Easy Watercolor Swatch Cards: How to Make, Store & Organize your Color Swatches

In this video I show you how to make watercolor swatch cards step by step. These swatch cards are 2" x 3 1/2". They fit nicely in business card sheet protectors that you can put in a 3 ring binder to keep all of your swatch cards organized and tidy.

[@quirkychris2933]

I’ve been looking for the best way to swatch and this is the best I’ve seen. Thanks so much! Great info to include on the swatch cards. I’ll be following your instructions. Extremely helpful, thank you.

[@kimberlyhyltonart]

Thank you so much much! I’m glad to hear you found this helpful!

[@milzaclay9925]

This was a great demonstration. Specially for beginners like myself. Going to make make own inspired on yours. Thank you!

[@kimberlyhyltonart]

Thank you! I'm so happy you found this helpful! Good luck on your watercolor journey! I plan on making a lot more beginner friendly watercolor videos. Please consider subscribing to my channel if you'd like to see more beginner friendly videos.

[@jadedenthusiasms]

Hi Kimberly!! I love making swatches...its meditative I think because there's no goal of some beautiful picture needing to come from it, just gorgeous color! I'm more lazy😊 so I typically just do mine on a full sheet of watercolor paper....making the line for the name and to check opacity....but I've no gone back and done the lifting and that's SO smart!! I do like to do droplets of water to see the granulation and blooming (i may be totally off on those terms but its just what I've gathered these last few years, but being self taught I'm horrible about remember all the different technical terms😳) on each to see the differences because even though it seems that real artists don't like those, I love the texture of them..but not all brands or colors make beautiful marks so thats why I check that. But I love the card size idea!! It gives you more room to play with the color but what I absolutely love about your card idea is exactly what you were able to do when you were comparing the similar but different brands or colors right next to each other...not having to look at this sheet and over to another when I add more. Because you can also use that to get your color scheme together, again, laying them next to each other and not just back and forth!! When I'm able one day I will absolutely make swatches this way :) thanks so much for sharing as always!!

[@kimberlyhyltonart]

I love making them too! When I don’t know what to paint I make swatches or color chart and color wheels. You are right on your art terms. I love making watercolor blooms! I make them on purpose a lot of times. They are great for adding texture to foliage and landscape elements. You are a real artist. One day I hope to see some of your art!

[@jadedenthusiasms]

@@kimberlyhyltonart I agree, they are perfect to make when unable to think of something else or just don't have the mindset for it...but making them opens up the creative juices sort of, like some colors I'll suddenly be like "oh my gosh I must use this right now!!" Aaahahahahahaaha! Oh and I mentioned your name, to be sure anyone could find your channel, on another watercolor channel where she also made these beautiful swatches....I mentioned how you had the awesome idea of making them business card sized which gives even more room and how you then keep them so put together in the plastic card holders...to be able to add colors and still have them next to each other. :) I loved her swatch cards, very detailed! But I love the size of yours and how to keep them so organized!! So many awesome ideas out there for sure!! The swatches themselves are little pieces of art. My mom wanted a picture of my sheets of swatches because she loved how it looked with all those colors with the textures too. They are fun ;) I might have mentioned that before so I'm sorry if so😊 I know, I need to put together a slideshow....my health just won't let up recently so I have extreme fatigue and pain and certain joints just won't move...so getting it all together makes me overwhelmed. But at the same time I really want to, if for nothing else but to share my work with you as well :) its not near your level at all of course, but its fun to get feedback from people you trust and know what they're talking about :) so, I'll work on getting it put together :)

[@jadedenthusiasms]

@@kimberlyhyltonart and I agree, I male blooms on purpose a ton because I love the texture you can get with the most beautiful shapes with just a drop of water...thats the fun of watercolor. I could just sit with wet paper dropping in color just to watch it move...so relaxing and super interesting to see how they move so differently or which will take over or which will disappear...just so many possibilities :)

[@kimberlyhyltonart]

@@jadedenthusiasms Thank you for telling people about my channel. I am trying to grow it right now and every little thing helps. We all have great ideas, that's why I love KZbin, we can learn and grow together. I think art is very needed to help people relieve the stress of these uncertain times. I understand having to work around when you feel good. Sometimes I get migraines and that can put me out for a few days. Looking at screens too long seems to bring them on. So I have to try to limit the amount of time I spend working on the computer or staring at my phone. I really would love to see your art when you are ready to share. In art class we had critique each other's work so I know how it feels for your art to be judged. I learned to appreciate feedback as it can be helpful. But I don't always agree with it. Let know when you are ready to share.

[@jadedenthusiasms]

@@kimberlyhyltonart I know...SO many beautiful things to be inspired by!! I love when artists give credit to where they saw something or learned something so of course when I wanted to mention your awesome ideas I'd want people to know where to look if they happened to read my comment, you definitely deserve that for sure!! When its cool people it can be an awesome art community of sharing and growing and thats pretty great. :) Oh yes, I totally understand the migraine thing🤮 not fun at all!! All my life as far as I remember, gift from my mom (though hers are super different, she didn't get as much head pain, but the funny eye aura things and sometimes her vision would go dark) and I passed them on to my son sadly, his are like the cluster kind, fast and awful and bounce back for a few days. Mine last a while sometimes and the older I get the more the light and noise is rough. I typically feel the nausea first. Loads of fun! ;) and yea, this life of zoom meetings and everything on screens does not help at all!! Especially for you having to edit your stuff and get it up and then checking it...all the more reason I appreciate what you do to share your work and ideas :) very cool thing to do! Just don't forget to take care of yourself too :) sorry, had to do the mom thing there for a sec😊 Yea, I'm sure it's something you have to get used to, being critiqued. And hearing it without it crushing you or making you (me) feel like they're right and everything i do is crap like I've always thought! Aahahahahaa I know, trying to be positive ;) but just taking it in and learning from it if you feel its legit and still be ok with what you're happy with no matter what another says...it also depends on if someone is trying to help or just be rude too. But to be ok with saying "thanks for that, but I actually love that part" and not second guessing. And also taking advice where you need help. So, yea, a lot to it :) But once I'm able I'll definitely share it :) I'd love to have your feedback for sure :)

[@sharonsunshine2532]

Great way to organize. 👍

[@kimberlyhyltonart]

Thank you Sharon!