I discovered mandalas back in the 1990’s when I was a student in seminary and was interested in exploring the connections between art and spirituality. Mandala is a sanskrit word that means “disc” or “circle,” and in the traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, the mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol representing the universe.

Maybe you’ve seen some of the sand mandalas that are made by Tibetan monks over many days or weeks – elaborate and meticulous designs created with grains of colored sand. The activity of making a sand mandala is really a form of meditation, believed to promote compassion and cosmic healing. And while the end product is breathtakingly beautiful, it is not meant to be saved; rather, the image is later dismantled in a ritualistic manner to symbolize the transitory nature of the material world. These mandalas are usually circular, sometimes square, but they always have a sense of symmetry and a strong central focus.

Many other cultures and traditions also have symbols with mandala-like qualities. Here are just a few examples:

And then, of course, the number of mandala patterns expressed in nature are too numerous to count, but once you start looking, you’ll notice them everywhere.

Natural forms such as these often become the inspiration for all kinds of decorative arts, from fabric design to mosaic tile floors to carved details on furniture or buildings. Clearly there is something inherently pleasing and satisfying about images that are contained within a circle or symmetrically organized around a central point, and there is no shortage of inspiration in the visual world around us. Maybe that’s one reason why I like to draw mandalas – I never run out of ideas for them.

My first explorations into mandala drawing were heavily influenced by a book called Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, that was given to me while I was on an 8-day silent retreat in rural southern Indiana. It was the perfect gift at the time, as I had brought lots of art supplies with me and planned to spend a good portion of every day drawing or painting. I recommend it to you if you’d like to read a bit of religious and cultural background about mandalas and try some guided exercises to get you started on your own drawings. I see this kind of drawing as a way to step into that vast ocean of human consciousness that is naturally drawn to symbol, pattern and symmetry. It is not necessary to be connected to a particular religious tradition to practice the art of mandala drawing. For me it can be a time of focused meditation, prayer or self-reflection, but at other times it is simply a way to slow down and exercise my imagination with pencil and paper. There are lots of adult coloring books on the market with mandala designs that you can fill in. But I prefer the challenge of creating my own designs.

So here is how I usually get started. Maybe this will inspire you to try it too! I like to work with white colored pencil on a square of black paper. I look for a plate or any round object of the right size to trace a circle that fills most of the page. It’s easy to divide the circle into eight segments by drawing lines corner to corner as well as vertically and horizontally, all lines crossing at the center point.  And no, it’s not cheating to use a ruler or straight edge! But I have done mandalas that are just divided into four (the image at the top of this blog post, for instance), and I also enjoy working with divisions of six. For that you would need a protractor to divide the circle evenly, unless you want to just eyeball it, which is fine too! No hard and fast rules here.

 

So once I have a few basic guidelines down, I just start drawing from the center. Yes, I do know that for some people getting started is the hardest part. When I used to teach arts and spirituality classes, I would give my students a drawing prompt, something like “Imagine a bright point of light in the center, and then imagine that light expanding and moving out towards the edges of the paper. What qualities does the light have, and how does it move? Is it a strong, steady steady glow? Is it a spray of light, like rays of sunshine? Does it ooze and flow like a river of hot, glowing lava? Does it flash across the page like lightning?” Honestly, all it takes is just a glimpse of an idea to get started. Then try to be open to where the drawing takes you. For myself I might start with a vague idea like “something leafy” or “branching” or “meandering” or “architectural.” Or with no idea at all. And then new ideas always pop up as I go along.

Maybe you’ve figured out by now that in making a mandala, the process is as important as the product. If you’re accustomed to working from observation or tend to be overly concerned with the end result of your efforts, those habits might prevent you from letting go and enjoying the process.  We all have self-critical voices in our heads that just need to be silenced sometimes. I find that when I am able to relax and allow the drawing to evolve, I am usually surprised and pleased with the image that emerges.

The drawing can be done freehand, in a very organic manner, or it can remain more formal and geometric, even going so far as to draw the whole thing using compass, ruler, drawing templates, etc. The two drawings below show you how it might look a short time after getting started. I drew both of these freehand, but in the one on the left the shapes are built on the framework of the guidelines, while the one on the right moves freely from the center without regard for symmetry.

Once I have some basic shapes sketched, I start to work on shading, and that is when the magic happens!  Suddenly the flat, outlined shapes begin to have volume and depth. At some point later, if I think the design calls for it I will add some color. Drawing with colored pencils over the white areas produces a lovely effect that makes the forms appear to glow from within.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a look at the collection of finished drawings in my Mandala Images Gallery.