How I see Colour: Colourful Confusion
Colours/numbers game When my sister and I were young, we would play a colours/number game at night. We would start at number one, working our way upwards, choosing which number, as a written word, was which colour. For example, for me, one = white, two = yellow, three = red, four = green, five = dark blue, etc. Eventually one of us would fall asleep…
The side eye We three sisters all must have seen things differently. My younger sister (I’m the middle sister) once said to a friend, “Isn’t it interesting how the number four is red, three is blue, and if you add them together, they make seven, which is purple.” She received a side-eye response (and she had a different colour association to mine!).
Primary colours The definition of a primary colour is that you can’t create them by combining other colours, and that you can create lots of other colours by combining these primary colours. Apparently the ‘old’ primary colours were red, yellow and blue. However, due to a better understanding of how colours blend, these three colours have now been honoured as the primary colours: lemon yellow, magenta and cyan.
I absolutely love these newly defined colours. They have a depth and complexity to them that makes me feel inspired, lively and wide awake, as if I am amidst a rich royal profusion of colours in an ancient world. On the other hand, I find the previous primary red, yellow and blue to be thin and unappealing, and feel physically unsettled when I see them.
My colour confusion I understand that colours have names given to them (so far, so good), but they can also be described as warm or cool. The trouble starts here, as I simply cannot see this difference. Sometimes I think I’ve nailed it, and I paint nice wee squares of colour, labelling them as warm or cool. Then I realise I’ve used the wrong colour in the wrong column and it all turns to custard (or perhaps mustard?). My labels will be completely different from my neighbour’s, even though I’ve tried really, really hard to follow instructions.
Artist and writer, John Muir Laws, in his book ‘The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling’ writes that his “dyslexic mind can’t keep track of what’s supposed to be what”, in terms of warm and cool. I’m not alone! For me, colour is a division of the subtleties in terms of the degrees of warmth of a colour, with the least warm colour being nowhere near ‘cool’. Therefore, the degree of warmth to me means either being able to snuggle up under that colour on a cold winter’s day or being able to wear it on a warm summer’s day. Either way, there’s definitely warmth involved.
Highly Sensitive Person Perhaps this is because I am a Highly Sensitive Person (one of my diagnosed personality traits). Its strengths are ‘strong creativity and a rich imagination’, ‘a heightened awareness to pick up on subtleties others might miss’, and ‘a deep appreciation for art, nature and beauty in all forms’. Yep, that’s me!
Breaking the rules I can certainly pick up on a huge range of subtleties with the degree of warmth I see. But as for the either warm or cool thing, I’m an outlier. But I can live with that, as I have so much fun mixing colours my way (occasionally described as ‘a muddy palette’), and I seem to manage. And for me, breaking the rules is the best thing about the kind of art I create. I really, really like breaking the rules ;-)
Best wishes, Sara
Three top watercolour brands and their primary watercolour paints’ names:
• Winsor & Newton Professional: Winsor Lemon, Permanent Rose, Winsor Blue (Red Shade)
• Daniel Smith: Hansa Yellow Medium, Perylene Red, French Ultramarine
• Schmincke Horadam: Primary Yellow, Primary Magenta, and Primary Cyan
You can find these at any professional artist supplies shop, such as Gordon Harris, The Ribbon Rose, The French Art Shop, National Art Supplies, and Takapuna Art Supplies, etc. Remember to buy the best quality watercolour paints that you can afford. They’ll be your best painting friends and will last for years.
Are you on the hunt for a range of vastly imaginative to botanically rooted watercolour prints? Look no further!
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