How do you draw a mandala?

(See video at the end of the blog post).

Get out your pencil and paper and join me in the video below. Within 15 minutes you’ll have a mandala. You’ll have a process that looks like magic to others and you can use over and over. This is the same process as my last blog post, “How to Doodle a Mandala”.

I use this process to draw and paint mandalas of all sizes. The biggest one I’ve drawn to date was 6 feet in diameter. I had a ruler with me as well which I used as the mandala got bigger and bigger. I was asked why I don’t use a yard stick or a compass, and, all I could say was, “Ahh… because this way works for me!”

I often do get out a compass, ruler and stencils for details, but this is my favorite way to draw a mandala – just doodle it and let it grow until I feel it’s complete.

All you need is a piece of paper or notebook and a pencil to get started!

Let’s draw!

Here are the steps in the video:

  1. Draw a dot in the middle of the paper
  2. Draw 4 short lines, the same length out from the middle – north, south, east and west
  3. Draw 4 more lines, the same length to the corners
  4. Draw a circle connecting the lines
  5. Draw dots on the circle where the lines meet the circle
  6. Draw the symbol for a lotus petal connecting the dots, around the circle { }. (They look like braces we used in grade school).
  7. Draw 8 more lines, the same length extending out from between each lotus petal
  8.  Draw a circle around the mandala, connect the 8 lines you just drew
  9. Repeat the process in steps 4 – 6, you can use a half circles instead of the {}.
  10. Add symbols in the same place in all 8 sections
  11. Add details and symbols until you feel it’s complete.

If you like this post, please share it on social media and let me know in the comments below!

Share your mandalas on https://www.facebook.com/MandalaDoodles/ (you have to Like the page first).

2 Comments
  1. I followed your video and drew my first mandala. Fun. Very lopsided and uneven but, as you remind us, we are all somewhat lopsided and uneven in some way shape or form.
    Your explanations relating to life ring home in so many ways.
    I thought it fun and look forward to doodling more of these. I hope to purchase your book as soon as my budget allows.
    Thank you and Devine Blessings to you.

  2. Patricia, that’s great! All mandalas are lopsided in some way if they are hand drawn. Don’t let the computer-generated ones in coloring books fool you! Just like a bunch of daisies that all ‘look the same’, all mandalas are beautiful in their own way. Feel free to email me the mandals you create, I would love to see them!
    Kathy

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