Pumpkin Shadow

5" x 7"
Pastels on paper. What fascinated me about the photo reference in the WetCanvas "November 2011 Pastel Spotlight" challenge was the gradation of value and hues in the pumpkin's shadow as well as the soft-edged shadow on the white table. I played with hue in the bright part of the table too, using pale tints to make it lay flat and establish the direction of the light, reinforcing the highlights on the pumpkin.

The highlights on the pumpkin are the only place I used a pure white soft stick. That helped draw attention to the main subject and help it pop out.

This painting, done for a challenge, became a big part of an art trade with a master painter who's one of my teachers. It's thanks to one of her classes that I became aware of subtle reflected color in shadows and on objects, as well as the use of various bright hues in context and complements to give richness to flat colors like the bright orange of a pumpkin. She loved it on sight and I felt so thrilled.