Printable Southwest Coloring Pages

Desert Wildlife and Plant Life

The American Southwest is home to highly adapted plants and animals. When coloring the regional flora and fauna, you will find iconic species like the roadrunner, desert bighorn sheep, and the desert tortoise. These animals thrive in arid conditions by seeking shade during the hottest parts of the day and foraging at dusk.

Plant life in this region offers distinct textures for coloring. The prickly pear and barrel cactus store water in their thick stems and defend themselves with sharp spines. Green, yellow, and deep red colored pencils work well to capture the bright, blooming flowers that appear on these cacti after rare desert rainstorms.

Adobe Architecture and Traditional Crafts

Human history in the Southwest is deeply tied to the environment. The historic adobe structures, including multi-story pueblos and mission churches, were built using a mixture of earth, water, and straw. These buildings typically feature flat roofs, wooden beams called vigas, and thick walls that naturally regulate the extreme desert temperatures.

You can also color traditional crafts like geometric woven rugs and painted pottery, which reflect centuries of indigenous and Hispanic heritage. These designs often incorporate natural dyes and clay colors sourced directly from the surrounding earth.

• Use earthy browns, tans, and warm grays for the adobe walls and vintage wagon wheels.
• Apply bright turquoise, coral red, and deep black for the intricate geometric patterns on the woven rugs.
• Color the sky behind the historic mission churches a vibrant, cloudless blue to contrast sharply with the warm earth tones of the buildings.