Ideas for coloring the Lotus mandala
Lotus is built like an opening flower, so try coloring it from the outside in. Start with the outer dotted ring in a deep green, as if it were the lily pad, then work inward through the three petal rings in pinks that get paler toward the center. By the time you reach the spokes in the middle, the bloom seems to glow from within.
With colored pencils, press harder at the base of each petal and lighten your hand toward the tip. It takes a little practice, so test the stroke on the first few petals and keep going once it looks right. If you prefer markers, use two shades per ring instead of shading. The page takes most people thirty to forty minutes, a good length for a quiet afternoon break.
Questions
What is the best tool for the Lotus mandala?
Colored pencils suit it best, because the petals are large enough to shade from dark to light. Fine felt pens work for flat color. Thick markers are too wide for the small dots near the center.
Is Lotus too hard for an eight-year-old?
It is a medium page, made for children from about eight. The petals are big, though the dotted rings take patience. If it feels long, color it over two sittings.
What does eight-fold symmetry mean here?
The design repeats eight times around the center, like slices of a pie. If you color one slice, you can copy the same colors into the other seven and the whole mandala stays balanced.