Why I gave up on my Watercolour Journey

A try on water colour and pencil.

tl;dr: Embracing art despite colour blindness.

The Genesis of a Journey

A year ago, I contemplated embarking on a new artistic journey: watercolour painting. My whole life has been punctuated by sketches and doodles; I adore expressing myself through small comic strips and cartoon-like scenes. They encapsulate emotions and stories more vividly than the most detailed diary entry. At least, that’s how it feels for me.

Facing the Challenge: Colour Blindness

Here’s the twist: I am colour blind. Not in the sense of seeing the world in grayscale, but rather, I perceive colours differently due to Deuteranomaly. This unique perspective was particularly challenging during art classes in high school in the ’80s. While other kids painted with a full spectrum of vibrant colours, I relied on colour-labeled pencils to avoid mistakes like colouring the grass brown. This method was limiting, preventing me from creating realistic and vibrant images.

The Turning Point

Despite this, I decided to disregard my Deuteranomaly and dive into watercolour painting.

My aim was to create and share art that reflects how I see the world, hoping to connect with others. Not so much those, who have similar experiences or appreciate this unique perspective. It was more about finding the answer to that one question that arises again and again: “How does (put any colour, or object here) look for you?” I could never answer such a question, because I always think: “Totally normal. Just as it always looked for me.” But still: I know that there is a difference in perception and I am still very eager to try to find that out. To find a way to explore and describe it.

After all, Deuteranomaly isn’t rare, so why not showcase how to see the world differently?

Confronting Reality

Despite my enthusiasm, I faced a stark reality: I struggle to differentiate nuances in colours (re-reading what I have written, I need to add that it is not just nuances that I am struggling with, let’s face it: I mix up red and green and brown and grey), making it difficult to create pieces I was satisfied with. I experimented with abstract art to express my very personal colour experience, but I couldn’t explore the idea I initially had. I continued to sketch and draw cartoonish scenes in my unique colour style, yet that does not contribute toward the original goal, towards finding the answer to the question how things look for me.

The Next Chapter: Graphite

And now, I pivot to graphite. You could perhaps also call it cowardice. I’ve always been fond of graphite pencils, and the grayscale spectrum (sure that appears kind of natural) seems like a fitting solution to my colour perception. My new goal is to master hyperrealistic drawings in graphite. I’m keen on building a community right from the start, wondering if a supportive network could have changed my watercolour journey’s trajectory.

I have not given up on that initial idea. It is just that I have reached a point where I feel the need to start somewhere. And that point to start should not be the biggest challenge, but something, where I have a clear idea, how I can grow and develop skills. I still have the dream that with that additional set of skills, it might become possible to find new answers and new perceptions of things in the world.

Join Me

I’m not an art teacher with all the answers (I am a teacher, but in computer science), but I have techniques and an unyielding passion to learn and grow. This journey isn’t just about improving skills individually; it’s about leveraging modern tools, creating tutorials, getting feedback, and most importantly, drawing — a lot. If this resonates with you, I invite you to join me. Share what interests you, how we might develop our skills together, and how to sustain our collective enthusiasm. Let’s embark on this artistic journey together.

A first draft. Still a long way to go.

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