Painting Still Life

Many artists make a specialty of painting still life. This genre of painting can include anything from a collection of decorative objects to a bowl of fruit or a vase of flowers. One of the advantages of painting still life is just that….it stands still. You can study the object or objects for as long as you like and it remains the same….except of course for lighting.
Painting still life of course entails most of the skills required for any type of painting. Painting still life requires the same feeling for form and texture and depth required for any successful realistic painting project.

As with any painting, when painting still life the artist will create and use his own individual style to create a still life painting. Such paintings may be as realistic as possible, or may be impressionistic, as, for example, Cezanne's still life paintings.

Painting still life allows for experimenting with the same group of objects in different lighting, where highlights and shadows change. Painting still life under different conditions can be excellent practice in depicting shades of color and shadow and different moods.

Painting still life demands a feeling for texture, as several different items in the painting
may have very different textures…such as a porcelain vase, a delicate flower and a leather-bound book. Each surface when painting still life must be painted so that the texture of the surface can be clearly identified. Even when painting still life in an impressionistic style, the texture needs to be depicted.

If one is studying or a beginning painter, painting still life is a good place to start. One might, for example, take a single flower and place it in a simple container. Every detail of the flower should be noted, and possibly a light pencil sketch made. Using watercolor when painting still life can be effective, but initial colors should be laid in carefully and subtly;;;you can always darken. If doing a single flower,when painting a still life, brush some color around the petals..Carefully define the stem and leaves…not necessarily filling in the entire form. Pen and ink can be used to add definition and detail when painting still life, or one can work entirely with paint and color.

Any medium can be used effectively when painting still life works of art. Acrylics dry fast…you can work quickly. Oils can be subtly blended or worked in layers, but it takes longer to complete a work when painting still life. Water colors can be lovely, but don't take kindly to errors. Whatever your choide of medium, painting still life can be pleasurable and satisfying.

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