In this piece, I knew I wanted to create something that had dramatic lighting and an interesting composition. I’ve made plenty of other still lives, but I normally pick something safer and wanted to create something different this time. I used colored pencil, a medium that I believe lends itself well towards realism and is able to capture believable colors and values. I used a mix of burnishing techniques to layer the color, and the grid method to reach accurate proportions. While experimenting in this piece, I found that color and values became most important in creating the realism I wanted, and I spent countless time testing and blending colors to reach my desired effect.