From A Dictionary of Color Combinations to canvas: how palette #134 Pale Divide came to be

⏱️ 7 minute read

There are moments in the studio when you don't know where to start. The canvas is ready, the paint is open, but the first stroke feels like a leap of faith. In such moments, I grab Sanzo Wada's A Dictionary of Color Combinations. Not as a manual, but as a starting point. An anchor for color.

This is the full story of how palette #134 from that book gradually evolved into Pale Divide.

Step 1: Finding the right palette in A Dictionary of Color Combinations

I don't start randomly. When I open A Dictionary of Color Combinations, I always search by feeling. I had an image in my mind: dawn. That mystical, quiet atmosphere just before the sun rises. Not the bright colors of the sunrise itself, but the moment before. Soft, diffuse, almost intangible.

I leafed through the book until palette #134 clicked. Three shades: Eosine Pink, Light Mauve, and Red Violet. At first glance, they seem almost identical, but if you look longer, you see the tension. The pink is warm, almost skin-toned. The mauve leans towards gray. The red-violet has something deeper, something that anchors the other two.

Together, they evoke precisely the atmosphere I was looking for: the transition from night to day. From presence to absence. From warm to cool.

Step 2: Mixing colors that convey the atmosphere

A palette from A Dictionary of Color Combinations is a starting point, not a recipe. Wada's shades are references, not exact formulas. My first task is always: how do I translate these colors into acrylic paint?

I start by mixing. Not on the canvas, but on a separate mixing palette. I look for mixtures that come closest to the Wada shades, but more importantly: that convey the atmosphere I want to create. Color on paper and color in paint are two different things. Paint has texture, coverage, drying time. That changes how a color feels.

With palette #134, I quickly noticed that Wada's pink-purple shades in acrylic paint became a little too intense. Too present. The dawn atmosphere I was looking for called for something more diffuse, something that floats more than it stands.

Step 3: Testing on canvas sheets

Before I touch a canvas, I always test on loose canvas sheets. This is a step I never skip, no matter how confident I am in my mix.

On the canvas sheets, I test not only the color itself, but also the transition. Because with Pale Divide, the transition was the painting. What happens when Eosine Pink slowly dissolves into Light Mauve? Where does the warmth end and the coolness begin? How wide should that transition zone be to preserve the feeling of dawn?

I made multiple tests. Too sharp, too wide, too dark. Eventually, I found the balance: a transition you can't pinpoint, but can feel. A divide that exists without being seen.

During testing, I also decided to diffuse the colors slightly more compared to the original Wada palette. The pink-purple shades became softer, leaning more towards beige and gray-blue. Not because the palette was wrong, but because the atmosphere demanded it. Wada gave me the direction. The painting determined the destination.

Step 4: Preparing the canvas with gesso

If the tests are correct, I prepare the canvas. I always work on a canvas prepared with gesso. Gesso provides an even, slightly absorbent surface that allows the paint to adhere well and keeps the color bright.

For Pale Divide, I used a 40×60 cm canvas. The portrait format was a conscious choice: it reinforces the vertical movement of the gradient, from top to bottom, from warm to cool. As if looking up at a dawn sky.

After applying the gesso, I let the canvas dry completely before I start. There's no point in rushing here.

Step 5: Building in thin layers

Then the actual painting begins. I work with thin layers of acrylic paint, from light to dark, from warm to cool. No harsh lines. No clear boundary. Each layer is lightly rubbed in and blended before the next one is applied.

The transition in Pale Divide is the result of multiple layers flowing into one another. Warm beige at the top, gradually transitioning to cool gray-blue at the bottom. The colors are further diffused than the original Wada palette, but the atmosphere of #134 is fully present: that quiet, mystical transition you associate with the first light of day.

The end result is a painting that moves with the light in the room. In morning light, the warm beige comes to the forefront. In the evening, the cool gray-blue dominates. Pale Divide is never the same at two different times of day.

Pale Divide: the original work

Pale Divide is a work that brings tranquility without disappearing. Its dimensions (40×60 cm) make it versatile: above a desk, beside a bed, or as a single piece on a narrow wall. It fits in a minimalist interior with natural materials, but also in a modern, sleek space where it acts as a focal point.

More original works

Pale Divide is part of a broader collection of original paintings. Each work is unique, hand-painted, and signed. From abstract to figurative, from large format to intimately small.

Art for every budget

Do you want an original work by KOJO Art, but a large painting doesn't fit your budget? The Affordable Art collection offers original acrylic works for max. €50. Unique, hand-painted, affordable.

A signed print every month

Do you love the color world of KOJO Art but want to get acquainted first? With Print Club. you receive a hand-signed art print, a personal letter, and small extras every month. For €8.95 per month.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is A Dictionary of Color Combinations by Sanzo Wada?
A Japanese color archive from 1933 featuring 348 carefully curated color palettes. Not a theoretical book, but a visual reference work loved by designers, artists, and anyone who works consciously with color.

How do you use A Dictionary of Color Combinations as inspiration for a painting?
I use it as a starting point, not an endpoint. I instinctively search for a palette that evokes the atmosphere I want to paint. Then I translate the shades into acrylic paint, test them on canvas sheets, and adjust as the painting requires.

Why do the colors of Pale Divide differ from palette #134?
Because the atmosphere is leading, not the color. Wada's palette #134 gave me the direction: the mystical transition from night to day. The final colors are more diffused and softer than the original palette because that better matched the feeling I wanted to convey.

Is Pale Divide still available?
Yes. The original work (40×60 cm, acrylic on canvas) is for sale via the webshop. Worldwide shipping included.

How do I know if a painting suits my interior?
Send me a photo of your space via the contact page and I'll give you honest advice.

Related articles

• From book to canvas: how A Dictionary of Color Combinations changed my use of color
• How to choose the right painting for your space?
• Part 3: Why muted colors feel calmer (coming soon)