A few years ago, I was standing in a garden studying a rose.
If someone had asked me what colour it was, I would have answered immediately:
Red.
But the longer I looked, the less certain I became.
Some petals leaned towards orange.
Others glowed with pink undertones.
The shadows contained deeper, cooler reds I hadn't noticed at first glance.
The rose was still red.
But it was also much more than that.
Moments like this taught me an important lesson:
Painting is not only about learning how to use watercolor.
It is about learning how to see.
And one of the most helpful tools for developing that skill has been color swatches.
Why Color Swatches Matter
When artists create color swatches, they often think they are simply organising their paints.
But color swatches can do much more than that.
They help train your eye.
They teach you how pigments behave.
And they help you recognise colour relationships that might otherwise go unnoticed.
For me, color swatches have become a bridge between observation and painting.
When I study a flower in the garden or examine a reference photo, I often compare what I see to my swatches.
Not because I'm searching for an exact match.
But because the swatches help me understand the colour temperature and character of the subject.
Is that rose leaning towards yellow?
Does that leaf contain more blue than I first realised?
Is that mushroom warmer or cooler than the one beside it?
These small observations often make a surprisingly big difference in the final painting.
Learning to See Beyond the Obvious
One of my favourite exercises involved comparing several red roses side by side.
At first glance, they all appeared red.
But once I placed them side by side, the differences became much easier to see.
One leaned towards orange.
Another contained strong pink tones.
A third appeared much cooler and deeper.
Suddenly, "red" no longer felt like a single colour.
It became an entire family of colours.
This is something that happens throughout nature.
A green leaf is never just green.
A white flower is rarely truly white.
Even shadows contain subtle mixtures of colour.
The more you compare and observe, the more these differences reveal themselves.
And color swatches provide a wonderful reference point for developing that awareness.
Color Swatches as a Creative Practice
One thing I love about making color swatches is that they remove pressure.
There is no composition to worry about.
No perfect painting to create.
Just a simple question:
"What happens if I mix these two colours together?"
Some of my favourite watercolor discoveries have happened during colour studies rather than finished paintings.
Sometimes it's a beautiful neutral.
Sometimes an unexpected green.
Sometimes a soft floral pink or a warm shadow mixture.
These little discoveries gradually become part of your artistic vocabulary.
These little experiments gradually become part of your artistic vocabulary.
And over time, you begin remembering them naturally.
How I Use Color Swatches Today
Even after years of painting, I still use color swatches regularly.
They are especially helpful when I'm studying flowers and plants, painting from nature, exploring colour mixing, planning botanical illustrations, or revisiting old reference photos.
Sometimes the flower I wanted to paint has already faded.
Sometimes the lighting has changed.
Sometimes I simply want to compare colour possibilities before beginning.
My swatches help me make those decisions more confidently.
They've become a trusted companion in my sketchbook practice.
If you'd like to create your own, I designed a set of reusable watercolor color swatches that you can take outdoors, use while painting from nature, or keep beside your workspace for colour studies. You can find them here:
If you'd like to see exactly how I create and organise my colour swatches, I've included a step-by-step video below.
A Simple Exercise to Try
The next time you visit a garden, park, or even your own backyard, bring a flower, leaf, or nature object to observe.
Before painting it, ask yourself:
What colour do I think this is?
Then compare it against a few color swatches.
You may discover that the "red" flower contains orange.
That the "green" leaf contains blue.
Or that the "yellow" petal is much warmer than you first imagined.
These small discoveries are where artistic observation begins.
And observation is often what brings watercolor paintings to life.
Want to Train Your Eye for Colour?
The more time you spend observing and comparing colours, the easier it becomes to notice the subtle shifts that bring watercolor paintings to life.
To help you practice, I created a free Color Study Pages ebook filled with exercises designed to encourage colour exploration, observation, and experimentation.
Whether you're building color swatches, studying flowers from nature, or simply learning how pigments behave, these pages offer a gentle way to deepen your understanding of colour.
Because learning watercolor is not only about mixing colours.
It's about learning to truly see them.
With love,
Kristine 💚
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