Back when I was a student at the American Academy of Art, the first year everyone was required to take fundamentals and some of the first drawings and paintings you would do were still lifes. I had always wondered why we had to do so many still lifes. Now that I am teaching I realize the importance of painting still lifes.... it helps your drawing and painting skills
by working from life, it's like plein-air painting but done inside.
Setting up a still life teaches you good composition, makes you aware of the center of interest, which is usually the object that is most important in the set-up. It teaches you to draw from life, seeing in 3D instead of working from a photograph helps you see and work with dimensions. Lighting your still life also helps you in creating good light and dark value patterns.
Best thing about
still lifes is that there is always subject matter around to paint. A still life could be an end table or coffee table with stuff on it and if those tables had a lamp on it, you will have an instant light source.
Still lifes are great If you can't get outside to take photographs or plein-air paint landscape or cityscapes.
Set yourself up a still life or look around your house to see if one is already set up for
you.
