Late Summer Orchard Pears in Bowl

September 02, 2026

I am working on a 7"x5" painting of some delicious late August pears from a local orchard.  Here is the progression of this painting.

On a primed linen panel, I toned the background with a thin wash of diluted earth red paint. After it dried, I sketched the composition, using a pastel pencil for this preliminary drawing.

Then I began filling in with a darker wash of the earth red paint.

I've begun adding lighter and darker colors to establish the volume of the shapes.

I filled in the background with deeper and darker color and value including a rough in of the shadows being cast by the pears and the bowl.

Next I worked on the highlights and cool shadows of the white bowl.

I spent more time adding more modeling to the shapes of the pears. I've added stems and leaves. I used the end of a brush handle to scratch in my signature while the background was still wet. Now I will let it dry and come back for another layer.