Free Mater Coloring Pages: 27 printable PDF designs starring Tow Mater, the buck-toothed tow truck from Pixar’s Cars, shown grinning alone, rolling beside Lightning McQueen, Sheriff, and Guido, sneaking out to tip tractors, and even rebuilt in Lego Duplo style. Each sheet downloads as a PDF for paper and crayons, or opens on screen for digital coloring.
Mater first rolled into theaters in Cars in 2006, voiced by comedian Larry the Cable Guy, as the cheerful owner of Tow Mater Towing and Salvage in the Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. He becomes Lightning McQueen’s best friend, takes the lead role in Cars 2 in 2011, and returns for Cars 3 in 2017.
His look is pure history on wheels. Mater began life with baby blue paint that has slowly rusted into patchy orange and brown. He has no hood, and his crooked buck teeth and big tow hook give every page a friendly, goofy charm that young colorists love.
What’s Inside This Collection
Here you will find Mater in classic truck portraits, silly facial expressions, scenes with his Radiator Springs neighbors, a few big adventures, and one blocky toy version.
Classic Tow Truck Portraits
Most pages show Mater as the trusty town tow truck, parked or rolling with his hook ready, as in Tow Mater and Mater The Tow Truck. Mix Burnt Orange and Brown across the body, leave a few small patches in Sky Blue where his original paint still shows, and finish the tow hook in Gray.
Grins and Goofy Faces
Happy Mater, Funny Mater, and Cute Mater focus on his wide smile and famously crooked teeth. Keep the teeth Ivory or White so they stand out, and give his windshield eyes a soft hazel green.
Friends From Radiator Springs
Mater shares several pages with Lightning McQueen, plus scenes alongside Sheriff, the police cruiser, and Guido the little forklift. Contrast Mater’s rusty palette with McQueen’s glossy Red, Sheriff’s Black and White, and Guido’s Cerulean so each friend stands apart.
Adventures and Special Pages
Mater Goes Tractor Tipping, Flying Tow Mater, and Sir Tow Mater capture some of his most memorable moments, while other pages show him in town, beside a stack of tires, or in front of the Rust-Eze sign. A deep Navy Blue sky behind the tractor tipping scene makes Mater’s warm rust tones glow.
Lego Duplo Mater
One page reimagines Mater as a chunky Lego Duplo toy from the Cars 3 line. Its big, simple blocks are perfect for toddlers and need only a few flat colors.
What Mater Coloring Pages Do
Loyalty in a rusty package. Mater is never the fastest or shiniest car in town, yet he is the first to welcome Lightning McQueen and the friend who sticks with him through everything. That makes his pages an easy opening for chatting with kids about what makes someone a good friend.
Early grip and control. For children ages 2 through 7, the American Academy of Pediatrics ties fine motor progress closely to structured activities such as coloring. Mater’s big, rounded cab and large tires give little hands roomy spaces, while his teeth, hook, and headlights add small targets for steadier fingers.
A calm, cozy pastime. Coloring with a clear structure lowered anxiety levels in a 2005 study from the Art Therapy Journal. Spending time with a cheerful, familiar character like Mater turns that structure into a relaxed afternoon or bedtime routine.
Exploring how color shows age. Mater’s mix of rust and leftover blue paint shows that colors can tell a story about time and wear. Kids can compare his patchy finish with McQueen’s shiny red and notice how a paint job can hint at a character’s past.
How to Color Matter Coloring Pages
- The rust needs at least two warm tones, not one. The most common coloring mistake on Mater pages is using a single flat brown. Real rust is warm orange-red at the oxidation surface and deeper brown at the recesses. On Mater pages, a lighter orange-brown for the main panels and a darker, richer brown in the dents, door gaps, and recesses creates the layered weathered look that defines the character.
- The windshield eyes are light grey-blue, not white. Mater’s large windshield eyes catch light and read as a slightly warm grey-blue rather than pure white. Keeping a slight cool tint in the eye area contrasts with the warm rust body.
- On McQueen’s pages, make McQueen’s red vivid and Mater’s rust kept muted. The whole visual relationship between the two characters depends on this contrast. A bright red McQueen next to a muted, weathered Mater is the palette that tells their story. If both are equally saturated, the visual dynamic of the friendship disappears.
- The Lego Duplo page uses a different palette. The Cars 3 Lego Duplo Mater page suits flat, bold fills in a simplified orange-brown rather than the nuanced rust approach of the film pages. Apply the standard Pixar approach to the other pages and treat the Lego page as a separate, simpler exercise.
5 Creative Craft Ideas with Mater Coloring Pages
1. Rust Texture Study
Color the Tow Mater portrait page using two tones: a lighter warm orange-brown for the main body panels and a darker rich brown for the dents, gaps, and recesses.
A focused rust-layering exercise on the most technically interesting car in the franchise. Takes about fifteen minutes.
2. Radiator Springs Friendship Pair
Color the Mater and McQueen paired page with McQueen in fully saturated red and Mater in muted rust-brown.
The two characters’ contrasting palettes on one page show how Pixar used color to distinguish personalities. Takes about fifteen minutes.
3. Tractor Tipping Night Scene
Color the Mater Goes Tractor Tipping page with a dark blue-grey night sky background, green tractors, and Mater’s warm, rust-colored glow against the cool darkness.
Warm character against cool night: a simple but effective color temperature contrast. Takes about fifteen minutes.
4. Radiator Springs Cast Display
Color Mater and McQueen, Sheriff and Mater, and Guido and Mater as a three-page cast display, keeping Mater’s rust palette identical across all three pages.
Three scenes, one consistent Mater, three contrasting co-characters. Takes about twenty-five minutes.
5. Film versus Lego Comparison
Color one standard Pixar-style Mater page using the nuanced rust palette and the Cars 3 Lego Duplo Mater page in flat, simplified orange-brown.
The same character in two visual languages: Pixar realism and Lego simplification. Takes about fifteen minutes.
FAQ About Mater Coloring Pages
Are these Mater coloring pages free, and can I color them online?
Yes. Every page is free, with no account, email, or payment required. Download the PDF to print at home, or open it in the online coloring tool to color on screen.
Who is Mater in the Cars franchise?
Tow Mater is a rusty brown 1951 International Harvester L-170 tow truck and the deuteragonist of the Pixar Cars franchise. He is voiced by Larry the Cable Guy and lives in Radiator Springs on Route 66. He is Lightning McQueen’s closest friend and serves as the main character of Cars 2, a spy comedy set in Europe and Japan.
Why is Mater so rusty?
Mater’s rust is an intentional design choice by Pixar, not a sign of neglect. The animators developed the rust texture carefully to give Mater a sense of age and history. Producer John Lasseter described the rust as equivalent to the lines on a human face, visible history that contributes to the character’s personality. The warm orange-red tones of the rust also make Mater visually approachable and friendly.
What kind of truck is Mater based on?
Mater is based on a 1951 International Harvester L-170 tow truck, a real American vehicle model. The specific model was chosen to match the Route 66 roadside setting of Radiator Springs and to give Mater the feel of a mid-century working vehicle.
What is the tractor tipping scene?
The tractor tipping scene is a moment in Cars where Mater takes Lightning McQueen out at night to sneak up on sleeping tractors and honk at them, causing the tractors to tip over and fall back down, similar to the real-world story of cow tipping. It is one of the most memorable scenes in the first film and is referenced in several of the short stories in Mater’s Tall Tales.
What is Cars 2 about, and why is Mater the main character?
Cars 2 is a spy comedy in which Mater accidentally becomes involved in an international espionage plot while traveling with Lightning McQueen to compete in the World Grand Prix. McQueen serves as a supporting character in Cars 2, while Mater drives the main story. The film was released on June 24, 2011.
Are these official Cars coloring pages?
No. These are fan-made coloring sheets for personal use and are not affiliated with, licensed by, or endorsed by Pixar Animation Studios, The Walt Disney Company, or any other rights holder of the Cars franchise.
What age group are these pages best suited for?
Mater coloring pages are best for children aged 3 and up. Younger children enjoy the expressive face and simple vehicle form, while the rust texture pages offer enough complexity to engage older children and adults who enjoy technique-based coloring.
Start Coloring
Download any page by clicking the design. No account, email, or payment is required. Pages print directly from the browser at full resolution or open in the online coloring tool for screen use. Share finished pages on Facebook or Pinterest using the share buttons at the top of each design page.
