How to Use iHeartArt Marker By Numbers Dragons: Step-by-Step

Quick answer

Work one numbered section at a time, matching each marker to the printed number before you uncap it. Start with the lightest colors and largest areas, keep a scrap sheet under your hand to test flow, and let each section dry before you move to an adjacent one. That order prevents smears, keeps your marker tips clean, and gives you clean dragon marker art without redoing sections.

Marker by numbers kits are forgiving, but they reward a little order. If you jump between numbers or press hard on the first section, you get dark patches, bleeding edges, and tips that pick up the wrong color. The fix is a simple sequence you repeat across the page.

This guide walks through the full process for an iHeartArt dragons kit: setup, color order, layering, edge cleanup, and finishing. It also covers what to do when a marker runs dry mid-dragon and how to store the kit so the next session starts clean.

Set up your workspace before you open a marker

Clear a flat surface and tape the page down at two corners so it cannot shift while you color. Put a scrap sheet of paper under your working hand; this catches accidental strokes and stops oil from your skin from dulling the printed numbers. Lay out every marker in numeric order so you are not hunting for a color mid-section.

Keep a damp cloth or paper towel nearby for fingers, and a dry one for the page. If your kit includes a numbered color key, keep it visible rather than folded under the pad. This is the step most people skip, and it is the reason a session turns into a search for marker number seven.

• Checkpoint: every marker is uncapped only when you are ready to use it, so tips do not dry out.

Read the number key and plan your color order

Scan the whole page before you color anything. Note which numbers cover the largest areas, which appear in small details like eyes and scales, and which sections sit next to each other. Coloring large areas first and small details last keeps your hand from resting on wet ink.

Common mistake: starting with the darkest color because it looks dramatic. Dark markers are hardest to correct, so save them for last. If two numbers are very close in shade, test both on your scrap sheet first so you can tell them apart under your lighting.

• Work light to dark, large to small, and background to foreground.

Color one numbered section at a time

Fill a single numbered area completely before moving on. Use light, even strokes in one direction rather than scrubbing back and forth, which frays the tip and pushes ink past the printed lines. Stay just inside the outline; a hair of white left at the edge is easier to fix than a bleed you have to hide.

If a section is large, work in small patches and overlap each stroke slightly so you do not get banding. Checkpoint: hold the page at arm's length after each section. If you can see streaks, add one more light pass rather than pressing harder.

• Common mistake: pressing hard to get a darker color. Layer a second light pass instead.

Layer for depth without muddying the colors

Let the first layer dry to the touch before adding a second. Marker ink that is still wet will lift and smear when you go over it, and blending two wet colors usually turns both muddy. For shading on wings and scales, add a second pass only along the underside or inner edge of a section.

If your kit's colors are translucent, build depth slowly over two or three passes. If they are opaque, one even pass is usually enough and extra layers can look flat. Either way, test on scrap first so you know how your specific markers behave.

• Checkpoint: the page is dry to a light touch before you start an adjacent section.

Fix bleeds, smears, and dry markers

A small bleed past a line is normal. Let it dry completely, then decide whether it reads as shading or needs covering. Do not try to wipe wet marker ink; you will spread it. If a smear happens on a light area, a light pass of the correct number over the dry smear often hides it.

If a marker starts skipping, check the tip for paper fibers before you assume it is empty. Wipe the tip on scrap paper and try again. A marker that is genuinely dry mid-project is a stopping point for that color, not a reason to substitute a random shade.

• Common mistake: swapping in a similar-looking marker without checking the number key.

Finish, flatten, and store the kit

Once every number is filled, give the page ten to fifteen minutes to dry fully before you handle it. If the page curled from taping or from moisture, lay it flat under a heavy book for a few hours. Then remove the tape slowly at a low angle so you do not tear the paper edge.

Recap every marker until you hear the click, and store the kit flat rather than upright if the case allows. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat, which dries out marker tips faster than normal use. Store the finished dragon art flat or in a sleeve rather than rolled.

• Checkpoint: markers are capped, the page is dry, and the color key is back with the kit.

Your marker by numbers walkthrough

1. 1. Tape and stage the page: Tape two corners to a flat surface, place a scrap sheet under your hand, and lay out markers in numeric order with the color key visible. Checkpoint: nothing shifts when you press down.
2. 2. Plan color order from the key: Scan the page and note large areas, tiny details, and neighboring sections. Plan to work light to dark and large to small. Common mistake: starting with the darkest marker.
3. 3. Fill one number at a time: Complete a single numbered section with light, even strokes in one direction, staying just inside the outline. Checkpoint: no visible streaks at arm's length.
4. 4. Layer only after the ink dries: Add a second light pass for shading once the first layer is dry to the touch, especially along undersides and inner edges. Common mistake: blending two wet colors and muddying both.
5. 5. Handle bleeds and dry tips: Let any bleed dry, then cover it with a light pass of the correct number. Wipe skipping tips on scrap before deciding a marker is empty. Do not substitute a similar shade without checking the key.
6. 6. Dry, flatten, and store: Let the finished page dry fully, flatten it under a heavy book if it curled, remove tape slowly, and recap every marker. Store the kit flat, away from heat and direct sun.

Supplies that make marker sessions easier

• iHeartArt Dry Media Sketch Pad: 9 x 12 inch spiral-bound pad with 100 sheets of 50 lb / 74 gsm paper, described as an all-purpose pad for markers, crayons, pens, and colored pencils, for ages 6+. Useful as a scrap and test sheet beside your numbered page, so you can check marker flow and color before touching the artwork.
• Metallic Paint Markers: 12 metallic paint markers with two nibs each, a fine point and a dot nib, for shimmery art on rocks, shells, leaves, sticks, mugs, and more. A separate option if you want to add metallic accents to a finished dragon on a surface other than the numbered page; these are paint markers, not the numbered-kit markers.
• iHeartArt 12 Tempera Paint Sticks: Twist-up tubes of real tempera paint that need no water, dry fast, blend and layer, and work on paper, canvas, cardboard, and wood, for ages 6+. A no-mess alternative for kids who want to fill large areas of a dragon drawing quickly while the marker work is saved for fine details.

The order matters more than the speed: stage the page, plan from the number key, fill one section at a time, and layer only when the ink is dry. Follow that sequence and your iHeartArt dragons page stays clean from the first scale to the last. When you finish, recap the markers and store the kit flat so the next session starts as easily as this one did.