When I started painting on location, figuring out my urban sketching watercolor palette was one of those things that felt small but made a huge difference. I spent way too long carrying around full-sized paint boxes, mixing weird colors I never used, and constantly regretting leaving out the one color I needed.
A well-balanced, compact palette makes the whole sketching process smoother – from quick washes in the field to color harmony in your final drawing. It affects everything: your mobility, your speed, and even the overall look of your sketch. And the best part? Once you have a palette that works for you, it becomes a creative tool you can trust.
If you're new to sketching on location, you might want to check out this breakdown of what urban sketching actually is or explore my urban sketching course for a more structured approach. I also wrote a post with some simple urban sketching ideas if you're just starting out.
Key Points
- Limit your colors to avoid decision fatigue. Twelve pans or fewer is usually plenty.
- Choose pigments that mix well, especially primaries that can create a wide range.
- Build your palette around how you see color and the locations you sketch most often.
Choosing an Urban Sketching Watercolor Palette
When it comes to selecting paints for my urban sketching watercolor palette, I try to strike a balance between versatility and minimalism. I don’t want to spend more time digging through colors than actually painting. A curated set of colors helps me move faster, make better decisions, and stay in the flow of sketching.
Over time, I landed on a 12-pan setup in a metal travel tin, which fits neatly into my urban sketching kit. I also tuck in a small mixing tray and a water brush for speed. For me, less gear means more mobility. I've tried larger setups, but they slow me down and attract more attention than I want.
Here’s how I approach picking my colors:
Prioritize Mixable Primaries
I always start with a warm and cool version of each primary. These form the backbone of almost every mix:
- Warm yellow (like New Gamboge or Benzimidazolone Yellow Deep)
- Cool yellow (like Lemon Yellow or Hansa Yellow Light)
- Warm red (Pyrrol Scarlet or Cadmium Red Light)
- Cool red (Quinacridone Rose or Permanent Alizarin Crimson)
- Warm blue (Ultramarine Blue)
- Cool blue (Phthalo Blue GS or Cobalt Blue)
This six-color combo gives me a full spectrum with only a little bit of mixing knowledge.
Add Useful Neutrals and Earth Tones
After I cover the basics, I add a few earth tones and neutrals I know I'll use regularly:
- Burnt Sienna (amazing for brick buildings, shadows, and skin)
- Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna (great for muted natural tones and dirt)
- Payne’s Gray or Neutral Tint (handy for deep shadows, skies, and night scenes)
- Raw Umber (for tree bark, muted browns, or aged wood)
These give me depth without muddying up the palette too much.
Include a Personal Favorite or Local Color
I always leave space for one or two “wildcard” colors. These are location-specific or just ones that bring me joy. Cobalt Teal, for instance, is one of my must-haves for coastal cities or waterfront scenes. When sketching in places like New York or Seattle, I lean toward urban grays and moody hues. I might add a cool muted violet or even a dark green like Perylene Green.
Don’t be afraid to swap out one or two colors based on your destination or season. That flexibility makes your palette feel alive and personal.
Mixing Strategy and Efficiency
I used to carry 24 colors thinking I’d be more prepared. But I actually found that a smaller palette made my mixes more consistent and the whole experience easier. The fewer colors I have, the better I know them. And that shows in the final sketch.
Lean Into Color Mixing
Limiting your palette forces you to understand mixing better. You’ll get more natural harmony across the sketch because the same few pigments are repeated throughout. That subtle color unity gives your work a coherent, polished look even if it’s loosely done.
I recommend setting aside time to test out mixes before heading into the field. Just pull out your kit and try recreating scenes from your own urban sketching reference photos. It builds confidence and prevents surprises later. Some of my most-used mixes are:
- Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine = natural-looking gray
- Lemon Yellow + Phthalo Blue = fresh green
- Quinacridone Rose + Cobalt Blue = soft violet
Use a Simple Mixing Layout
I keep one side of my palette for warm colors, the other for cool. That way I know where to go depending on the mix I need. Having a logical layout cuts down on decision time, especially when painting quickly on location. I also avoid putting similar-looking colors next to each other, so I don’t dip into the wrong pan by mistake.
Tips for Packing and Maintenance
Once your colors are dialed in, it’s just as important to make sure they stay usable. A leaky palette or stuck lid can turn a good sketching day into a mess.
Avoid Leaks and Mess
I let my palette dry completely before closing it and storing it in my urban sketching bag. I also don’t overfill pans—it’s tempting to squeeze in extra pigment, but you’ll regret it when it gums up the case or drips everywhere. A little discipline here goes a long way.
Refresh Pans Regularly
Some colors (like Ultramarine and Cobalt) tend to crack or shrink more than others. Every few months, I top them off or replace them. It’s worth keeping an eye on how each paint behaves, especially if you sketch often or take regular urban sketching classes.
You don’t need to clean the palette obsessively, but giving it a rinse now and then helps keep mixes clean.
Tailoring Your Palette to Your Style
There’s no universal best setup. What works for loose urban sketching might not suit tighter line-and-wash styles. I know artists who use only six colors and others who swear by a 24-pan mega kit. It all comes down to how you work and what excites you.
If you paint a lot of people, check out urban sketching people to get ideas for skin tone mixes and what pigments layer well over ink. If you gravitate toward buildings and architecture, something like HouseSketching might inspire a different palette with more grays, rust tones, and shadow-friendly hues.
Some of the most useful resources I learned from include books like Urban Watercolor Sketching, The Urban Sketcher, and The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color. Seeing how other artists arrange and use their palettes really helped me refine my own.
Final Thoughts
No palette is perfect, and you’ll probably tweak yours a dozen times. I still change out a color or two depending on what city I’m in or what mood I’m in. But starting with a simple, intentional setup will make your sketching life easier.
If you’re looking for more ideas, I put together a big list of urban sketching techniques and urban sketching exercises to help keep things fresh. And for complete beginners, Easy Urban Sketching for Beginners might be a solid place to start.