Mandala coloring books were among the initial books to enter the world of adult coloring books. Irrespective of the trend, the mandalas are the most popular adult coloring book artworks.
While any illustration can make us relax while coloring it, the mandala artwork stands out due to its ability to trigger inner calm. For those who do not know, a mandala is a sacred Hindu or Buddhist symbol representing the cosmos by featuring a network of squares and circles.
Why Mandalas?
Most people know it as a beautiful pattern repeated in a globular way to prevent thinking about which shades and colors and facilitate filling the spaces with any color appearing to be appealing.
This is exactly what art therapists recommend, selecting preferable colors and triggering the emotion in you with the chosen color. For example, blue is likely to trigger calmness, yellow may give a feeling of happiness, and green may make you recall a quiet forest. Well, this is up to you.
This process encourages individuals to remain focused and present, effectively acting as a form of meditation. Such activity helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, providing a serene and calming experience that distinguishes mandala coloring from typical coloring activities.
Today, mandalas are recognized as creative symbols of spirituality. Being a part of nature and humanity, there is no wonder why humans find them so soothing.
If you are looking for a superb mandala coloring book to relax and become more creative in your way, here is a list of my favorite mandala coloring books to check out!
What Are The Best Mandala Coloring Books?
Relaxing Bold Mandala Coloring Book, by Dya Boone (2023)
Prepare to sail gently down the river of tranquility with a mandala coloring book that might just be the most chilled-out item on your bookshelf. Boasting a resplendent collection of 70 patterns, it's like a spa day for your mind. The designs are high contrast, a little treat for our older enthusiasts, or anyone needing a bit of clarity in their life. What's on the menu? Well, calming circles, blooming tulips, vibrant sunflowers, exquisite orchids.
The book is an 8.5 x 8.5 inches of pure peace – the kind of book that fits just right in your hands and your lap. As you color, you'll find yourself drifting into a state of mindfulness, where stress has no dominion.
Whether you wield your coloring pencils with the precision of a surgeon or the enthusiasm of a kid let loose in an art room, there's a pattern here that'll feel like it's been designed just for you.
This coloring book isn't just a pastime, it's a journey into the relaxing realms of your mind. Need a gift for a stressed-out friend, a bored teen, or a senior looking for a soothing hobby? This mandala coloring book will feel like a warm, tranquil hug.
Mandala Coloring Book, by Zephyros Publishing (2023)
Zephyros Publishing presents the ultimate Mandala Coloring Book for adults, a stress-relief tool featuring 40 intricate mandala-style illustrations. The aim of this coloring book is to provide a peaceful outlet for individuals to unwind and de-stress after a hectic day.
The illustrations, designed with serene landscapes, are intended to captivate the imagination and provide a tranquil escape. The coloring book is compatible with all skill levels, offering a range of intricate to simpler designs to cater to beginners and experienced colorists alike.
Standout features of this Mandala Coloring Book include single-sided pages that prevent any color bleeding onto subsequent pages and provide easy framing of completed artwork for display. Also unique to this book are the frames included for each picture, eliminating concerns of coloring on the edge of the page and making the process more enjoyable and stress-free. The meticulous design of each illustration aims to induce relaxation and provide an oasis from the commotion of daily life.
Cocktails and Crayons Adult Coloring Book: Mandalas Volume I, by Genesis Books (2021)
This is the book to get started with if you are an avid fan of intricate designs and expect them to be your effective creative color. It has 100 designs numbered for quick reference and if you are out of patterns, just search for the other five volumes that are part of the series.
You can use almost any type of coloring tool ranging right from colored pencils to markers, to turn your stressful mind into a calm one. The designs are not too complex but yet some are challenging enough to force you to push your level of creativity. The book features the mandala designs on one-sided sheet with black backing to avoid any bleed-through.
In short, this book is a fun, therapeutic way to rewind and relax. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, you're sure to find something to inspire you in this collection.
Mandala Daydream (Moonlight edition), by Karen Sue Chen (2022)
The Moonlight Edition of the Mandala Daydream coloring book is newly released and luxuriously seeped in black ink to create a dark-as-night coloring experience. The pages are perfect for those who love all things dark and mystic.
The 37 mandala illustrations by Karen Sue Chen are colorful and mesmerizing. Each one is unique and provides a daydream-like escape. The detailed designs are perfect for meditation or simply finding peace in the moment. Karen's artwork is inspired by nature and her travels, which can be seen in the intricate details of each mandala.
Whether you're a fan of art or not, these mandalas are sure to captivate you.
The Art of Mandala, by Jason Hamilton (2018)
Regarded as one of the most popular mandala coloring books, the Art of Mandala is the brainchild of Jason Hamilton, an artist who loves making striking hand-drawn artworks.
This light and small book encompasses 50 top-notch mandalas sketched to intricate, repetitive designs. You can find some of the best mandala coloring ideas in this book.
Each design is a distinct hand-drawn innovation that has no other match. Ideal for any age or skillset, this book is so compact that you can curl on a couch while coloring the designs in it.
As you move ahead, the designs tend to become more complex. This means your skills tend to grow as you proceed. The manufacturer recommends using color pencils for maximizing both fun and stress relief.
It is worth keeping in mind that this book is more recommended for indoor coloring, as it is not hardbound.
Amazing Patterns, by Coloring Book Kim (2020)
This is another book with fantastic 50 mandala coloring ideas. It comes from a brand that is known to design entertainment as well as educational books for both kids and adults.
Thus, there is no doubt that with this book, you will be procuring some great relaxing patterns to move away from the chaotic life and get immersed into the realm of peace.
Each design idea has a finishing touch with a focus on minute details. It is astonishing to see these hand-drawn original designs reflecting originality and professional accuracy. As each design is unique, you are ensured of enjoying a creative and colorful play.
Creativity is at its peak while coloring these designs with your choice of colors, building a sense of independence and self-esteem. With this book, anyone can easily enter into the realm of colors, peace, and relaxation.
125 Mandalas, by Coloring Book Cafe (2020)
This is an international bestseller on Amazon, which befits those who want to have a striking calming experience by coloring some of the most beautiful mandalas in the world.
Featuring the typical spiritual designs reflecting the ingenuity of several cultures, this book offers an amazing set of visualizing-striking mandalas that are among the most elegant and popular ones. You get a whooping range of 125 great mandalas that are universally acclaimed.
The mandalas inside belong to different categories such as stained glass reflecting classic stained-glass patterns, ethnic mandalas from cultures such as Polynesian, Celtic, Native American, and Aztec, classic mandalas triggering mindfulness, gemstone mandalas, and Greek mandalas reflecting the classical Greek architecture.
All of them are hand-drawn but never fail to kindle your artistic ambition. You can easily remove each printed sheet and give a colorful look to the pattern on it using watercolors, markers, colored pencils, and gel pens.
The book contains a series of both simple and intricate patterns to suit anyone at any skill level. After all, it comes from an esteemed brand of 100+ exemplified masterpieces.
Mandala Adult Coloring Book, by Colorya (2020)
This book is for you if you love coloring the mandalas on smooth and thick paper. Yes, not all mandala coloring books come with such paper quality; many come with thin A4 papers. Moreover, this book supports several coloring mediums such as colored pens, water-based markers, and gel pens without bleeding.
Even watercolor pencils work but only with less amount of water; or very wet brush is certainly not a recommended option. In case of colored pencils, you will not find much tooth to work with due to smooth paper.
You can even use alcohol markers, as a pattern is on a single side of a paper. However, due to the risk of bleeding with these markers, consider placing a piece of paper beneath your pattern page.
Inside the book, there are both traditional and new style mandalas, the latter having artistic non-mandala partially. You get 30 elegant hand-made mandala designs encompassing both easy and challenging ideas to put color into.
No matter which design you choose, this book will relieve you from stress and make you feel the most-awaited joy of peace.
100 Amazing Patterns, by Jade Summer (2019)
This is a mandala coloring book for nature fans. Although it comes with fun geometric patterns and other themes, the striking patterns of flowers and animals seem to win the minds of several users. Go for it if you wish to have maximum mandalas at this price point.
You not only enjoy the symmetrical floral beauty but also rejoice in symmetrical geometric patterns, ensuring diverse designs to color. With 100 distinct patterns and themes, you will have something easy or something challenging to color.
Thus, the book is suitable for all skill levels, ranging right from a beginner to an expert. There is truly no universal way to color; just proceed however you want. Each design is on its front page, due to which no artwork is on both sides.
There are no whitespaces, which means more to color. This is unlike many other mandala coloring books.
The relaxing patterns inside are from one of the bestsellers, Jade Summer, known for 150+ coloring books and online communities.
Arteza Coloring Book for Adults, by ARTEZA (2019)
Designed by Arteza with the mission of offering top-notch and economical art supplies for artists of all levels, this is an easy-to-color mandala coloring book to get started with. Choose this book if you are a great fan of flora.
This is because it comes with more than 70 elaborate floral designs known to trigger relaxation and concentration. These designs can help you keep focused and calm when stress engulfs you.
Immerse yourself for hours in coloring these designs meant for any age group and gender. You can use any coloring tool such as crayons, brush pens, markers, or colored pencils on these strong, detachable, and bleed-resistant pages to stir your creativity.
Yes, you can just tear a page for coloring the desired pattern on just one page. You can even do so for showcasing your masterpiece. You also get an elastic band to close the pages in the book.
Mandala Coloring Book, by ColorIt (2015)
This book with original mandalas from ColorIt is among the most popular adult coloring books. Suitable for any age and gender, this book has 50 designs to color to give you ample hours of fun and relaxation.
Each divine shape tends to sharpen your creativity. There is a gratifying range of different styles of mandalas, ranging from simple lines to intricate black and bold patterns, with each being crisp.
This coloring book is unique with its hardback surface, spiral binding, and blotter-free papers supporting markers without bleeding.
The top-quality papers are smooth and bright enough to showcase your coloring skills using markers, crayons, coloring pencils, pastels, and gel pens (not the light-colored ones, though). The light-colored gel pens may bleed. They are also easy to remove so that you can frame your favorite masterpiece.
Final Thoughts on Mandala Coloring Books
When I first encountered Mandala coloring books, I must admit, I was skeptical. The seemingly repetitive patterns struck me as potentially monotonous, each page appearing as little more than a geometric swirl. From the surface, it felt akin to filling in an intricate crossword puzzle without clues, a potentially tedious exercise that might quickly become boring.
But as I dived deeper, I found myself steadily drawn into a world I hadn't anticipated. There's a certain allure that comes with the gradual progression of coloring, the simple act of filling each segment transforming into a meditative journey. The monotonous patterns began to reveal themselves as a fascinating mesh of complexity and simplicity, providing a platform for creativity and relaxation.
The symmetry, the intricate designs, the choice of colors; every aspect began to represent an opportunity for self-expression. Each completed mandala became a reflection of the time and thought invested in it, making the process of coloring less of a task and more of a therapeutic pastime.
Are you looking for more coloring books? Check out our favorite adult coloring books!
My profession is online marketing and development (10+ years experience), check my latest mobile app called Upcoming or my Chrome extensions for ChatGPT. But my real passion is reading books both fiction and non-fiction. I have several favorite authors like James Redfield or Daniel Keyes. If I read a book I always want to find the best part of it, every book has its unique value.