Creating the Illusion of Surface and Texture

"Illusion" is not simply one aspect of oil painting; it is the primary focus. The second a painter places his brush on the canvas, he is attempting to create an illusion. Whether the artist is trying to portray an emotion, or create a three dimensional object, the goal remains the same. In regards to the paintings displayed on Ms. Robert's blog, the illusion being attempted appears to be to create three dimensional objects. Willem Claesz Heda takes a very realistic approach, almost perfectly mimicking the curvature of the silver by painting its shine and reflection. Paul Cezanne, and Jan Davidsz de Heem seem to use color contrast as their method. Although not as realistic as Heda, it does serve to create some pretty brilliant paintings color wise.