Japanese Mandala #7 - Free Coloring Page

A six-petal cherry blossom, each petal ribbed with a fine line and marked by a dot near its tip, sits at the center of this mandala coloring page. A tight ring of tiny flowered hexagons surrounds it, followed by a band of bamboo leaves and a ring of interlocking geometric scales. A wide belt then mixes flying cranes, curling clouds and scalloped waves, before an outer ring split into square compartments - crane, cloud, flowered lattice, bamboo - closed off by a clean double circle.

The line stays fine from center to edge, with very small areas to fill: bamboo leaflets, crane wings, millimetre-sized hexagons. This design suits experienced colorists working with fine pencils or fineliners rather than young children. Expect two to three hours to complete every ring and the outer band.

Start with the central blossom and its hexagon ring, the easiest shapes to isolate, before tackling the cranes and clouds where the line tightens. A hard-lead colored pencil helps avoid bleeding into the finest sections. For this printable mandala, use an A3 sheet and at least 200gsm paper for crisp detail.