Lotus Mandala Coloring Page
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Two rings of broad lotus petals radiate from a plain circular centre. This is the gentlest mandala we publish and a sensible place to start if the more intricate designs have felt like work rather than rest. The petals are wide enough to hold a graded wash from base to tip, which is the technique worth trying here: keeping one hue and varying only its depth, darkest where the petal meets the centre. Done across a whole ring it produces a glow that no amount of color variety achieves. The two rings are offset from each other, so alternating between two closely related colors reads as depth rather than as stripes. It prints cleanly at A4 and scales well to A3 without going soft, since the artwork is vector rather than a scanned image, and the wider petals at A3 make graded shading considerably easier to control. Colored pencil suits it better than marker, because the petals are wide enough that a marker edge becomes visible as a hard line partway across, whereas pencil can be carried all the way from base to tip without a seam.
Color suggestions
- One hue per ring, dark at the petal base
- Two closely related colors alternating between rings
- Warm centre against cool petals
- Centre left white
Did you know?
- Lotus leaves repel water so completely that the effect is named after them. The lotus effect has been copied in self-cleaning paints and fabrics.
- Lotus seeds are extraordinarily long-lived. Seeds recovered from a dry lake bed in China were successfully germinated after more than a thousand years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a good mandala to start with?
Yes. The petals are wide and there are far fewer segments than in our intricate designs, so it can be finished in one sitting rather than three.
How do I get the petals to glow?
Use one color and vary only its depth, darkest where the petal meets the centre and palest at the tip. Repeated around a whole ring it produces a glow that mixing colors will not.
