Color Charts

Inspired by Susan Fisher’s wonderful color mixing class at Filoli I have updated my color wheel and color charts.

Below are links to charts that I use in my classes to teach color theory, color bias and simply getting to know your colors. I encourage you to download them and use them in any way that is useful  for you. You may want to add colors or make your own charts or your favorite colors. You might want to print them on the paper that you usually draw on. Have fun and experiment!

Color pencil comparison charts  This is a list of useful pencils to have many of which are usually on my supply lists. The pencils in bold are ones that I think are unique and really useful. Prismacolors I always refer to by name but Faber-Castells you have to learn the numbers as they frequently change the names. A name in one brand does not correspond to a name in another brand. Prismacolors have great rich colors, the best darks and reds and lights but the quality is not as good as Faber-Castell or Caran d’Ache. They do all play well together. Try different pencils and see what works for you.


Limited palette comparison chart FC and Prisma 1222

The Value of our Pencils 11/21

Watercolor Pencil Supplies

Darkening a color 319

Limited palette comparison chart FC and Prisma 219

Color Mixing and creating browns 1018

Limited palette comparison chart 318

Grays for White and Yellow Flowers Chart

Creating Fall Colors

Limited Palette This document will explain the mixing chart below.

Limited Palette Faber Castell Mixing Chart

Darkening a Color Chart with suggestions

Brown by any other name compare and mix

Getting to know your pencils- Violets and Purples

Revisiting-the-Color-Wheel-2017

Nina’s top ten or so green pencils 317

Getting to know your pencils- Reds

Suggestions for Double Primary Basic Palette Using Susan’s list of Prismacolors for her color mixing class I devised a chart of Faber-Castell or Pablo alternatives.

  • “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Thomas Merton