Finding Your Colour Palette

A guide to discovering the colours that speak to you, and how to build a cohesive palette for your artwork.

One of the questions I get asked most often at workshops is "how do you choose your colours?" And honestly, it took me years to figure out my own answer to that.

When you're starting out, the temptation is to use every colour on the palette. More is more, right? But the paintings that really sing usually have a focused, deliberate palette. Sometimes just three or four colours doing all the work.

Start With What You Love

Look at your wardrobe, your home, the photos you save on your phone. There are colours you're drawn to again and again: earthy terracottas, deep ocean blues, soft sage greens. These aren't random preferences. They're your palette trying to tell you something.

I keep a folder on my phone of colour combinations that catch my eye. A cafe wall, a sunset, the spine of a book. Over time, patterns emerge.

The Power of Limitation

Try this: pick just three colours and make a painting using only those (plus white). You'll be amazed at how many variations you can create through mixing, layering, and varying opacity.

Limitation breeds creativity. When you can't reach for every tube of paint, you're forced to really explore what each colour can do. And that's where the interesting work happens.

Trust the Process

Your palette will evolve over time, and that's okay. The colours I used two years ago are different from the ones I reach for now. Let it be an ongoing conversation between you and your materials. There's no wrong answer, only discovery.