First Still Life Painting - Part 1

When I went to art class last week, my wonderful teacher, Ms Kathy, suggested that I try painting a still life of some fruit using acrylic paint.  After two hours, this is what I came up with:

Still Life, Part 1 - Hmmmm, which should I eat first?

Following my landscape debacle of a couple of weeks ago, you probably won't be surprised to read that I had a slight sense of trepidation as I decided on which tasty, luscious morsels to capture. 

Quickly, thank goodness, that feeling slipped away as I started underpainting of the fruit.  I even felt a  measure of freedom and zeal I can't recall feeling before as I whipped over the canvas with my paintbrush. 

I'm not sure why.

Perhaps it's because the first undercoat onto the canvas used the complementary colour of each piece of fruit. You see, Ms Kathy explained that underpainting using the complementary colour was one technique which enables the painter to actually both balance the colour and also act as a highlight of the opposite.  And it really does!  See, go back and look closely.  You can see the pear is actually purple, the tangerine is blue and the apple is red.  How cool is that?!  I have a sneaking feeling that I'll use this technique in the future.  It is just so much fun.

As it stands, I don't consider the painting to be complete (yet).  I think the apple might be a little large, the tangerine needs to be amended where it meets the pear and there is still some shading and highlights to be added.  There is a plum at the back as well, and that just looks odd.  I think it is the weakest link and that I should say goodbye (remember that show?).

Stay tuned for the finished painting over the next couple of days.