I've been drawing mandalas today, and then I thought hey, this might be something my friends on Steemit might like to play with- so I photographed the making of one of them, and am going to break it down into steps so that you can have a play with drawing your own. Sound like fun? Of course it is!

Tools

You will need:

1. A black pen
2. A pencil
3. An eraser
4. A compass (or lots of round things to draw around!)
5. A protractor (or a very good eye for dividing things up evenly!)
6. A ruler
7. A piece of paper
8. Lots of patience and a sense of humour.

Right let's get started!

Divide Up You Paper

I've discovered that this is easier to do before you draw your circle. Start by finding the middle of the paper. Then divide it up into quarters with a horizontal line and then a vertical line running straight through the centre. Then, using your protractor - divide these sections again at the 45 degree angles.

Add some basic concentric circles as a guide- a small, a couple of medium and a large as the outer edge of your mandala. Remember, you can add in extra guide circles whenever you need them.

Add the Middle of Your Design

Petals, leaf shapes, geomoetric... whatever floats your boat, start adding your recurring patterns using the circular edges and cross points as guidelines. If you're not sure, add things in in pencil first and then ink them when you're happy.

Remember to keep all your pencil marks very light, as you'll be rubbing them out later!

Build Your Layers

Working from the centre of your design outwards, build in your layers, remebering to keep your line weight nice and even. Add small details as well as larger shapes. You can always go back in and add extra detail later if you decide you've left too much white space.

The fun of this is that you can just keep going until you've decided that you're done!

You'd know when it's ready - your eyes will relax when they look at it, rather than trying to work out what is missing!

Now it's time to gently erase those pencil marks.

And you're done!

Top Tips

1. Make sure you measure your guide marks properly - it's the geometry which makes these designs come together!
2. Don't be afraid to add as many pencil guides as you need as you go along
3. If you're not sure of a pattern and whether it'll work, add it in in pencil first
4. Be sure to give your ink time to dry - these pens will smudge! (especially if you use your eraser too soon!)
5. Have fun, concentrate, and be patient!

Process Gif

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Hope you enjoyed this - let me see your versions in the comments ;)
Have a fab evening,
Eveningart x

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^{Sources: all photos by yours truly}