How to Make the Perfect Watercolor Color Chart

Before you use a new set of watercolor paints, you should always make a watercolor color chart. Oftentimes, paints look totally different in the pan than they do on paper, so a color chart gives you an accurate idea of what to expect! It also helps you to choose a color by providing a nice “cheat sheet”. Today, I’ll show you how to make a simple, portable, and pretty watercolor color chart.

1. Measure Your Palette

There are many different watercolor palette configurations, but nearly all palettes feature a case that you can tuck your color chart into. It’s an excellent idea to keep your chart with your watercolors so it doesn’t get lost! To get started, open up your palette and think about where you’d like to keep your chart. Then, use a ruler to measure the length and width of that area.

Once you have your measurements, cut a piece of watercolor paper to be just a bit smaller than those measurements.

2. Draw Pencil Guidelines

Now, use your pencil and ruler to draw guidelines for the names of your colors and for your paint swatches. I’ve written the measurements that I used for my color chart on the photo below. Feel free to tailor the measurements to your own palette! You want the layout of your chart to reflect the layout of your paints. In this case, my paint is in two rows, so I made two guideline sets:

Next, use a pencil and a ruler to divide your guidelines depending on how many columns of colors you have. I have 12 columns of colors, so I divided my chart accordingly.

3. Add Lettering

Now, use your favorite pen and ink combination to write a title at the top of the set. This step isn’t necessary, but I think it adds some character!

Then, use a stiff nib (like a Nikko G) or a fine-tipped pen to write the names of your watercolors. It’s best to complete this step using a sans serif lettering style so the names take up less space.

4. Make Paint Swatches

Once you’ve written all the paint names, use a spray bottle, a blunt syringe, or a spoon to moisten all of your watercolors with water.

Next, dip a dry brush into the color on the upper left. Then, paint a little swatch that takes up about half the space above the upper left paint name. Since you didn’t moisten your brush before dipping it in the paint, the paint should have a brilliant, concentrated color.

Now, swish off your brush in art water to clean it off. Once it’s clean, use the wet brush to draw out the pigment on the swatch you just painted to the right. The water on the brush will merge with the pigment, resulting in a medium tone that turns into a light tone.

Use the same technique to make every swatch on the watercolor color chart. It’s important to capture a concentrated tone and a watered-down tone! That way, you have a nice representation of color range and what your options are for each color. (For example, if I wanted to paint an orange, I would look at this chart and know that the watered-down Cadmium Orange Hue is my best best. The full-concentration version is too intense!)

5. Erase and Enjoy

Once your paints have dried, use an eraser to get rid of all your pencil guidelines. Then, tuck the watercolor color chart into your palette and enjoy! You’ll use your chart for years to decide which colors to use, so the slight time investment it takes to make one will pay off … I promise.

Chart Examples

Here are some other watercolor color charts I have:

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I hope that this post inspires you to roll up your sleeves this weekend and make your own color chart! I promise: you’ll be so glad that you did. If you have any questions about how (or why) to make a chart, please let me know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,