Most people do not have a history of painting or drawing designs. They appreciate pre-drawn designs such as coloring pages, paint by numbers, embroidery designs stamped on fabrics, iron-on designs or designs that can be traced. The internet makes finding designs faster and free, but family and friends tend to select designs that are too hard or simple. Skilled knowledge is usually required to find and select designs that capture and sustain attention for the desired amount of time.
Too Hard
Selecting a design that will sustain their attention is harder than it seems because most designs for adults have tiny spaces, contain too much detail and take too long to complete. Scanning complicated designs can quickly eliminate these problems by passing on designs with lots of black ink.
The "therapeutic effects" is a misleading marketing devise in current use. Caregivers should be warned about black ink in mandalas that have made some people with a cognitive disability feel dizzy.
Too Childish
Too childish requires a definition of what childish is, exactly. To keep designs from looking childish avoid kittens, puppies, babies, small children, cartoons and toys. Cats, dogs, adults and adult toys do not usually carry childish connotations. Childish is portrayed by the content in the picture, which appeals to children but may insult adults or their loved ones.
The fact that there are exceptions to every rule is why humor is funny.
Just Right
The following examples are from a simple series of mandalas that might start as low as ACL 4.8:
- The distinctly separated parts are repeated and may not require the retention of an image of the whole picture in working memory, suggesting that it might be done within ACL 4.8.
- The orderly arrangement of the parts that form a whole mandala are distinct, suggesting that it might be done within ACL 5.0
- The overall look of the mandala can be perceived within a few seconds and colored fast enough to compare the effects of changing colors while using the same design, which may capture the attention of someone interested in surface appearances within ACL 5.2.
To draw a design or scan a thousand designs in the "coloring pages" on the internet, you need specific criteria that clearly define the drawing characteristics that are effective. There aren't any, so we are going to develop them.