**Greetings,**

In the beginning of my painting practice, I was most comfortable with dark backgrounds (being a huge fan of the great David Leffel). The chiaroscuro effect made a lot of sense to me. Light shining in the darkness. But in a way, it was becoming a crutch. I was using it as an excuse to spend less time on the background...to paint it with less care and intentionality. So I forced myself to work with light backgrounds wherein the feeling of mystery could be accomplished using a high key (instead of low key as in a dark painting). Eventually I grew to become equally comfortable with both scenarios. I really enjoy the subtleties of value and temperature that can be explored in the lighter environments.

![still_life_225stagesteemitthumb.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdfv7UPTGeidPjLv8WgyyucDXse6wrLpi5C7rk3FLSu54/still_life_225stagesteemitthumb.jpg)<center>*detail*</center>

![still_life_225stage00.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQSNDE69co8PjowFTSu1yPZuZ6x9MKK37EgZHyxx41MZy/still_life_225stage00.jpg)

The setup is above. Back to foil. It's just so interesting to paint. Satisfying. That, and I've never completed a foil painting that didn't sell (knock on wood), so other people must like it too, eh? I guess humans are like magpies. 

I wrapped that glass three times before it had the nice foily look that I wanted.

First stage, brush:

![still_life_225stage01.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYWBcP88EH6ajZHisLv6wHQHW7WiVA3KSZGnEFJkZ33au/still_life_225stage01.jpg)

Next, knife from here on out:

![still_life_225stage02.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRjxxBoRU7GErLbq8MZWjG4CihqgmpM8dYTvYS4RdA6A9/still_life_225stage02.jpg)

Next stage:

![still_life_225stage03.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVHYezFC4iXzaQBGDs5wMJkaEKE6Js8d5sHW8cWbPpiH9/still_life_225stage03.jpg)

Next stage:

![still_life_225stage04.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTAfYqTkyVo3YxfHwUGVu6p3GRWeC5P9QzUCukYn1UdWA/still_life_225stage04.jpg)

Next:
I wanted to push focus to the foil covered wine glass. My values in the rest of the painting (above) were much too contrasty, too distracting. I went back over things and squashed the value range to a very high key in everything except the foil covered glass which will have light lights AND dark darks. By isolating a full value range (and greatest detail) to ONLY the wine glass, it becomes the focal center.

![still_life_225stage06.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTKzozv48BUeNMXYFazKoqejuvgCWzw1BESy2jgJqizZZ/still_life_225stage06.jpg)

Right now I see that the color relationships need to be resolved and more incorporated/united, but first that drapery needs a lot more love. I continue fixing until satisfied.

And the finished painting, **"Chameleon"** (12x12 oil on panel, 2014):

![still_life_225stagefinal.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSxrPgxswS3EaBLZcDbfaeeWRy23sJnHtysNwBrYKyVEc/still_life_225stagefinal.jpg)

Thanks for reading! -David

![sigbanner.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcBhA5GngX32MmWrcXxabnSVKWyGBu18Xh1DHkrPqZAXG/sigbanner.jpg)

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