Start by preserving the white
The easiest way to color clouds in a coloring book is to avoid coloring the whole cloud. Let the paper do the brightest work. Put color around the cloud, under the cloud, and lightly through the shadow areas, then keep the top highlights mostly white.
This tutorial uses a dry colored-pencil workflow. Sources were checked on August 2, 2026 for supply facts, but the technique is editorial guidance rather than a controlled product test. Test any new pencil, pastel pencil, or blending pressure on a less important part of the page first.
Pick a small cloud palette
You do not need many colors. Choose one light sky color, one shadow color, one warmth color, and one deeper accent.
Good starting palettes:
| Cloud mood | Main colors | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Clear day | pale blue, blue-gray, white paper, tiny touch of cool gray | Open skies, windows, outdoor scenes. |
| Sunset | peach, pale pink, lavender, muted blue | Cozy rooms, storefront windows, evening landscapes. |
| Rainy | cool gray, blue-gray, lavender, soft slate | Storm clouds, city scenes, forest skies. |
| Fantasy | mint, lavender, pale turquoise, rose | Magical skies and whimsical books. |
If you own pastel-colored pencils, this is where they are useful. Pale blues, pinks, creams, and lavenders can soften a sky without forcing dark color into every shape.
Step 1: Mark the underside
Look at each cloud as a rounded shape with a lit top and a shadowed underside. Place the first shadow marks along the bottom curves, not evenly across the whole cloud. Use light pressure. A pale blue-gray or lavender is usually more natural than a flat black or heavy graphite gray.
Do not outline the entire cloud unless the printed line already asks for a graphic style. Heavy outlines make clouds look like cutouts.
Step 2: Feather the edge
Use tiny circular strokes or short curved strokes to soften the shadow edge. Work from the shadow toward the highlight, lifting pressure as you move upward. If the page has small cloud shapes, use the side of a sharpened pencil only lightly; a blunt point can jump across printed details.
For a coloring-book page with lots of tiny linework, keep the cloud texture simple. The goal is a soft background, not a realistic cloud study that competes with the main illustration.
Step 3: Color the sky around the cloud
A cloud looks brighter when the surrounding sky has color. Shade the sky around the outside edge, then fade outward. Leave a narrow white or very pale border near the cloud top if you want a sunny look. For a sunset, put peach or pink close to the horizon and shift to lavender or pale blue higher up.
Keep the first layer lighter than you think you need. Colored pencil is easier to deepen than to remove.
Step 4: Add a second shadow only where needed
After the sky is in place, decide whether the cloud needs more volume. Add a second, smaller shadow under the deepest curves. Use a cooler color for rain clouds and a warmer lavender or mauve for sunset clouds.
Avoid filling the middle of every cloud. Real cloud color often changes softly, but coloring-book clouds can become muddy if every space receives gray.
Step 5: Blend gently
Blend by adding another light layer of the same color or a nearby pale color. If you use a colorless blender or burnisher, save it for the end and use very light pressure first. Heavy pressure can flatten the paper tooth and make it harder to add more color.
True pastel pencils can create very soft clouds, but test them before using them on a finished page. Derwent describes its Pastel Pencils as chalky and water-soluble, which means they can behave differently from ordinary colored pencils.
Common mistakes
The first mistake is coloring every cloud solid gray. Use gray as a shadow, not as the entire cloud.
The second mistake is using hard pressure too early. A soft sky needs gradual layers. If you press hard in the first pass, the paper may stop accepting color before the transition looks smooth.
The third mistake is ignoring the rest of the page. A cloud behind a busy storefront, forest, or fantasy creature should support the subject. Keep the cloud softer than the focal point.
Bottom line
Leave the highlights mostly white, put shadows under the cloud forms, glaze the surrounding sky, and build color slowly. Pastel-colored pencils are useful for gentle skies; true pastel pencils are optional and should be tested for smudging before you use them on a favorite coloring-book page.
Sources
- Faber-Castell USA, "Black Edition Colored Pencils, Neon & Pastel - Box of 12 - #FC116410," checked August 2, 2026: fabercastell.com
- STAEDTLER, "Pastel Line - Pencils, Markers & Accessories in Pastel Colours," checked August 2, 2026: staedtler.com
- Derwent, "Derwent Pastel Pencils, 4mm Core," checked August 2, 2026: derwentart.us
- Coloring Book Hub catalog, checked August 2, 2026.