Fern Fronds in a Narrow Glass Panel Coloring Page

Two tall fern fronds rise side by side, one in each half of a double panel divided by a heavy central bar. Each frond is a single curving stem carrying rows of small leaflets that step off alternately left and right, tapering from broad at the base to tiny near the tip. Every leaflet is a closed shape with short vein strokes running out from its middle, and there are a great many of them.

A shallow arch cuts across the top of each light, and a narrow vertical border strip runs down the outer edge of both, so the frame reads as a pair of matched cabinet doors in leaded glass.

The repetition is the point here. Work one frond from the base upward, one leaflet at a time, and let the color shift slowly as you climb. Because the two fronds mirror each other, you can either match them exactly for a formal look or run them in two related greens for something softer.

The leaflets are small, so a broad marker will swallow the vein lines. Use a sharp pencil or a fine nib throughout and accept that this is a slow page. Put aside the best part of an hour.