The painting I did right before this was also 3 pears, but a different set-up. It had a blue background and was more of a straight on view. I liked it all the way through and then I put it down next to my other daily paintings. It had almost no value contrast - I could have entered it in the most boring painting contest. See it.
I think I have to paint one of these boring paintings every once in a while to remind myself how much value matters. You can have a very dynamic image using some terribly boring colors. I like the old rule of thumb where if you simplify your values into 3 (light, dark, middle) you want to have one that's dominant, a little of another, and a smidge of the last. Of course, with all rules, this one's meant to be broken whenever possible. My favorite quote about painting: there are no rules, just consequences.
