The pear after smoothing. My technique was to first smooth the gradient, using a bristle brush that was wiped clean every few strokes. Then I adjusted the form by alternately dabbing on bits of paint from two bristle brushes, one for darks and one for lights. I would tend to hold the brush perpendicular to the canvas and let the bristles splay a bit in order to get a nice texture. I found it was helpful to alternate between light and dark, working over the entire surface of the pear, instead of focusing on any single area.