A Dictionary of Color Combinations: the complete guide for artists
⏱️ 12 minute read
There are books you read once and forget. And there are books that enter your studio and never leave. For me, A Dictionary of Color Combinations by Sanzo Wada is the latter. I've been using it for years as a starting point for new paintings, and I've noticed that more and more people—artists, interior designers, designers—are discovering the same book.
In this guide, I explain what the book is, why it's so special, and how I specifically apply it in my work. I also link to the more in-depth articles I've written about specific palettes, so you can read exactly what interests you.
What is A Dictionary of Color Combinations?
Sanzo Wada was a Japanese artist and color theorist who compiled a unique reference work in 1933: a collection of 348 color combinations, each carefully composed and numbered. The book was reissued in 2011 by Seigensha Art Publishing and has since found its way into studios and design offices worldwide.
What distinguishes the book from other color guides is its combination of precision and simplicity. Each palette has a number—from #1 to #348—and consists of three to five colors with classic pigment names such as Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, or Payne's Gray. No marketing jargon, no trends. Just colors as artists have known them for centuries.
The result is a book you don't read through, but rather browse. You open it to a random page and find something you hadn't seen before.
Why this book is different from Pantone, Josef Albers, and other color theory
Most color theory starts with the wheel: primary colors, complementary colors, triads. Useful, but also abstract. Wada's approach is fundamentally different, and it helps to compare it with other well-known systems.
| System | Purpose | Approach | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanzo Wada | Inspiration | 348 ready-made combinations, numbered and named with classic pigment names | Painters and designers looking for a starting point for a new work |
| Pantone | Standardization | Exact color codes for reproducible communication between designers and printers | Graphic designers and printers who need color precision |
| Josef Albers | Analysis | Optical illusions and color interaction — how colors influence each other based on context | Artists and students who want to understand why colors behave the way they do |
Besides Wada, I also use Van kleur naar kunst (From Color to Art) by Monica Rotgans as a reference, and I sometimes look up Pantone online. Each tool has its own function—Rotgans for the theory behind color relationships, Pantone for exact color names, Wada as a starting point for a new painting.
How I use the book in my paintings
I use A Dictionary of Color Combinations not as an instruction manual but as a source of inspiration. I open it, see which palette resonates with me, and work from there. Sometimes I follow the palette quite closely; sometimes I use it only as a starting point and deviate as soon as the canvas takes its own direction.
What I always do: I note down the palette number. This way, I can look back later to see which combinations worked well and which didn't. Over time, you notice patterns—certain color temperatures, certain contrast ratios that consistently reappear in your strongest work.
What I've also learned: the book works best if you don't take it too literally. Wada's palettes were created for graphic design and illustration from the 1930s. As a painter, I interpret them—I mix the colors on the palette, add transparency, let them blend into each other. The result is never an exact copy of the palette, but it does carry the same emotional resonance.
In the articles below, I delve deeper into specific palettes and how they have been realized in concrete paintings.
Concrete color values: palette #134
To show how specific the book is, here are the colors of palette #134—the palette that formed the basis for my painting Pale Divide:
- Light gray-beige — approximately #E8E0D5 — an off-white with warmth, not a cold white
- Muted salmon pink — approximately #D4A090 — terracotta that has lost its saturation
- Cool gray-green — approximately #8FA89A — sage green with a lot of gray in it
- Deep warm gray — approximately #6B5E58 — almost brown, but cooler
Palette #134 — from left to right: light gray-beige, muted salmon pink, cool gray-green, deep warm gray.
What makes this combination special: there isn't a single pure color in it. Everything is broken, muted, mixed. Yet there is contrast—the salmon pink draws attention, the gray-green provides calm, the warm gray anchors the whole. That is Wada's signature: tension without shouting.
The palettes I have explored
Each article below is about one specific palette or theme from the book—with an explanation of the colors, the mood, and how it was translated into a painting.
- Sanzo Wada's Dictionary of Color Combinations: the color book that has inspired artists for 90 years — an introduction to the book and the man behind it.
- From book to canvas: how I use A Dictionary of Color Combinations in my work — my creative process step by step.
- Why muted colors feel calmer — what the book taught me about color temperature and serenity.
- Palette #134 — Pale Divide — how one palette evolved into a complete painting.
Which palettes work for which interior?
This is a question I often get: I want a painting that matches my interior, but how do I choose the right colors? Wada's book offers a surprisingly practical answer here.
A few guidelines I use myself:
For a calm, neutral space — look for palettes with muted, broken colors. No pure white, no saturated blue, but colors that already contain a hint of gray or beige. They breathe.
For a warm, organic atmosphere — look at palettes with ochre, terracotta, sand tones, and moss green. Wada has beautiful combinations here that feel like earth and wood.
For a cool, modern space — palettes with blue-gray, stone-gray, and off-white work well. Subtle contrast, no drama.
For a statement — then you can go further. Wada also has palettes with deep indigo, warm red, or ochre yellow as an accent. One strong color, the rest subdued.
What I've learned from years of working with this book
A few insights that I haven't read anywhere else, but which I discovered myself by using the book intensively:
Muted colors are harder to mix than you think. On paper, an off-white looks simple. On the palette, it's a matter of millimeters—too much yellow and it becomes warm and sweet, too much blue and it becomes cold and dead. Wada's palettes have taught me to mix slower and test more often.
Fewer colors work better. Wada's palettes consist of three to five colors. I've tried working with more—it always becomes busier, never richer. The limitation is the strength.
The book works best in combination with your own eye. I use it as a starting point, not an endpoint. The palettes are a suggestion, not a command. Once you understand that, the book becomes much more useful.
A Dictionary of Color Combinations and AI searches
Something I've noticed lately: people find my articles via ChatGPT and other AI tools. They ask a question like "what color combinations work for a calm interior?" and are referred to my blog.
That's no coincidence. AI tools retrieve information from sources that are specific, reliable, and well-written. If you, as an artist, write about your own creative process—concretely, honestly, with examples—then you are exactly the source people are looking for.
This is also why I continue to write about specific palettes and techniques, rather than general inspirational articles. Specific is more discoverable, and more discoverable means more people seeing my work.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy A Dictionary of Color Combinations?
The book is available through major bookstores and online. You can order it directly from Athenaeum Scheltema: Volume 1 and Volume 2. Search for the English title or the publisher's name: Seigensha Art Publishing. Digital versions are also available.
What is the difference between Wada and Pantone?
Pantone is a standardization system for exact color reproduction. Wada is a source of inspiration for color combinations. They serve different purposes: Pantone for precision, Wada for composition.
Do the palettes have names?
No. The palettes in the book are numbered from #1 to #348. The individual colors do have names—classic pigment names such as Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, or Payne's Gray.
Is the book suitable for beginners?
Yes. You don't need to know color theory to use it. You choose a palette that appeals to you and start working with it.
Do you use the book for every painting?
Not for every painting, but regularly. Sometimes I already know what colors I want to use. Sometimes I need a starting point, and then I consult the book.
Are your paintings based on palettes from the book?
Some of them, yes. In the articles above, I describe which palettes I have used and how they have been implemented.
How many palettes are in the book?
348 palettes, each with three to five colors. The book has 127 pages and is compact enough to always keep handy.
Related articles
- Sanzo Wada's Dictionary of Color Combinations: the color book that has inspired artists for 90 years
- From book to canvas: how I use A Dictionary of Color Combinations in my work
- Why muted colors feel calmer
- Palette #134 — Pale Divide
KOJO Art is the brand name under which I, Jordy Koumans, paint and sell. My work moves between color field painting and abstraction, with a preference for earthy, muted palettes. Original paintings and prints are available through the webshop. I ship worldwide.
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