Rose garden: peach and light greenPeach open petals, light green leaves, pink buds, rose petal folds, dark green stems and thorns.#FAC9A8 · #9FD98C · #F5A3C1 · #E0527C · #1C4A2B
Quilt blocks: cream and aquaCream background squares, aqua triangles, pink corner triangles, coral center squares, navy stitching.
Snowflakes: light blue and lavenderLight blue background, lavender outer points, turquoise inner points, blue center stars, navy fine lines.
Stained glass: yellow and sky blueYellow sun panes, sky blue sky panes, blue border panes, red corner panes, black leading.
Swirls and spirals: peach and lavenderPeach swirls, lavender background, orange spirals, purple inner coils, indigo dots.
Tile stars: sand and sky blueSand border tiles, sky blue star points, turquoise crosses, blue squares between, navy grout lines.
Animals 10
Butterfly wings: lemon and sky blueLemon upper wings, sky blue background, orange lower wings, red wing spots, black veins and body.
Elephant: light gray and sky blueLight gray body, sky blue sky, pink inner ears, gray skin folds, charcoal eye and toenails.
Fox in the grass: cream and light greenCream chest and tail tip, light green grass, orange coat, brown shaded fur, dark brown legs and ear tips.
Garden tortoise: sand and light greenSand skin, light green grass, olive shell plates, brown plate rings, dark brown claws and eye.
Ginger cat: peach and light bluePeach belly and muzzle, light blue background, orange coat, brown stripes, dark brown eyes and nose.
Ladybugs: light green and sky blueLight green leaf, sky blue background, red shells, dark green leaf veins, black spots and heads.
Macaw: lemon and limeLemon chest, lime wings, blue tail, red head, black beak and eye.
Rabbit in clover: cream and light greenCream fur, light green clover, pink inner ears and nose, green leaf shadows, brown eyes and whiskers.
Strutting peacock: mint and aquaMint tail fan, aqua fan highlights, turquoise neck, blue chest, navy eye spots.
Tawny owl: cream and sandCream face disc, sand chest, tan wings, brown wing bars, dark brown eyes and beak.
Landscapes and skies 10
Autumn road: sky blue and goldSky blue sky, gold far trees, orange near trees, brown trunks, dark brown branches and fence.
Balloon festival: lemon and sky blueLemon balloons, sky blue sky, coral balloon bands, violet zigzags, brown baskets and ropes.
City at dawn: peach and lilacPeach sky, lilac haze, rose clouds, violet far towers, indigo window frames and wires.
Country barn: light green and sky blueLight green fields, sky blue sky, tan hay bales, red barn, dark brown fence and doors.
Desert mesa: cream and sandCream sky, sand dunes, salmon mesa walls, olive cactus, burgundy cracks and shadows.
Forest waterfall: aqua and light grayAqua falling water, light gray mist, turquoise pool, green ferns, charcoal wet rocks.
Hill sunset: lemon and peachLemon low sky, peach high sky, coral clouds, purple far hills, navy near hills.
Mountain lake: aqua and light blueAqua lake, light blue sky, light gray peaks, green pines, navy reflections and rocks.
Snowy cabin: light blue and light grayLight blue snow shade, light gray sky, tan log walls, dark green pines, dark brown door and chimney.
Terraced hills: sand and limeSand dry terraces, lime young plants, light green planted terraces, green banks, dark green hedge lines.
Sea 10
Blue whale: light blue and light grayLight blue shallow water, light gray belly grooves, sky blue spray, blue back, navy flukes and eye.
Coral garden: aqua and peachAqua water, peach brain coral, coral sea fans, magenta sponges, navy fish stripes.
Jellyfish: aqua and lavenderAqua water, lavender bell, pink frills, violet tentacles, indigo dots and outlines.
Octopus: aqua and salmonAqua water, salmon body, coral arm undersides, magenta suckers, burgundy eyes and spots.
Sailboats: cream and light blueCream sails, light blue sky, turquoise sea, red hull stripes, navy masts and ropes.
Seahorse: lemon and aquaLemon body, aqua water, turquoise seaweed, orange fins and spines, navy eye and outline.
Seashells: cream and peachCream shell bodies, peach shell lips, sand beach, salmon stripes, brown spirals and speckles.
Shore pool: aqua and sandAqua water, sand pool floor, coral starfish, purple urchins, indigo mussels and cracks.
Striped reef fish: cream and aquaCream bands, aqua water, turquoise anemone tips, orange body, black band edges and eye.
Swimming turtle: mint and aquaMint flippers, aqua water, sand belly, green shell plates, dark brown plate lines and eyes.
Fantasy 10
Crystal cave: aqua and sky blueAqua crystals, sky blue crystal faces, lilac cave walls, violet crystal tips, indigo cracks and edges.
Dragon scales: lemon and limeLemon belly plates, lime body scales, green wing skin, teal spines, dark green claws and scale edges.
Garden fairy: mint and lavenderMint lower wings, lavender upper wings, pink dress, violet wing veins, plum hair and outlines.
Hilltop castle: light green and light grayLight green hill, light gray walls, sky blue sky, red flags and roofs, charcoal windows and gate.
Lantern wood: light green and lavenderLight green far leaves, lavender mist, gold lantern light, teal near trunks, dark green roots and vines.
Mermaid and shells: aqua and peachAqua tail scales, peach skin, lilac hair, turquoise fins, purple shell top and scale lines.
Phoenix feathers: lemon and goldLemon chest and flame tips, gold wing feathers, orange tail feathers, red feather shafts, burgundy eye and talons.
Toadstool cottage: cream and light greenCream stalk walls, light green grass, red cap roof, brown door and beams, charcoal window frames.
Unicorn mane: cream and aquaCream coat, aqua sky, lavender mane streaks, pink mane and tail, purple horn spiral and hooves.
Wizard tower: sand and lavenderSand tower stone, lavender dusk sky, gold stars and windows, blue roof cone, navy door and banners.
How this list was compiled: Own work, written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-09: palettes of five colors for a printed coloring page, in six groups by what the page shows (flowers and leaves, patterns and borders, animals, landscapes and skies, sea, fantasy). Every palette, name, color word, hex code and part is our own; no coloring book, pencil maker or marker brand is named or copied, and a name is a kind of page, not a published one. Each color has a plain word of the kind printed on a pencil or a marker, and one word is one code everywhere on this list. How a strip is ordered: lightest first. Our own test, not a standard: the first two colors are light (a WCAG relative luminance of 0.4 or more), each step is darker than the one before and 10 or more from it in CIE Lab, and the last color contrasts with the first by 4.5 to 1 or more (the WCAG contrast ratio formula, https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html, used as our own threshold). The line gives each color its part of the page; that the two lightest take the large areas and the darkest the details is our own arrangement. No two palettes share four codes. The two colored pencil terms in the copy were checked on 2026-10-09 against English Wikipedia, Colored pencil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_pencil): in layering, tones are built up gradually in several layers; burnishing is a pale pencil or a colorless blender applied firmly to an already layered drawing. Color names are plain English words with no paint maker, pencil brand or color-matching system. Checked on 2026-10-09: every code is #RRGGBB, each color word fits the hue and lightness of its code, no palette, name or line repeats, and no palette is on another palette list of this site or of its sister sites. The hex codes are for a screen; with paint or pencils, take the nearest color. Licence: own work
How it works
Each palette is five colors for one kind of coloring page, named in the plain words printed on pencils and markers. The two lightest fill the big shapes and the darkest does the details. Take the pencil nearest each code.
Read the full guide
Pick by what the page shows
There are groups for flowers and leaves, patterns and borders, animals, landscapes and skies, sea, and fantasy. Shore pool is aqua water, a sand floor, coral starfish, purple urchins and indigo mussels.
Light first, dark last
With colored pencils, start with the two light colors and build the rest over them. That is layering: tones are built up gradually in several layers. Burnishing comes last: a light pencil pressed firmly over the layers blends them.
Questions and answers
What colors go well together for coloring?
One light for the largest area, a second light beside it, two middle colors and one dark for details. Butterfly wings here is lemon and sky blue with orange, red and black; Tawny owl is cream and sand with tan, brown and dark brown.
How many colors should I use on a coloring page?
Each palette here has five, lightest first. For a page with more parts, take a second palette from the same group: aqua is in most of the sea palettes and brown in half of the animal ones, so two sets sit together.
What colors suit adult coloring books?
The patterns and borders group is made for them: a kaleidoscope round, a paisley scarf, tile stars, quilt blocks and stained glass, each with one dark for the finest lines, such as navy dots or black leading.