Drawing Flower Mandalas

Drawing mandalas is a fantastic way to relax and unwind. The focus of sketching out the outline of the petals and shapes and the relaxation of colouring in afterwards will allow you to completely relax. Mandalas can be great to keep in a sketch pad, display on a wall or perhaps gift to someone on a card or in a frame. In this tutorial I will show you step by step how to draw a simple Mandala, to which you can add as much detail as you want, beginning in the centre and working outwards. If you like this instructable, please vote for it in the Rainbow and Flowers contests.

To start, you can either get a square piece of paper or turn a rectangular page into a square. To do this, fold the corner up until the short side lies flat with the long side at the top, to form a triangle. Then, cut off the excess paper. It is important to keep your mandala symmetrical while working on it, to make the end result more appealing. To achieve this you will need guide lines. You can either fold your paper and use the symmetrical crease lines, as I have done, or draw faint lines with pencil. I just folded my page once again diagonally, but you might like to add guide lines going horizontally or vertically, as long as they are through the centre.

Begin in the centre of your page where all of your guide lines meet. Use pencil for drawing your first few mandalas until you are used to it, and then consider using a black fine liner pen for a more defined look. Begin with a simple circle, of whatever size you choose. Continue on by adding shapes such as petals to the edges of the circle. Ensure that there are an equal amount of petals between each guide line, and each one is of equal length. Then add another layer to the outside of the centre flower, changing the pattern for a bit of variety. Don't be afraid to try out different patterns as you go: use your imagination!

Continue on from the centre design by adding more circles of pattern. Change up the shape and size of your shapes, but make sure that all them fit equally into that layer. Try to add variety by using tiny little triangles, or giant domes. If you want to break up the design, and stop too much overlapping, add a circle around what you have already drawn. You can use a round object for accuracy, or a compass, or you can just draw it by hand. Then continue on from the outside of the circle.

Keep adding on layers until your mandala is of desired size. Personally, I like to make my petals and shapes larger towards the outside of the mandala, but you can do whatever you wish. Finally, go back and add smaller details to your deign, such as small semi- circles, dots, swirls or stripes to larger areas. If you would like this to be a solely pencil drawing, you can also shade in various shapes to add depth.

The final step is to colour in your mandala. Choose a few colours at the start in order to keep a solid colour theme throughout, and prevent your mandala from looking confusing and over colourful. Use colours that work well together and compliment each other. Start from the middle and work your way out. I used Sharpies for most parts, but normal felt tips for smaller areas, as the permanent markers tend to spread to areas you don't want them to. You could also use paints, colouring pencils or other mediums to colour in your mandala, depending on the desired effect. And you're done! I hope you enjoyed yourself and found it relaxing to draw and colour your own mandala. I find that the end result is often more rewarding than just using a colouring book for relaxation. If you found this instructable helpful, please vote for it in the Rainbow and Flowers competitions. Thank you!