Penguins on Ice Coloring Page

Penguins are naturally entertaining subjects with their tuxedo-like markings and waddling charm, and putting them on ice creates opportunities for both simple shapes and interesting textures. The contrast between the sleek birds and the crystalline ice they’re standing on gives you different surfaces to work with in one picture.

What colors work best?

While penguins seem like a straightforward black and white situation, there’s room to play. Try adding blue or purple tints to the white areas to suggest cold light bouncing off snow. The ice itself can shimmer with pale blues, aquas, and even touches of lavender or mint green where light hits it. For the background, cool grays and blues create depth, or you could go bold with an Antarctic sunset in oranges and pinks. Don’t forget that penguin beaks and feet are typically orange or yellow, which pop nicely against all those cool tones.

Did you know?

Emperor penguins can dive deeper than 500 meters and hold their breath for over 20 minutes while hunting for fish. Their black and white coloring isn’t just stylish – it’s camouflage called countershading that protects them from predators above and below when they’re swimming. Penguins also have a special gland that produces oil to waterproof their feathers, which they spread during preening.

How to color this one

Colored pencils work well here since you can layer light blues and grays to build up the glossy ice surface gradually. For the ice, try leaving some white paper showing through and adding cracks or lines in darker blue to suggest texture and depth. When coloring the penguins themselves, use light pressure with gray or blue pencils on the white areas rather than leaving them completely blank – this creates dimension. The black areas benefit from a second layer of dark blue or purple to keep them from looking flat.

Who’ll love this?

This works well for younger kids who enjoy animals but can also engage older colorists interested in working with a limited, sophisticated color palette. It’s a nice choice for a quiet weekend afternoon or when you want something calming that doesn’t require intense concentration on tiny details.