Edited: 11/1/2023
Have you ever searched through your colored pencils or markers looking for a certain color?
Then, when you thought you had it, you used it in your coloring book or coloring page only to realize that it wasn’t the color you were expecting? Me too! That’s so annoying! But then I learned about color swatch sheets. And they were a game-changer!
What is a Color Swatch Sheet?
A color swatch sheet is simply a piece of paper with samples of all the colors in your coloring set.
For example, say you bought a new box of colored pencils or alcohol markers. You would make a color swatch sheet by drawing a sample of each color that came with the set.
There are specific places on the swatch sheet to put the color in and to label the color.
Color swatch sheets take a few minutes to set up. But, in my opinion, that time is worth it. Because in the long run, they can help you save time.
And then you can spend more time doing the fun stuff like coloring!
Even though color samples are usually printed on the pencil, pen, etc., this sample doesn’t always match the actual color exactly. Even the nib or pencil point color might not appear quite the same when used on paper.
This is why I make color swatches.
I like having a accurate copy of all the colors right in one place.
How do you make a color swatch sheet?
It’s easy to make a swatch sheet for yourself.
Check out the YouTube video at the top of the page if you want to see how I did it. Or go to my NEW YouTube channel by following this link: Dee Draws Coloring Pages on YouTube.
You can make the sheet from scratch, or you can download a template from the internet.
To make one from scratch, count the number of pens or pencils in your set. Then draw that number of small boxes on a sheet of paper. The boxes don’t have to be big. 1 inch by 1 inch is probably is big enough.
Write down the name of the color and the number if there is one. Then color in the boxes.
Don’t forget to write the brand and coloring medium or set name somewhere on the paper.
If you don’t want to make the sheet from scratch, you can also download and print an empty swatch sheet template. There are lots of different kinds online to choose from.
Here are 3 color swatch sheets that you can download from this site:
The technique for using a template is the same as when you make your own.
After you print out the template, label the sheet with the brand name and set description.
Then label each little box with the color id and fill the box with the color.
It can be helpful to color in one half of the box lightly and the other half with heavier coverage. This helps you track how the color looks with light coverage versus completely covering the paper.
What type of paper is good for making a swatch sheet?
If you mostly color printable coloring pages, use the same paper that you print your coloring pages on. This way, you’ll know how the pencils or pens look on the same paper.
If you mostly buy coloring books, the paper will vary from book to book. In that case, just choose one type of paper to make your swatch don’t worry too much about it matching the coloring book’s paper.
You can swatch on just about any type of blank paper. Regular printer paper works fine, too, especially if you don’t have access to other types of paper.
If you are not using a printable template, you might like using a sketchbook. That way, you’ll have your different swatches all in one place.
Storing color swatches
Since I use single sheets of paper, I like storing my color swatches in a binder. That way, I can quickly flip through them any time I need to.
Or you can just store the sheets with your supplies. It’s up to you!
The nice thing is once you make a swatch, you can keep it for a long time. If you buy another of the same set, you probably won’t need to swatch again unless there has been some fading of your original swatch set. So making a swatch sheet is really a one-time deal for each of your sets.
Other uses for swatch sheets
Swatches are great for keeping accurate track of colors, but they can be used for other things as well.
For example, knowing what colors you already have can help you decide what other colors you need to round out your collection.
Another use for swatches testing out the color combinations you want to use in your project. The swatches will help you see whether or not the colors go together.
A great use of swatches is to test out how different types of coloring media interact. For example, you can create a swatch with a colored pencil and then see how a gel pen looks on top of it. Or you might test a swatch of an alcohol pen with colored pencil or other media on top of it.
Basically, there are lots of uses for color swatches. Don’t feel that you need to limit yourself to what I mentioned in this post.
This is just a jumping off place for your creativity!
