Some practice using reds (terra rosa, cadmium, alizarin) with a full palette. First semester I painted the apple and pot together, but at the time it was a monochrome painting using only terra rosa, ivory black and titanium white. So I wanted to try it again with a full palette this time. I haven’t used ivory black in a long time. Something close to black is created by mixing ultramarine and brown madder (usually I use burnt umber), basically a dark blue and a dark brown.
I usually use bristle brushes in varying sizes as well as softer brushes for blending. This time I used some new brushes I grabbed at the store, nylon brights. In general I like the squarer shape of brights and the strokes they make on the canvas, but as expected these nylon brushes create much smoother, less expressive strokes. So I have mixed feelings about the result.
Apple N Pear 
I understand your mixed feelings. Brushstrokes are your signature and changing this can cause mixed feelings. I liked your brushstrokes because they were you and I could select your painting from 10 non-Kimberleys. Having said that, change isn’t always bad. From what I have learned, brushstrokes should be neat but not overly neat, because the painting loses its signature and gets a digital feel.
I know what you mean about paintings looking digital when the brushstrokes are too neat which is something I want to avoid. It’s all about finding that balance. Balance and using opposites effectively come into play with painting and drawing so in that way it’s very zen.
I like this. A lot! The highlight on the apple, the superb shadows (love that hint of warm tones in them. The simple things caught my eye!
Hi Leslie – thanks for noticing!
Excellenty
Thanks!