Autumn Mandala

An autumn wreath in rings: acorns with crosshatched caps around the edge, then maple, oak and birch leaves, then berry sprigs, small pine cones and spotted toadstools circling a rosette of serrated leaves. Every object has white space around it. About 300 areas, a detailed but open page for ages 10 and adults.

Level

Detailed

Areas to color

298

Ages

Ages 10+ & adults

Time to color (estimate)

1–2 hours

Paper

A4 or US Letter, standard printer paper

Give each kind of leaf its own fall color (all maples red, oaks orange, birches golden) and keep a few green for late summer. Make the toadstools fly-agaric red, leaving their spots white. Color the acorn caps a darker brown than the nuts so the crosshatching shows.

Color from the center outward so your hand doesn't smudge finished areas.

Choose a palette before starting: analogous colors (blue, teal, green) feel calm; complementary ones (blue and orange) feel lively.