Free Printable Blank Color Swatch Chart Before You Start Coloring

I noticed something about coloring that surprised me, and fellow coloring book enthusiasts often feel the same. The coloring part can feel relaxing, but the color picking can feel like work. Sometimes I sit down with colored pencils, alcohol markers, or other art supplies and suddenly I’m stuck, not because I don’t want to color, but because I don’t know what to choose.

For me, that hesitation comes from a pile of tiny decisions. Which greens match, which pink is too loud, what if the background fights the main image, what if I “waste” the good page? Before I even start, my brain is already busy.

That’s why I like using a free color swatch printable first. It’s a simple, low-pressure way to test colors for a few minutes so the actual coloring session feels smoother.

Free Color Swatch Printable (Works With Any Coloring Book)

A blank color chart is exactly what it sounds like, a clean page with a swatch grid of empty boxes (or shapes) where you can test your colors before you commit to your coloring book page.

The best part is how flexible it is. A swatch template works with any style, any theme, and any book. Florals, cute animals, mandalas, cozy scenes, it doesn’t matter. It also works with your tools, whether you color with colored pencils, alcohol markers, watercolor paint, or a mix.

Because it’s printable, I can print it as many times as I want, even printing on cardstock for sturdier swatch cards.

I use my blank swatching sheet for a few main things:

• Testing new supplies: I learn how a marker dries or how a gel pen sits on paper.
• Comparing similar shades: Those “almost the same” blues look very different once swatched.
• Quick palette checks: I can see if my warm tones and cool tones clash.

If you want to try it, download the free color swatch printable and keep a few copies near your stash of coloring tools.

How I Use My Garden Cuties Color Swatch Book

Blank swatches help, but they don’t solve everything for me. A box of color on plain white paper can look perfect, then feel totally different once it’s inside a tiny leaf, a curved mushroom cap, or a shaded corner. Designs change how I see color, so my Garden Cuties color swatch book serves as a reference chart for accurate color matching on these varied shapes using a swatch template.

That’s the reason I made a coordinating swatch book for my Garden Cuties pages. I wanted a place to test colors on the actual style of the illustrations, without risking the final page. It’s also my little safety net when I’m tired or anxious and I just want coloring to feel easy.

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I’m not good with color,” I get it. I still have days where my brain turns color picking into a big stressful thing. This method keeps it practical. I’m not trying to be an expert, I’m just trying to start.

My Quick Setup: Pick the Page Mood, Then Pull a Small Color Set

I start with one mood word. That’s it. I might choose cozy, bright, autumn, ocean, soft, or candy. You can even use a color wheel template as a supplementary tool for picking these mood palettes.

Then I pull a small set of supplies and put the rest away. Limiting choices is the whole point, it cuts decision fatigue fast and supports media testing. When everything is on the table, I second-guess everything. When only a handful of colors are out, I start coloring.

One example I use a lot is a “cozy garden” set: warm green, deep green, butter yellow, soft pink, tan, and a brown for shadows with colored pencils or alcohol markers. Nothing fancy. It just gives me a clear direction.

Use the Mini Sample Pages

In my Garden Cuties swatch pages, I include two mini versions of the illustration. Testing on the actual artwork matters because it shows me where colors touch, how the background feels behind a character, and whether a detail color disappears.

I often try two moods on the same mini design, like day vs. night, soft vs. bold, or pastel vs. earthy. I also have space for swatches and color codes so I can recreate the palette later without guessing.

This helps a lot if you tend to overthink. It gives perfectionist energy somewhere to go that isn’t the final page.

If you want to use my color palettes, here are the code for the Ohuhu Honolulu B Alcohol Markers:

My Garden Cuties Color Swatch Book

The companion I use, my reliable swatch book called Color Swatch Book for Garden Cuties, is designed to handle the choosing part before you start coloring the full-size page.

Here are the key specs, just so it’s clear:

• 30 pages
• 2 sample illustrations per page
• 40 swatch grid + code spaces

What I like most is that the decisions happen before coloring, not during. When I’ve already tested my greens and picked my accent color, I don’t stop every two minutes to reconsider.

This is a companion, not a requirement. The blank swatch chart still works on its own. The swatch book just adds a way to test inside the same drawing style.

The Only Labels I Use

Most of the time I write the color name (or number), the tool from my marker collection (pencil, marker, gel pen), and a tiny reminder like “leaf,” “background,” or “shadow.”

If I’m mixing mediums, I separate them with a quick note like “marker base” or “pencil over.” Sometimes I’ll add simple numbering to match the order I plan to color, but only if the page feels complex.

Want to Try My Method? Free Garden Cuties Sample Pages

If you want to test this approach without committing to a full page, I put together a small free PDF download set that pairs testing with doing, including a swatch printable pdf and a BONUS page from my Garden Cuties coloring book.

It includes:

• 1 printer friendly color swatch test page
• 1 bonus matching Garden Cuties coloring page

That pairing matters for color organization. Swatching is helpful, but applying the plan is where you feel the difference. You test your art supplies first, then you color with less stopping and less second-guessing.

Download the free Garden Cuties sample and see if it fits your style.

Turn Your Swatches Into a Simple Color Plan While You Color

Once I’ve tested, I treat my swatches like a reference chart, not a set of rules. This color swatching technique offers a physical process that differs from using digital color swatches. If I change my mind mid-page, that’s fine. The goal is fewer mental speed bumps, not perfect control.

I also like knowing this system can grow. I’m working on having matching swatch planners for future books too, because planning once is often what lets coloring feel truly relaxing.

My 3-Step Color Order

When I’m ready to start the real page, sometimes I follow a simple order:

1. Background first: Big areas set the mood, and they’re easier before details.
2. Main objects second: Characters, flowers, mushrooms, whatever the page centers on.
3. Shadows and details last: This is where depth and sparkle happen, often with tools like colored pencils or alcohol markers.

A small trick that helps me is circling my “must-use” colors on the swatch grid, then crossing out extras I don’t need. I also save one accent color for the end (like a bright pink or a shiny gel pen) so the page still feels fun.

If You Freeze Mid-Page

If I freeze, I use two rules.

Rule 1: use the closest tested swatch through color matching, even if it’s not perfect. Rule 2: repeat a color that’s already on the page so it looks planned.

Freezing is normal. It doesn’t mean you’re bad at color. It just means your brain got overloaded. Organizing art supplies is a calming activity in those moments, and that’s why planning first with a reference chart or even a blank color chart helps.

Conclusion

When I take five minutes to swatch first, my whole coloring session feels lighter. The mental load drops, and I can focus on the simple pleasure of filling in a page. Printing a few blank swatching sheets from the swatch printable pdf and keeping them nearby is one of the easiest ways I’ve found to protect that calm, plus it’s a great start to organizing art supplies.

If you try the free color swatch printable method I’d love to see what you make. Share your colored pages on social media with #cozyillucolorgroup, or join the Cozy Illu Coloring Group on Facebook so I can see what you’ve made.

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