Angel Coloring Pages

Angels have been drawn for centuries with the same few elements: wings, a flowing robe and often a halo. These angel coloring pages keep those elements and put them in gentle scenes, from a guardian angel keeping watch over a crib to cherubs playing on a swing hung from a cloud.

The guardian angel pages are some of the most loved. An angel holds a lantern over a baby asleep in a crib, another watches over children crossing a stone bridge, a third flies over the rooftops of a sleeping village. Other angels pray: kneeling on a cloud, standing among lilies, framed in a stained glass window or resting on a stone bench with a dove on one wing. The cherubs are round and cheerful: one plays a harp, one hugs a cloud, one rides a swan, two fly with a long ribbon and two play on a cloud swing.

Many angels are simply at peace in nature: one holds a butterfly in her hands, one carries a sheaf of wheat at sunrise, one walks a flower path, one gathers feathers into a basket, one draws water from a well, one pours water into a stone basin under a tree, one stands under an arch of roses and another cares for a flock of lambs. There is an angel on a mountain cliff, an angel sitting on the crescent moon, an angel knitting a scarf on a cloud and an angel shielding a candle flame. The holidays have their angels too: a trumpet angel, an angel pointing to the star and an angel holding one, a Christmas angel framed by holly and candles, an Easter angel with a dove at sunrise above the word EASTER, and a child making a snow angel. For older colorists there is an angel in armor resting on a sword, a portrait in a ring of stars, a mandala of wings around a halo, two angels inside a heart and a page border of angel wings.

Angels in stories and art

In the Bible, angels are messengers: the angel Gabriel brings news to Mary, and angels announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds in the fields, which is why angels and stars appear on so many Christmas cards. A guardian angel is the idea that each person has an angel watching over them, a comforting thought for many children at bedtime. Cherubs, the little round angels with small wings, come mostly from Renaissance painting, where they fill the skies of church ceilings. The trumpet, the harp and the halo all come from that same long tradition of religious art.

How to color an angel

Angels are traditionally light and bright:

• White, cream and pale gold for the wings, with a little gray or pale blue in the feathers for depth.
• Soft blue, rose or lavender for the robes.
• Gold or yellow for halos, stars and trumpets.
• Warm skin tones and any hair color, since angels are drawn in every kind of face.

The stained glass angel looks beautiful in jewel colors, deep blue, ruby red, emerald and gold, with the black lines left strong like lead between the glass.

Gentle pages and detailed ones

The simplest pages show one angel or cherub, drawn large, with little around it. Quick to color, above the grid, begins with:

• Cloud hug
• Candle
• Swan ride

The stained glass, the wing mandala and the rose arch are full of fine detail for older children and adults. Lots of detail begins with:

• Stained glass
• Night village
• Bridge crossing

Angels for Sunday school, Christmas and comfort

Angel pages suit a Sunday school lesson on the Christmas story or on guardian angels, a Christmas or Easter card, or a quiet moment of comfort. A child can color a guardian angel to hang near the bed, or color an angel for someone who is sick or missing a loved one. The wing border frames a prayer, a verse or a short message.

Printing

Every page is a free A4 PDF drawn at 300 dpi. A4 prints at full size, and on US Letter "fit to page" shrinks the drawing by about six percent so the wingtips stay on the paper. The printing guide shows the setting. Add to pack prints a whole choir of angels at once. More are in the Bible coloring pages and the Jesus coloring pages, and angels go well with the Christmas coloring pages and the Easter coloring pages.