Mark the point in the center with pencil so that you can erase it later.
The circles don’t have to be evenly spaced. Some can be farther away from others. They are just a template that will help you later.
Continue until you have made circles that fill up most of the paper, but stop before they are big enough to touch the edges.
If you want your mandala to look more organic and less symmetrical, you can skip drawing these guiding lines.
You can use a pen if you’re feeling bold, or you can use a pencil and go over your design later in pen.
Your shapes can overlap with each other, if you’d like. Your rings can be different sizes. Some can be very thin and intricate, and some can be big.
Mandala-making can be a very centering exercise, if you approach it in a relaxed way. There is no such thing as a mistake in a mandala, there is just the unexpected.
For example, if your last ring has been flower petals, then your mandala edges will be scalloped.
If you’ve already drawn the mandala in ink, you can skip this step.
Tear-drops and diamonds are tiny designs that are easy to draw and look intricate.
Gently wipe away your eraser shavings so that they don’t get stuck to your paper. You may want to photocopy your mandala before you color it in, so that you can color it in many different times, or give copies to your friends to color.
Use watercolor for a light, gentle look. Just keep in mind that watercolor can easily bleed over lines if you aren’t used to painting with it. Use colored pencil, crayons, or markers if you prefer.
