Blue jay as printed in the book: a line drawing with a light gray shading guide Blue jay colored in: the finished color reference
ColoredAs printed
Blue jay, plate 17 of Quiet Winter. Drag across the page to compare the color reference with the drawing as printed.

Quiet Winter · Plate 17 of 45

Blue jay color reference

Cyanocitta cristata

The blue jay lives in eastern and central North America. Its blue color comes from the way light is scattered by the structure of its feathers rather than from blue pigment. It is a noisy, clever bird that stores acorns and other seeds for later.

Colors to reach for

Use bright blue for the crest, back and wings, white for the face and wing bars, black for the necklace and bars, and pale gray for the belly.

  • bright blue
  • navy blue
  • white
  • black
  • silver

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