Chapter 8: The Quick Color Chart

The colors available to you will differ depending on the type of material and brand. Therefore, the below chart is but a general guideline as to which colors will complement each other. The colors that will be mentioned may not be in your coloring material, thus it’s up to your judgment what the best substitute will be, or how you will layer pigments to achieve the desired color.

Basic Combinations

Two-color Combinations (Ideal for Colored Pencils)

1. Red and Red

2. Gray and Mahogany

3. Gray and Lavender

4. Blue and Green

5. Blue and Blue

6. Aubergine and Gray-green

7. Green and Brown

Four-color Combinations (Ideal for Watercolor and Ink Tense Pencils)

1. Red-orange, Blue-gray, Light Yellow-Green, and Light Orange

2. Blue-gray, Dark Blue-gray, Deep Gray, Soft Brown

3. Dark Gray, Blue-gray, Dark Yellow-green, Green

4. Gray, Off White, Flesh, Dark Flesh

5. Red-orange, Light Red-orange, White, Green

6. Light Green, Honeydew color, Light Blue, Light Red

7. Deep Yellow, Metallic Blue, Bone White, Coal

8. Dark Green, Deep Dark Brown, Off White, Brown