Have you ever felt unhappy after a long session of scrolling through your phone? You’re not alone; studies show that the more screen time we have, the unhappier we become. A study was recently released by the American Psychological Association that saw that the “psychological well-being” of adolescents decreased after 2012—about the time that smartphone usage became truly ubiquitous. How do you remedy this? One way is to put your phone and tablet away, grab your favorite set of colored pencils, and get coloring!
Believe it or not, coloring can be very therapeutic. And, best of all, diving into this calming hobby is easier than you think. You don’t need to go and purchase a coloring book; there are a ton of free adult coloring sheets that you can download for free. All you need is access to a printer.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, there’s probably a coloring sheet for it. Whether that’s exquisite floral arrangements, outdoor scenes, or inspiring words, you can find it on a variety of sites. To download them, you simply click the image and it's ready to print. There’s another advantage to downloadable coloring sheets; because you can theoretically print each page more than once, you can try the same composition in a variety of hues.
So what are you waiting for? Check out some of the best places for free adult coloring sheets. And if you’re looking for coloring sheets with a museum-inspired twist, the #ColorOurCollections campaign invites you to fill in institutions’ collections from around the world.
Looking for free adult coloring sheets? Scroll down to see some of our favorite places to find them.
Art is Fun: Thaneeya McArdle runs the website Art is Fun, comprising a number of printable coloring book pages. Some images are silly and others inspiring, but they all have a dizzying array of patterns that are sure to make for many hours of coloring fun.
Just Color: This site is the crème de la crème for free adult coloring pages. They have over 1,300 pages that vary in theme—from mandalas to nature to travels. Our favorites are in the Art section, which features some of the greatest masterpieces just waiting for you to reinvent them in color.
FaveCrafts: FaveCraft is another trove of coloring sheets. They have nearly 50 individual printable coloring sheets as well as six free printable coloring books that gather some seasonal themes (like spring or Halloween) into one easy-to-download PDF.
Faber-Castell: It should come as no surprise that colored pencil companies are making their own downloadable coloring pages. Faber-Castell has released many that anyone can download. This includes samples of coloring books by Dover Publications and special holiday-themed designs.
Coloring Bliss: Designed with “the colorist in mind,” there are more than 50 pages available for free. This site also offers a (free) membership program that has product reviews, tutorials, and a chance to connect with a coloring community. Additionally, you can pay $5/month for a premium membership that allows you access to over 300 hand-drawn pages with more added every month.
What will you color first? Be sure to share your work in My Modern Met's Art, Design, Photography, and Drawing Club!
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