Artist Paints Food to Look Better Than How They Look in Reality

Eric Wert creates hyperrealistic paintings of vegetables and fruits so vibrant and luscious, one would be fooled to think they are photographs of the real deal. From the drips of water on lettuce leaves to each fleshy pomegranate aril, the Oregon-based artist engages his senses fully in order to create his astoundingly real interpretations of food in his oil paintings. Studying each of his subjects like a scientist, Wert likes to hold and scrutinize the objects he plans to paint and stares at them for long periods of time without the use of a magnifying glass. In addition, he takes numerous pictures of each subject from different angles to get a precise handle on scale before painting each item one by one rather than as a whole. Set against muted fabrics for a background, the contrast of the colorful edibles are magnified to the point of looking better than they do in reality.