A necessary shift is occurring : when I look at something now, I'm not just trying to identify the colors that comprise it, but the relationships between those colors. If there's a strong color in something, I'm now asking myself, "What's setting that color off?" rather than merely guessing that color and laying it down.
It's color relativity 101, but trying to remain conscious of why something is working/not working seems like a path to success. If I'd wanted to make the blood on this dagger look more red, I could have put it next to a lighter, more greenish gray.