expensive supplies?