How to Make a Color Swatch Journal

How much fun is it to make color swatches? Right! I love it.  Several years ago, I found the Arc or Levenger disc binding system and it's absolutely perfect for keeping this kind of an ongoing notebook.  You'll see more in the video. The hole punch is kind of pricey but you can use a binder system for keeping all of your palettes or swatches in one spot.

I swatch everything from my paints to markers and colored pencils. There are great charts available over at Ranger Ink for their inks, sprays and paints. Go here to download. Very handy. Here is a link for Prismacolor colored pencils. That chart doesn't print the top line for me but it may just be my printer. 

I've had loads of questions lately about watercolor: brands, mixing, how much paint to water, etc. My best advice is to pull out three primary and the three secondary colors and play with them. Look (above) at how many colors you can get with just the three primary. 

Here is the video showing a close up of my Color Book. My next video will be on creating a palette with six colors. 

The Arc Binding System is available at Staples stores and online. It'll come right up if you google it. 

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Comments

[Sharon Field]

I don't have a whole bunch of stuff to do this with, but I think it is a great thing to do. Guess when I get to feeling better, I will start a book like this......I can see how handy it would be. Thanks for the video..........I love your ideas!

[Lark in TN]

Yep. Need to do this this weekend - moosh some water colors around and see what happens. I'm going to check into the binding system; I like bound books instead of three ring binders. Thanks for the tips!

[Suzanne]

Thanks for this idea. I have a few different sizes of books put together with various papers and I love this binding system, but I haven't used any of them yet, which is totally normal for me. I wish I had thought of your color book system before I used pieces of watercolor paper and small spiral bound pads to test my colors or new sets out because now I have a pile of papers I have to hold together with rubber bands and it's a big mess....again, totally normal for me. Having just one big book is so much easier and nice to look at, kind of like a test art journal...but then all your journals are so interesting anyway, no matter what they contain.

[Diana Trout]

Thanks Suzanne, Believe me! It took awhile for me to come up with this. I was lucky to find that Arc system. Organizing this stuff is no picnic for right brainers :) The best thing about that Arc system is that I used the right paper for the media. Why not just stick the pile in a binder? or for that matter a folder?

[Diana Trout]

I prefer bound books too. I like this arc system because it accommodates all sizes and types of paper. Initial investment of the hole punch. I use several of these types of notebooks so it’s worth it for me.

[Diana Trout]

Thank you Sharon. I hope you feel better soon! Good thoughts to you.

[Suzanne]

Well, I was originally going to use one of the Arc books as a planner, but got something else instead and then another size was on sale at Staples that I thought I needed...and of course I had to buy not one, but both size punches. I did punch some watercolor papers and put them in one of the books, thinking I'd use it as a journal of sorts...but now I'm so impressed with the idea of using one of the books as a sample swatch tester that I've justified my purchases. And yes, I think I'll try punching some of those loose pages and put them in one of the binder books. I'm tired of loose little pages. Now, what else can you help me with to make my life easier??

[Diana Trout]

LOL! How’s about a set of blinders? And the most interesting thing about that story is that you have all of those notebooks AND loose papers. My brother recently connected the dots for me about a pile of empty file folders and several piles of paper. Great Mysteries Solved!

[PamelaArtsinSF]

Very nice! Thanks for the inspiration - and thanks to Seth for pointing me to your blog.

[Gayile]

I'd started a similar project many months ago and your article reminded and motivating me to dig it out and finish it! Thank you Diana! And, likewise as Pamela mentioned in her comment, I arrived at this site via Seth's weekly links - he is such a great connector!

[Gayle]

Oops - name should be Gayle (not Gayile) - 6 a.m. here and I'm not quite awake!

[Diane]

Each time I start a project, I go through the process of making color swatches. Having a book like this would prevent all that agony and allow me to jump directly into the art-making. Thank you for the great tips, and thank you to Seth for connecting us.

[Diana Trout]

Seth is a uniter. Thanks for dropping by. I use that swatch book on a daily basis. It’s a great tool. :) 6:00 am isn’t a friendly hour

[Diana Trout]

I’m glad you cam by, Diane. Thanks to our own Seth, The Uniter :) I often make palettes for new paintings or series but I store them all in The Book :) It’s a nice reference.

[Diana Trout]

Thanks for stopping by Pamela. Seth is such a great guy and artist!

[vicki Ross]

Thanks, Diana! You enabler, you!! I've had my eye on one of these punch binding systems before. Finally broke down and lo and behold, Staples have all their branded products on 30% sale this week! Wahoo! Can't wait to organize my swatches.

[Diana Trout]

Yes! I was happy to find that Arc system at Staples. I’d been using the Levenger.