From Book to Canvas: How I Use A Dictionary of Color Combinations in My Work

⏱️ 7 minute read

The book is always somewhere on my desk. Sometimes I use it with a specific purpose, sometimes I just flip through it because it's nice to look at. A Dictionary of Color Combinations by Sanzo Wada isn't a reference work I open once a year; it's a go-to, a compass, a way to sharpen my color instinct.

In my previous article, I explained what A Dictionary of Color Combinations is, where it comes from, and how to use it. In this article, I'll take it a step further: I'll show how four of my own paintings directly trace back to specific palettes from the book. Not as theory, but as practice.

The Color Theory Behind the Book: Dominant, Sub, and Accent

Before I discuss the paintings, let's briefly go over the core color theory that makes A Dictionary of Color Combinations so useful.

Each palette in the book consists of 2 to 4 colors, but how you distribute them is at least as important as the colors themselves. The classic ratio I use:

What makes A Dictionary of Color Combinations unique compared to other color theories (like those of Itten or Munsell) is that Wada doesn't give rules about which colors can go together. He only shows which combinations work, and you determine the ratio. That's what makes the book so flexible and personally applicable.

Below, I'll show how I've applied this in four specific paintings.

Why A Dictionary of Color Combinations and Not Just Your Own Intuition?

That's a fair question. I paint abstractly, intuitively, from feeling. So why consult a book?

Because the color combinations from A Dictionary of Color Combinations don't replace my intuition; they sharpen it. When I see a combination that resonates with me, I ask myself: why does this color combination work? What is the ratio? Which color does the heavy lifting, and which merely supports? I take these questions to the canvas. The book isn't a recipe; it's a conversation.

Soho | Original

A Dictionary of Color Combinations #276: Seashell Pink, Eosine Pink, Yellow Green, Black

Soho started with a feeling of energy and contrast. The city, the noise, the warmth of bricks and neon lights. Color combination #276 from A Dictionary of Color Combinations gave me the structure: a pink undertone as a base, a sharp yellow-green for tension, and black as an anchor.

What struck me about this palette is how unexpectedly it works. Seashell Pink and Eosine Pink sound almost sweet, but next to Yellow Green and Black, they gain character. The sweetness disappears. What remains is something urban, something that grates in a pleasant way.

In the painting, I used the pink hues as dominant (60-70% of the area), the yellow-green as sub, and black as an accent. Not literally, not as blocks of paint, but as an undertone shimmering through the layers.

Pale Divide | Original

A Dictionary of Color Combinations #134: Eosine Pink, Light Mauve, Red Violet

Pale Divide is perhaps the most faithful work to A Dictionary of Color Combinations I've created. Color combination #134 is a palette of three pink-purple hues that are close but just different enough to create tension. No contrast, no shouting. Just gradation.

That's exactly what the painting is: a soft division, a boundary you can barely see. The colors flow into each other but are never the same. Eosine Pink as the warmest tone, Light Mauve as the transition, Red Violet as the deepest point.

This palette taught me something about restraint. The less contrast, the more attention is drawn to texture, to paint movement, to the surface itself. Pale Divide is a painting you need to examine up close.

Vonitsa Sun | Original

A Dictionary of Color Combinations #301: Spectrum Red, Aconite Violet, Rainette Green, Ivory Buff

Vonitsa is a small town in Greece. I was there in the summer, in the middle of the day, when the light was so bright everything seemed to shimmer. Color combination #301 from A Dictionary of Color Combinations captured that feeling perfectly: Spectrum Red as the heat, Aconite Violet as the shade you seek, Rainette Green as the green that survives despite the drought, Ivory Buff as the bleached light.

This is a palette with tension. Four colors that aren't obvious next to each other, but together evoke something you recognize without being able to name it. That's what Wada understands so well in A Dictionary of Color Combinations: color isn't decoration; it's emotion.

In Vonitsa Sun, I used Ivory Buff as the dominant, almost like a white ground supporting everything. Spectrum Red and Aconite Violet as the energy breaking through. Rainette Green as the smallest accent, but the most surprising.

Quiet Hours | Study

A Dictionary of Color Combinations #228: Carmine Red, Neutral Grey, Pale Yellow Lemon

A study, for me, is an exploration. Smaller, freer, less pressure. Quiet Hours came about early in the morning, in the kind of light that hasn't quite decided what it wants to be yet. Color combination #228 from A Dictionary of Color Combinations fit perfectly: Carmine Red as the warmth you feel but don't yet see, Neutral Grey as the silence itself, Pale Yellow Lemon as the first light falling through a window.

What strikes me about this color combination is how unexpectedly red and yellow work with grey. On paper, it sounds busy. In practice, with the right proportions, it's the calmest palette of the four. Neutral Grey takes up the largest area. Carmine Red shimmers through as an undertone. Pale Yellow Lemon touches the surface at a single point.

That's the lesson A Dictionary of Color Combinations continuously teaches me: it's not about which colors you choose, but how much space you give them.

What I Learn Anew Each Time from A Dictionary of Color Combinations

Four paintings, four color combinations, four times the same discovery: the power lies not in the color itself, but in the proportion. A Dictionary of Color Combinations shows that even the most unexpected color combinations work if you distribute dominance well.

What I also notice: the color names in the book sometimes sound more intense than they appear in the painting. Eosine Pink, Spectrum Red, Carmine Red. That sounds vibrant. But by mixing, working in layers, and controlling the proportions, those colors become something different. Something muted, something more personal. That's the difference between a color combination on paper and a painting on canvas.

A Dictionary of Color Combinations gives me a starting point. What happens on the canvas afterward, that's the conversation.

Try it Yourself

Do you have A Dictionary of Color Combinations? Pick a color combination that appeals to you and paint something with it. Not by literally mixing the colors, but by using the mood as a guide. See what happens when you let the dominant color take up 70% of your canvas. See what the accent does when it's only 5%.

Don't have the book yet? You can order it directly from Athenaeum Scheltema: Volume 1 and Volume 2. Also read my introduction to A Dictionary of Color Combinations. It's one of the best investments an artist can make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you use A Dictionary of Color Combinations for every painting?

Not always, but often. Sometimes I start with a feeling and then look up which color combination from A Dictionary of Color Combinations comes closest. Sometimes I start with the book and let a combination determine the direction. Both work.

Do I have to mix the colors exactly?

No. The color names are guiding, not recipes. It's about the interrelationship and the mood, not the exact pigment values.

Does this color theory also work for techniques other than painting?

Absolutely. Illustrators, textile designers, interior stylists, and graphic designers use A Dictionary of Color Combinations in exactly the same way. The principles are universal.

Are the paintings in this article still available?

Click on the links for each work for current availability. Originals are unique, so once they're gone, they're gone. Art Prints are continuously available.

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