Process for Still Life Oil Painting

I have started to get more detailed in my grisaille process because I recently got a small brush for the details. I started this out by first making sure all elements were present. I used the small brush to create the key.

I wanted to make sure every major detail was present before fleshing out form and smaller details. Here I added the key and fruit to the tin with the small brush, as well as the main highlights on the gavel.

After that was done, I started to work on form. This was a difficult process for me, particuparly for the gavel. At first I had been trying to create a major shape in one color to add highlights later. After many days of trial and error, I started using a method of adding both the shadows and the highlights at the same time so I could see in real time the form developing, allowing me to make changes easier. I also focused on highlights on the tin to create what looked like metal. Once that was done, I finalized small details.

I really like how this grisaille turned out! I almost wished I could keep it black and white.