Axolotl Close-Up Portrait

Get up close with this head-and-shoulders portrait of an axolotl smiling right at you. Big friendly eyes and a wide, curved grin sit at the center, while large, detailed feathery gill branches spread out dramatically on both sides of its head like a fancy headdress. Because the face fills the page, the eyes and mouth are nice and large for younger colorists, but the branching gills are full of tiny fronds that reward older kids who enjoy careful detail work. Those frilly gills are the axolotl's most famous feature, and they help it breathe underwater. Because you can see every part of the head so clearly, the close view is a great chance to talk about how an axolotl's face is shaped and how it differs from a frog or a fish. Print this portrait on US Letter or A4 and color those gills however you imagine them, from natural pink to a bold rainbow.