Gorilla Coloring Pages

Strong and kind, the leader of the family!

You might think Gorilla is super big and strong, but Gorilla is actually very calm and gentle at heart. Gorilla belongs to the same "primate" group as humans. Male Gorilla gets silver hair on his back, so he is called a "silverback." He becomes a reliable leader who protects his family!

Where do they live?

Gorilla lives in the forests of the African continent.

• "Western Gorilla" mainly lives in the western part of Africa (such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon).
• "Eastern Gorilla" mainly lives in the mountains and forests of central to eastern Africa (such as Uganda and Rwanda). Their body size and fur color are a little different depending on where they live!

What do they eat?

Gorilla is a "herbivore," which means Gorilla mostly eats plants.

• Gorilla eats lots of leaves, tree bark, roots, and fruits.
• Sometimes Gorilla eats insects like ants, but mostly plants! Even though Gorilla has a huge body, watching Gorilla sit back and eat calmly is so cute and fun!

Super big body!

Gorilla has a really huge body compared to humans!

• Male Gorilla can grow to about 180 centimeters tall. He can weigh around 180 kilograms! That can be more than twice as heavy as an adult human man.
• Female Gorilla is a little smaller than male Gorilla, and weighs around 90 kilograms. Even with such a big body, Gorilla can move quickly through the jungle!

Living happily together as a family!

Gorilla lives in a family group of about 5 to 10 members. This group has a strong male leader (silverback), female Gorilla, and babies. The leader has a very important job to protect the family from danger and decide where to go!

Eating food with hands!

Gorilla uses hands and fingers really well, just like humans!

• You can watch Gorilla move fingers carefully to pick leaves or peel fruits.
• Just like humans, Gorilla can move the thumb opposite to the other fingers, so Gorilla is great at doing small tasks!

How to Choose Colors: Pick Colors That Fit Their Tough Body!

Basic Body Colors: Gorilla fur is usually black, dark brown, or gray.

• Instead of coloring the whole thing plain black, try using slightly different colors here and there. This makes the fur look nice and fluffy.
• For parts with sunlight hitting them, it is fun to use a light gray or dark blue! A Leader's Back: A male Gorilla leader gets silver fur on his back. This cool mark is called a "silverback." Color this part with light gray or silver to make it look different from the rest of the fur. It will look super powerful! Face, Hands, and Feet: For the face, hands, and bottoms of the feet where there is no fur, use a dark skin tone to make it look real. Mixing in dark brown, gray, or a tiny bit of purple will make your Gorilla look full of life.

How to Make It Look 3D: Think About Shadows and Light!

This picture of a Gorilla has lots of lines for muscles and fur. Use these lines as clues to add shadows! Places with Shadows

• Sunken areas like under the tummy, the inside of the arms and legs, and under the chin.
• The grooves between muscles. Color these spots with a slightly darker color than your main color. This makes the body pop out and makes your Gorilla look strong!

Make the Fur Look Soft and Fluffy!

A Gorilla's body is covered in lots of fur. You can see thin lines in this picture that show the fur, too.

• Move your colored pencil in short strokes. This makes it look like real hairs growing one by one!
• Do not just use black. Layer on dark gray and brown to make the fur look thick and real. Layering colors little by little is the secret to fluffy fur!

Tips for Having Fun with Your Coloring Page!

• Express yourself freely!
• You can use any colors you like for your dream Gorilla. For example, a Gorilla with blue fur or a colorful Gorilla would be so much fun!
• Try adding a background!
• Is your Gorilla in a forest? Climbing a tree? Adding a background makes your picture come alive even more!