Category: Mandala

This was WAY more difficult that I thought it would be when I started it. In my mind it was going to be beautiful and simple and as it progressed I had to figure out what line was supposed to be on which level. I like the way it turned out, but I know that I could do a better job. I know that this is something that I need to work on more and learn more about. Any tips or tricks you have would be amazing.

Tell me if you have any tips on interlocking mandalas or if you have ever attempted this on your own and what were the results. Link your ideas in the comments below.

Sometimes making a mandala simple, and creating a difficult or busy background is more fun, than actually producing a difficult mandala. This was one of those times. I loved creating this piece as it tested my ability to think of different patterns to create the detailed background I was looking for.

Do you like a detailed mandala with a simple or nonexistent background, or would you rather see more detailed backgrounds on a simple mandala like this? Let me know in the comments.

I had completed two separate mandalas this weekend. Although I had a lot going on, somehow I still finished them. Each one took more than 5 hours to complete. I used Staedtler Pigment liners to complete them. As you can tell, this first one took the most time because there are a LOT of dots. But I really like the way that it came out and how the dots helped with the contrast.

This second one was more free-handed. It’s amazing how I can work on two mandalas within hours of each other and they look so different.

This was an unfinished piece from last year. I decided to just finish it up so that I had less unfinished projects on the table.  Why do you ask was this unfinished? I don’t know, anything could have happened, I do have a house full of kids and whatever happens happens.

Regardless of why it was unfinished, I finished it now. I had several people refer to this piece as dancing lollipops and that name just seemed to stick. I love the way it turned out. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below.

Step 1: Create your grid.

I enjoy having my mandala in the center of the page so the first thing I do is draw an X by drawing a line from each corner to the opposite. This is the lightest of lines because it’s literally used just to center my graphic.

I then take my 360° protractor and grid out every 10°. I then draw a line from one degree  to the opposite degree. {ex. 0° – 180°} I continue to do this all around. I then take my compass and make random sized circles moving from the center out to show just how big I want the mandala.

Step 2: Line your center.

This part is always the most difficult for me because the center, determines the look of the whole mandala. If you look through the mandalas that I have posted, you will see that the different options are truly infinite. Nothing is right or wrong. With this one I chose a pinwheel of sorts that I built flowers on top of. This set the tone for an organic mandala.

Step 3: Start building outward.

You will see that I used the grid lines in two different ways. the larger flower petals run between the grid lines, whereas the triangular petals use the grid line as a center point. I tried to put more detail in the triangles because they were so large. Some options here are to use your protractor and grid out every 5° to make the get ails smaller, or just do like what I did and follow the grid lines making each layer larger than the layer before it. I have used both methods and both are fun to do.

Step 4: Final and Largest Layer

In this picture you will see that I have leaves that are lining my mandala and bringing the entire organic piece to life! I love how this is turning out and although I say that about almost every one of my pieces, its simply because I am as shocked as everyone else about the end result! I try really hard not to plan too much because I want to be able to adapt to kids bumping the table, pens running out on ink and even surprise sneezes.

Step 5: Putting in little details

Now is the time that you go back and add more details. These can be anything you want. Go wild.

Step 6: Finishing touches!

This is the point where you start from the center and erase all your pencil grid lines and start focusing in on every little detail. This can be as elaborate or simple as you want. That is the wonderful thing about mandalas. They truly change drastically, even with one detail. I will suggest that if you do something to one side, make sure you are consistent if you want it to look uniform. If your mandala is NOT symmetrical than disregard and have fun!

So, Now that you’ve seen the final product, let me know what you think! What would you have done differently? What do you like the most? Do you have any questions, comments, concerns or constructive criticism? Post them below and I will respond as quick as I can.

Often times I find a friend that appreciates my mandalas to ask what they see. This time I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of them saw a spinning flower. This mandala started out as something completely different. I wasn’t even sure which direction I wanted to go. With every passing moment, I saw this mandala morph into something magical and full of movement.

What you do you see when you see this mandala? Let me know in the comments below!

This mandala was completed on a 12×12 sheet of paper. Sometimes I try to bite off a little more than I can chew sometimes. With the amount of grid lines that I drew, this piece became way more detailed than I had originally planned and took over 8 hours to complete.

I do like the way that it finished up. I would love your opinion on this piece, let me know in the comments below!

As this piece started to progress, I began to see the machine parts coming out of it.  When it was done, I felt like a mechanical piece had snuck itself into my mandala. But I love the way it finished.

Well, I decided I would try to do some work on freezer paper because it was bigger than anything else I had. So here is my mandala on an 18×18 sheet of freezer paper. I thought that using freezer paper would be ideal because I knew it wouldn’t bleed through and I could really test my skills. These colors all went together so well. Here is a closer look at some of the details.

Update: You can find this mandala linked in on 100.mandalas.com, where I have received so much inspiration from her book, as well as attending mandalafest every year! Please check it out!