Still Life, pt. 1

Four beautiful Bosc pears, afternoon light from a south facing window; this one picture is one of about fifty I took in order to find the right combination of the natural and unstructured with hints of order. My process? Gathering the pears up in my arms, setting them on a surface, and rearranging one or two to suit my aesthetic goal. I can't believe there are food photographers out there that consume their entire careers doing such things...

Blank 16" x 20" canvas, and photo for reference.
I decided not to try and copy the photograph, but to use it as guidance for shading and and highlights.

 

Old oil paints, courtesy of my mother, who is an artist if all different kinds.
I've had experience with acrylic and watercolor,
but it's been a while since I last set out to intentionally make a piece of art.
This is my first time using oils!

 

Quick sketch...



Defining the focal points with Lamp Black, establishing shading and highlights...
Getting used to how the medium spreads over the canvas.

Laying out the background, having fun with paint thinner and Cobalt Blue on the table... maybe I'll fill in the empty white space with a patterened rug for added interest. Getting ideas about how I want to build the colors on the pears- aiming for realism with a touch of unexpected and subtle color in the shadows, like... purple, orange.