capturing colour

In art school, wonder | wander | women learned colour theory: how colours work together and how they can affect our perceptions and even our moods. 

"Plane Air" mini painting no. 1

We learned to look at colours and how they could interfere with or enhance each other. We learned that the exact same colour could appear darker or lighter depending on its surroundings.

Watercolour swatches

Some of the exercises sounded like our grade school science books: blue and yellow make green, blue and red make purple. We mixed and painted colour wheels and learned that each colour had its opposite: red and green, yellow and purple, blue and orange. Using this knowledge, we could take two or three bright paints and turn them into a perfectly neutral grey.

"Plane Air" mini painting no. 4

As exciting as it was, it still seemed more like science than art to us. After art school, we used colour often enough, but we've always preferred drawing in pencil or pen and ink. When painting, we use ink wash. 

Illustration for fantasy project

Now we're expanding our horizons, because that's what we love. Watercolour is a difficult medium and we are learning the ways of blending and mixing all over again. The satisfaction is worth the time, effort and many "failed" paintings.

Practicing colour combinations

It even changes the way we see things. Each view is a painting waiting to be made. Whether we can capture it exactly, or translate our vision to something new, colour opens up a new world each time.

"Plane Air" mini painting no. 7