Garage Artist Color Theory vs. Traditional Color Theory — Who Wins?
Color theory doesn’t have to be confusing. In this article I share the Garage Artist approach — tonal vs chromatic palettes, values over color — and compare it with traditional wheel-based theory.
Learning watercolor, and watercolor color theory, like any new skill, can feel like driving through an unfamiliar city. You’re not sure whether to turn right or go straight, you guess, and suddenly you’re lost in a web of confusing interstates with no U-turn in sight. That’s how I felt when I first tried to understand color theory.
The books I studied drilled me on complements, triads, split primaries, and every possible wheel. I memorized, I fussed, and I lost all the joy of painting. Watercolor became stiff and exhausting. But, in the end I did understand them, so there's that!
Eventually, I realized something had to change. I stopped chasing exact color matches and started teaching myself a different way — one that was simpler, looser, and worked with watercolor’s unpredictable nature instead of against it.
👉 Want step-by-step lessons? Visit the Watercolor Hub for tutorials and free courses.
The Garage Studio Artist Way
Instead of memorizing the entire wheel, I recommend artists pick a lane:
- Tonal Palette → Muted, desaturated, and neutral-leaning colors. Creates calm, subtle atmospheres.
- Chromatic Palette → Vibrant, saturated colors. Creates bold, eye-catching energy.
Both approaches work. The key is to choose one and commit, instead of chasing “perfect matches.”
Why Values Beat Color Every Time
Here’s the truth: values hold a painting together, not color.
- Strong values = strong painting, even if your colors are arbitrary.
- Weak values = weak painting, even if your colors match the reference exactly.
When you stop obsessing over color matching and focus on value structure, watercolor becomes freer and more expressive. You can let the medium do its thing — the blooms, the bleeds, the happy accidents — and still end up with a painting that works.
👉 That’s the Garage Artist color theory in a nutshell: choose tonal or chromatic, stick to it, then let values lead the way.
Traditional Color Theory
Now, if you want to explore the classroom side of color theory, here are the basics:
- Complementary Colors – Red/green, blue/orange, yellow/purple.
- Analogous Colors – Colors side by side on the wheel.
- Monochromatic Colors – Variations of one hue.
- Split Complementary – Base color plus two near the complement.
- Triadic Colors – Three colors evenly spaced on the wheel.
- Tetradic Colors – Four colors forming a rectangle/square.
These tools can be useful. Learn them, play with them, but don’t let them box you in.
Final Thoughts
Traditional theory is the map. My Garage Studio Artist approach is the drive. Both can get you somewhere, but if you want expressive watercolor that feels alive, stop worrying about perfect matches. Pick tonal or chromatic, focus on values, and let watercolor surprise you.
Continue Learning
👉 Next stop: check out my Free Watercolor Painting Course or browse the Watercolor Tutorials Hub to keep building your skills.
👉 Follow me on Pinterest for daily watercolor inspiration!
If you enjoy these kinds of raw insights and loose watercolor demos, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe to Crafted by Robert and follow along as I share painting inspiration, tips, and behind-the-scenes stories straight from my garage studio. 👉 Subscribe to Crafted by Robert
