Free Brave Coloring Pages: 41 printable PDF designs from Pixar’s Scottish adventure, featuring the curly-haired archer Merida, her mother Queen Elinor in both human and bear form, her loyal Clydesdale Angus, her mischievous triplet brothers as tiny bear cubs, the fearsome demon bear Mordu, King Fergus, the mysterious witch, the maid Maudie, and the three rival clan lords and their sons. A PDF version comes with each design, and every outline can be colored online as well.
Pixar released Brave in 2012, with Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman directing and Steve Purcell serving as co-director. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it follows Princess Merida, who would rather ride and shoot arrows than accept an arranged marriage. Her wish to change her fate leads a witch to cast a spell that turns Queen Elinor into a bear, and mother and daughter must work together to break it.
Brave was Pixar’s first feature with a female lead, and it took home both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for animated feature. Merida’s wild hair, the green Highland landscapes, and the dramatic bear battles offer colorists plenty of texture to explore.
What’s Inside This Collection
Merida stars in more than half of the 41 designs, with Queen Elinor, the bears, and the clans filling the rest.
Merida Solo Pages
Merida smiles, climbs a rock, mourns, and poses as a princess across several portraits. Color her curly hair in layers of Red Orange and Burnt Orange, her eyes Blue, and her everyday dress a deep Forest Green with lighter Green sleeves.
Merida and Queen Elinor
Merida and her mother appear together on many pages, including Elinor brushing Merida’s hair and the pair facing danger. Give Elinor long, dark Brown hair in a braid, a Gold crown, and an elegant gown in Jungle Green with Gold trim.
Mother Bear and the Triplet Cubs
Merida with Mother Bear, Elinor fighting, the brother bears, and Merida with the bear cubs show the spell in action. Use Brown and Sepia for bear fur, with Elinor’s bear form a slightly lighter, warmer Brown than Mordu.
Mordu
Mordu appears alone, hunting fish, and facing Merida. Make him the darkest figure in the set with Black and Charcoal fur, a scarred face, and broken arrows and spears in his back, colored Brown and Gray.
Angus, King Fergus, and the Clans
Angus, King Fergus, the witch, Maudie, Lord Dingwall, Wee Dingwall, Lord Macguffin, and Young Macintosh round out the cast. Color Angus Black with White feathered hooves, Fergus with a bushy Red beard and Blue kilt, and give each clan its own tartan colors.
What Brave Coloring Pages Do
Exploring mother-daughter relationships. Brave is one of the few animated films centered on the bond between a mother and her daughter, and it shows both of them learning to listen. Pages of Merida and Elinor together give families an easy way to talk about disagreement, understanding, and forgiveness. Children can color a mother-daughter page and share a time they worked out a problem with a parent.
Fine motor practice with curls and fur. Coloring builds hand strength and control in children 2 to 7, a milestone that American Academy of Pediatrics resources treat as central to early development. Merida’s curls, the bears’ fur, and the tartan patterns require patient, controlled strokes. Simpler pages like Angus or the cubs suit younger children.
A relaxing Highland escape. A 2005 Art Therapy Journal study tied structured coloring to measurably calmer moods. Green hills, misty lochs, and castle settings make these pages feel calm and adventurous at the same time. Older kids and adults often enjoy spending extra time on Merida’s hair.
Learning about Scottish culture. The film features kilts, tartans, bagpipes, Highland games, and standing stones from Scottish tradition. Coloring the bagpipes and clan pages can lead to simple research on Scotland’s history and clans. Families with Scottish roots can even color their own family tartan.
How to Color Brave Pages Well
- Merida’s curls: Fill each curl Orange first, then deepen one side with Red Orange and leave a thin highlight on the other to show volume.
- Bear fur: Build the coat with quick, layered Brown flicks, adding Sepia in shadows under the neck and legs.
- Tartan patterns: Color stripes in two or three colors crossing at right angles, such as Red, Green, and Navy Blue.
- Highland landscapes: Use Yellow Green and Olive Green for hills and a pale Gray sky for a misty Scottish look.
- Will-o’-the-wisps: Add small glowing Light Blue spirits with white centers to forest backgrounds.
- Angus: Keep Angus mostly Black with a subtle Gray highlight along his back and White feathering around his hooves.
5 Creative Craft Ideas With Brave Coloring Pages
1. Merida Yarn Hair Portrait
Color a Merida portrait and glue curled orange and red yarn over her hair for a 3D effect.
2. Mother and Daughter Story Strip
Color Elinor and Merida pages in story order, from the hairbrush scene to the bear transformation and the reunion, and display them in a row.
3. Clan Shield Display
Color the clan lord pages, mount each on a paper shield, and decorate the shields with tartan stripes.
4. Archery Target Bookmark
Color a Merida page, cut out her bow and arrow, and glue them to a bookmark with a painted target at the top.
5. Bear Cub Finger Puppets
Color the triplet bear cubs, trim them, and fix each onto a small paper loop sized for little fingers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Brave Coloring Pages?
Brave Coloring Pages collects 41 no-cost outlines from the 2012 Pixar film, with Merida, Queen Elinor, Angus, the bear cubs, Mordu, King Fergus, the witch, and the clan lords, each printable or colorable digitally.
Who made Brave?
Pixar Animation Studios made Brave, with Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman at the helm. The film collected the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 2013 ceremony.
Who is Merida?
Merida is a skilled archer and the princess of the kingdom of DunBroch, voiced by Kelly Macdonald. She became an official Disney Princess in 2013.
Why does Queen Elinor turn into a bear?
Merida asks a witch for a spell to change her mother, hoping to avoid an arranged marriage. The witch gives her an enchanted cake that turns Elinor into a bear.
Who is Mordu?
Mordu is a huge demon bear who once took King Fergus’s leg. He was originally a prince who chose a spell for power and became trapped in bear form.
Who are Merida’s brothers?
Merida has triplet brothers named Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. After eating the witch’s cake, they also turn into small bear cubs.
At what ages do children enjoy Brave coloring pages?
Brave is rated PG for scary action and some rude humor. Simple pages of Merida, Angus, and the cubs suit children from about 4, while Mordu and battle scenes fit kids 7 and older.
How many curls does Merida’s hair have?
Pixar created about 1,500 individually sculpted curls for Merida and developed new hair simulation software to make them bounce realistically. Her hair was one of the most complex animation challenges in the studio’s history.
Start Coloring
Aim at any of the 41 Brave designs and grab the no-cost PDF for paper or the digital version for a tablet, no account needed. Finished Highland heroes can travel to Facebook or Pinterest straight from each page.
