Lion Coloring Page (2 of 4)

Here the lion's head and mane take center stage. The mane sweeps out around a calm, level gaze, and if you follow those locks one at a time the whole picture starts to feel like it is in motion. There is a bit more detail than the opening sheet, which makes it a nice one to sit with for a while.

About the Lion

The lion is one of the few cats that lives in a group. A pride is built around related females who hunt together and raise their young side by side, while the males, with their heavy manes, mostly guard the territory. A male's mane tends to darken as he ages, and it is read by other lions as a sign of his condition.

Across many parts of the world the lion has come to mean courage and dignity. In Japan the same idea appears in the stone guardian lions outside shrines and in the lively lion dance, performed at New Year and festivals to wish for good health and to drive bad luck away. That image of a brave, watchful protector is familiar to people of every generation.

Benefits as a Coloring & Brain Training Activity

A lion is a satisfying subject precisely because of the mane. Filling it in strand by strand asks for a steady hand and a bit of focus, and layering warm tones to give the fur some depth is good, gentle exercise for the fingers. Many people find the repetition quietly calming, and the finished sheet is bold enough to be worth framing.