I started this value study for a painting this morning.   This past Saturday, I visited the MFA with my daughter.  (She had an extra credit project that took her to the MFA--what a great teacher!)   We ambled along the European Masters exhibit and a Jean-Baptiste Chardin painting caught my eye.  I was so enthralled, I came home and did a little research on this fine still-life French painter.  (Jean-Baptiste Chardin, 1699-1779, was a master of still life and noted for his genre paintings which depict kitchen maid, children, and domestic activities.  His work is characterized by carefully balanced composition, soft diffusion of light, and granular impasto.)

I have set up this still life after the simple but elegant painting by Chardin.

Setup includes both red and green grapes, mushrooms, a pear along with the teapot.  His painting had chestnuts in them, which I couldn't buy this morning, so I substituted bella mushrooms.  Simple shape, similar color. 

Interestingly, I kept wanting to lean something against the pot to create a shadow shape that would help define the object shape.  Also, Chardin uses his darkest background at the top and goes to a lighter value at the table height.  I typically do the opposite to gain 'atmosphere'.  

My drawing class is making a difference--I drew by looking at the negative shapes as much as the positive shapes. And, I am much more sensitive of all the values, not just 'in the light' and 'in the shadow'.  Yea!

I look forward to putting color to this painting soon and will post the results