Why we gave ourselves a weird painting challenge (and what we learned)
By Anne Smerdon – Australian Oil Painter, Still Life Painter, Bird Wall Art Specialist
In episode 5 of Smerdon Toast, Seabastion Toast challenged me to paint using only three secondary colours—violet, orange, and green. We didn’t set this challenge because we thought it would look pretty. In fact, the tubes we used were paints I never normally touch. And using secondary colours inevitably makes your painting “muddy”. But again and again in our Smerdon Toast discussions, the benefits of restrictions in art comes up and this restriction yet again proved our point - creativity is sparked not when anything is possible, but when choices are narrowed and we have to problem-solve our way out.
As a Gold Coast artist and now Northern Rivers artist, I am surrounded by creative people and businesses. Ofter in my Artory art classes I talk about the benefits of painting with a limited palette. It forces me to think more critically and intentionally about colour. Usually, I work with a red, blue, yellow and white—sometimes adding a warm and cool variation of each (a split primary palette).
For the challenge, I used Dioxazine Violet, Cadmium Orange, and Phthalo Green. These are not neutral or forgiving colours. They’re punchy. High chroma. Strong tinting strength. In fact, Phthalo Green and Dioxazine Violet are both the kind of colours that takes over everything if you’re not careful—the tiniest bit and your whole painting looks green or purple.
What surprised me was how much the restriction revealed about my own painting process. I realised I instinctively think in terms of colour temperature (warm and cool). When I started trying to mix with purple, I had to remind myself to think of it as red, not blue. It totally flipped my mental map. But once I stopped overthinking it and just felt my way through, it all started to work. There’s a freedom in limiting options. It gave the painting a kind of harmony, especially the lower chroma harmony that I’ve grown to love. Because colour isn’t just about hue. It’s about temperature, chroma, tinting strength, and—most importantly—context. A colour is only what it is because of what it’s next to. That’s true in art, and maybe in life too.
If you’ve followed my work—especially my bird paintings, Australian bird art or still life oil paintings—you’ll know I tend to lean into mood and atmosphere. So while this challenge felt like chaos at first, the limited palette of secondary colours quickly brought a colour harmony and atmosphere to the scene. The painting ended up with a muted, cohesive energy I didn’t expect.
One of the big lessons here is that technical foundations matter. I never went to art school, but I’ve built my understanding of paint and colour through countless hours of daily studio practice, short courses, art books and mentoring sessions. Painting five days a week is what has accelerated my growth as an Australian oil painter. I’ve also invested wisely, selecting mentors and courses that align with what I want to learn, rather than following one system. And honestly, I think that’s made me a more well-rounded artist.
People often ask me, “Should I go to art school?” My answer is: maybe. But it’s not the only path. You can absolutely build your own curriculum, just like I did. What matters more is that you put in the time, the curiosity, and the miles on the brush. But Toast also has some great insight into what you can learn at art school and the advantages of learning there, so I recommend you listen to her insights during our discussion.
So if you’re stuck for inspiration, pick a weird tube of paint. Better yet, limit yourself to three colours you wouldn’t normally use. You might hate it at first. You might scrape it down and start again. But in the wreckage of your comfort zone, you might just find something magic.
And if all else fails—put more miles on your brush.
Anne