This is a demo I did of a still life in a recent class I taught.  I always use a tinted canvas.  I find that a white canvas doesn’t show color properly  —  it tends to create a pastel looking painting.  I fill the canvas.  I find the bottom of the scene, then figure where the top will fit, next I measure to see where everything else fits.  I draw the scene quickly, then begin by painting the darkest darks and the lightest lights.  Nothing can go darker or lighter than those.  Next I begin looking for shapes and values.  I don’t try to paint apples, but instead, look for shapes and values that might be on the apple.  I put the shapes together, like a puzzle and they become an apple.  I don’t mix colors, but paint pure colors.  The right side of the rose might be light orange, but the left is a deep red.  I do the same with the stem and leaves.  Next I quickly paint a color in for the background and foreground to make sure it is right.  This is the foundation of my still life painting technique, and it works very well for me.