Crane and Turtle Coloring Page (3 of 4)

The crane is mostly white, with black at the wing tips and a small cap of red on the head - that touch of red is the part that brings it to life. The turtle takes warm browns and greens, with each segment of the shell picked out a little differently. Letting the white crane carry a faint grey shadow keeps it from looking flat. Color it as you like.

About the Crane and Turtle

The crane and the turtle appear together again and again in Japanese art and celebration, joined by the old phrase that the crane lives a thousand years and the turtle ten thousand. The crane is admired for its elegant form and for pairing faithfully for life, while the turtle, slow and steady, has long stood for endurance - so the two together make a complete picture of a long, well-lived span.

This pairing is a familiar sight at New Year, at weddings and at celebrations of long life, worked into decorations and patterns as a heartfelt wish for health and many happy years. It is one of the most recognizable of all auspicious motifs in Japan, warmly known across every generation, which makes it an especially meaningful subject to color.

Benefits as a Coloring & Brain Training Activity

For coloring, the two halves offer a pleasing contrast - the soft, flowing feathers of the crane and the firm, geometric segments of the turtle's shell - so the hand gets to work in two different ways on one sheet. Picking out the crane's small red cap and giving the shell its varied browns is good, gentle exercise for focus, and the finished page makes a warm gift for someone you wish well.