My Chiaroscuro Apples

I prepared this painting for the intermediate watercolor class I am teaching at the arts center till the end of October. It was painted from a photo I found on the Wet Canvas web site. They have a wonderful reference section made up of photographs posted by various members. There are some beautiful photos.

I did this particular painting in the style of the painter Caravaggio, who was famous for his use of the technique of chiaroscuro which emphasized the use of a strong light source with strong darks and shadows. Actually, the background in the painting is much darker than the photo shows.