Dandelion Mandala

Dandelion seeds burst out from a dotted center like a giant puffball, ringed by jagged dandelion leaves, closed buds and slender blades. The fluffy seed tufts are drawn as bold black strokes, so what you color are the leaves, buds, stems and the open background. About 250 areas: an airy but detailed page for ages 10 and up.

Level

Detailed

Areas to color

247

Ages

Ages 10+ & adults

Time to color (estimate)

40–60 minutes

Paper

A4 or US Letter, standard printer paper

Since the seed tufts are already black, color the background: scrape a soft pastel into powder and rub it on with a cotton pad, a dusk gradient from pale yellow to lilac. Then add the leaves in two greens and the closed buds in olive with tan tips.

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.