Gimmick or gorgeous... or just beginning!

I am starting a 10 session painting class for "serious" beginners.  My basement studio is still might cold, AND while I have purchased a French Style palette, I haven't yet primed it or painted it "neutral" as the instructor recommends. 
SO, I've been trying to replicate the process intellectually with photoshop.
And I cut corners.  A LOT!
The first thing is that I did not set up an actual still life.  (I think I will try that next).  I made one up.  I must have been thinking of my son the school teacher.  He is chronically sleep-deprived, has learned to like coffee, and deserved all the apple polishing anyone can provide. And in spite of the instructor saying that you CAN have multiple light sources, I tried to imagine that there was one over my right shoulder.  Not sure the spoon would actually reflect that way... but for my first attempt, there it is.  Out of my head.  In a (relatively) good way.

Of course, in Photoshop, one has lots of colors... not just the 8 that Cezanne allegedly used.  But until I learn more about Photoshop, I just had to try to limit myself to colors I thought I could mix with those 8!  I also had to remind myself that if I were using paint, I would naturally run out of any given hue and would have to re-mix it, which (or course) is pretty impossible... hence there is variation within each color area... aside from the color variations one would expect based on what they call "local" color.

I'm going to do some more. 
PLEASE let me know what you think!