Color Decoder
BitsofblueareeverywherethroughoutOakCreekFlow(9x12).Orangesandred-violetsplay
againstthewarmandcoolbluesinthewater.I savedtherichestbluesfortheareasclosestto
theviewer.Forthebluepassagesfartheraway,moreatmosphereintrudesbetweenviewerand
object,grayingtheblues.scumbled over a skin tone will cool it
down and help to “turn” the form. It
also can be used to show skin thick-
ness. Skin that’s closer to the bone
and therefore has less fat, such as the
layer over the cheekbones, will seem
bluer and cooler.
If you find you don’t have a blue
pastel at hand, black might serve
as an acceptable fill-in. Oil painters
know that ivory black mixed with
white gives a bluish cast. A stick of
black, scumbled very lightly, might
provide just the right amount of blue.
With so many options out there, no
painter should ever feel the blues. PJPastelist Michael Chesley Johnson
(mchesleyjohnson.com) is the author of
Outdoor Study to Studio: Take Your Plein
Air Painting to the Next Level and other
books, and is also a painting instructor
who’s featured in several Artists Network
TV videos (artistsnetwork.com/store). He
teaches painting workshops throughout
the United States.20 Pastel Journal OCTOBER 2019