Articles by Penelope Dixon

Draw Your Own Custom Coloring Pages From Scratch

My favorite kind of “coloring page” starts as the scariest thing in the world: a totally blank sheet of paper. I grew up with sketchpads permanently parked on our dining table, and I still remember the tiny thrill of making the first mark. If you have ever wished you could color something that...

Markers vs. Colored Pencils

My dining table growing up was basically a rotating art supply shelf. Someone was always leaving a sketchpad open, and I was always sneaking in one more little doodle before dinner. These days, when I sit down to color, I still get that same cozy question: do I want the smooth, swishy thrill of...

Coloring Your Way Out of Creative Block

I keep a small stack of coloring pages in the same place I keep my grocery list and stray pens, right on the dining table. That is partly nostalgia (I grew up with sketchpads everywhere), and partly strategy. When my brain locks up and I cannot think of a single good idea, I do not try to wrestle...

How to Blend Colored Pencils for Smooth Shading

When I was growing up, our dining table was basically a permanent art station. There were always colored pencils rolling under placemats, half-finished doodles, and someone insisting that this shade of blue was “more ocean-y.” That is probably why blending feels so comforting to me now. It is not...

About Penelope Dixon

Hi, I’m Penelope Dixon, and I’m so happy you found your way to my little corner of the internet. Welcome to Free Coloring. Here, we treat a blank page like an invitation, not intimidation. If you’ve ever stared at a line drawing and thought, “I’m going to mess this up,” you are in exactly the right...