Need some brainstorming ideas for how to fill background areas in your colouring pages? Try these! This set of circles and ring shaped fills are a fun and easy way to jump start your pages with some personal touches beyond what’s printed on the page. Try using coloured pends to make any of these outlines and then fill the area with a slightly different shade of coloured pencil for example.

Download shading schemes 1-4

Ug. Colour selection. Sometimes you just get stumped!! Some designs scream a colour theme and it all comes so easily and naturally… and then others it’s like pulling teeth. When I hit that wall I usually I take my inspiration from nature… a pretty flower (some of those tropical flowers come in beautiful colour combinations… check out a hibiscus, tulip or iris) or birds (hummingbirds? parrots?) are a great source of lovely colour combinations and themes.

Or have you ever been working on a piece and you like the colours but feel like it’s just not working? OMG I hit this point with pretty much every piece of art I create. It drives me crazy. Sometimes you can get a second opinion from a friend, but with my publishing schedule usually I just have to guts it out and find a solution right there and then. And one thing always works – remove some colours.

I don’t mean take all your colours out completely, I mean just take a few and make them tones or shades of other colours that are already in there. I find this is a great way to simplify the piece and bring it all into focus. Try bringing your colour palette down to 2 or 3 main colours (shades of each is allowed), and only 1 or 2 accent colours.

But when you reach the end of your rope yet you really really want to colour that particular design, I’ve made a collection here of 4 fun colour themes to jump start your imagination. Enjoy!

Download colour schemes 1-4