Pastel Journal - USA (2019-09)

Color Decoder

Feeling Blue

Learn all about one of the three primary colors—

and how to leverage it in your paintings.

By Michael Chesley Johnson

GIFT OF THE W. AVERELL HARRIMAN FOUNDATION IN MEMORY OF MARIE N. HARRIMAN/NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

In Still Life With Milk Jug and Fruit (ca 1900; oil on canvas, 181⁄₁₆x21⅝), Paul Cézanne (French, 1839–1906) has outlined objects with cool blue

lines against the predominantly warm forms. For the round fruit, the blue serves to “turn the form,” as the warm color of the fruit rounds

away from the viewer. Blue is also present in the cast shadows, which serves as a complement to the yellowish light. Finally, because most

of the blues are of a light value, the painting has an overall softness, as the light values smooth any hard edges.

16 Pastel Journal OCTOBER 2019