Try them on the four free pages: download them, print them and color.
1
Which pencils to choose
A set of 30 to 50 ordinary colored pencils is enough to start. Artist pencils have more pigment and blend more easily, but they are expensive: buy them one at a time, only the colors you use most. Oil-based pencils leave a smoother layer than wax-based ones.
2
How to print the pages at home
Print on one side of the sheet only, so the color does not show through. Paper a little thicker than ordinary printer paper holds layers of color better, but check first that your printer takes it. If you use markers, put a spare sheet underneath to protect the table.
3
Thin layers, light pressure
Hold the pencil further from the tip and press lightly. Build the color in several thin layers, in small circles, instead of one heavy layer. The color comes out even and you can always add a darker tone. A sharp point helps a lot.
4
How to blend colors
Lay down the light color first, then the dark one lightly over it. Finish with the light color again, pressing harder, so the edge between them melts away. A colorless blender or a white pencil smooths it even more. Keep a sheet under your hand so you do not smudge the page.
5
Light and shadow
Decide at the start where the light comes from, for example the sun in a corner of the page. On that side leave the paper white or color very lightly, and on the opposite side use a darker tone of the same color. For white objects, like a lighthouse or a sail, add a very pale gray or blue in the shadow only.
6
Colors that go together
Choose only a few colors for a page: three or four are enough. Neighboring colors, like yellow, orange and red, give a calm page. Opposite colors, like blue and orange, give contrast: keep one strong and the other softer.
7
The sea, the sky and the night
Color water with horizontal strokes and leave thin lines of white paper: they look like light on the waves. Under a boat, its reflection uses the same color, a little softer. The sky is lighter near the horizon and darker at the top. At night use navy and violet instead of black, and leave the stars white.
8
Coloring for calm
You do not have to finish a page in one evening and there are no wrong colors. Pick a drawing, 15 to 20 minutes and a quiet corner. A small study from 2005 found that 20 minutes of coloring lowered anxiety in a group of students. It is not a treatment, just a good pause that is yours.
Three palettes to try
One color idea for each free page. They are only a starting point: change any color you like.
Lighthouse at noon
for Lighthouse and Penguins
- tower: white paper
- its shadow
- stripes
- sky
- rocks
- sea
Sailing at sunset
for Dolphins at Sunset
- yellow
- orange
- salmon pink
- violet
- the boat
- sea
Night with aurora
for Anchored Under the Moon
- navy
- indigo
- mint green
- turquoise
- violet
- stars: white paper
Coming soon: a page from the book colored step by step, in four stages. Subscribe below to hear when it is out.