Begin by making a list of all the features you will be coloring in. These will include zones (such as residential, mixed and industrial), landscape features (wetlands, creeks) and any other important features (parks, greenways).
Assign a color to each feature and create a key for the map. There are some conventions for planning maps, such as using green for recreational land uses, purple for industrial, yellow for single family and red for commercial. Place the key in a non-critical area of the plan.
Color in the plan with the markers. Start by outlining the edges of area to be colored to maximize neatness, and then fill in the rest of the area.