Keep it simple: less choosing, more doing
Reflections on a painting palette and beyond
Palette in painting
To make sketching a daily habit, I limited each painting to just three colors. To keep it going and meaningful, I chose three themes connected to me: my cat, nature, and everyday life. For the cat sketches, I always use the same three colors—indigo, red, and yellow. Limiting my palette has made painting feel both more approachable and more rewarding:
It keeps colors from clashing - everything comes from the same three hues, so the result feels naturally connected.
Mixing my own colors has taught me a lot about how hues interact — like how indigo and red can surprisingly make so many earthy tones.
It helps me focus on mixing skills instead of getting overwhelmed by endless color options.
That said, the specific colors really matter. After trying a bunch, I keep coming back to these three:
Deep Indigo – Derwent Inktense watercolor pencil
Red – Pelikan writing ink (oddly labeled “bright brown,” but it’s a gorgeous, vibrant red)
Yellow – Stabilo Aquarellable pencil — a bold, rich yellow
What i’ve learned are:
Break down, then break through – Mixing color myself with a limited palette has deepened my understanding of color relationships more than what i learned from any book on color theory.
The best fit beats the best-known – None of these tools are from the "must-have" lists, but their richness and earthy tones just work for me.
Palette in the garden
In my early gardening days, I brought home something new from every nursery visit. But often, those plants sat on the patio for weeks — not because I didn’t love them, but because I wasn’t sure where they fit. Their needs, their colors, their shapes... they didn’t always complement what I’d already planted.
Palette in the wardrobe
When I was younger, I filled my wardrobe with bold, beautiful colors I loved. But when I tried to wear them together, they often clashed. Or worse — the colors looked great on others but didn’t suit my skin tone. Each item was lovely on its own, but not all of them belonged in the same outfit.
Final thoughts
Whether in painting, gardening, or fashion, I’ve found that less can truly mean more. For a color-loving amateur like me, a limited approach often brings out more beauty and balance.
After all, art, nature, and life are deeply connected — and sometimes, simplicity brings us closer to all three.
Limiting colour often works best, I find that particularly when travelling so things can be mixed and matched, working with paint as you have been doing is certainly working for you.
Love these drawings!