All posts filed under: How-to

These posts offer instructions on how to draw, paint, and color mandalas.

Color Workshop

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Are you like the chipmunk collecting lots of art supplies and saving them for a rainy day? The rainy day has arrived… I have a confession. I’ve been guilty of collecting art supplies, lots of them, and not using them. Beautiful tins of colored pencils, collections of watercolor markers, gel pens, Copics, TomBows, Winsor Newton, and Posca paint pens fill my home studio. Do you have lots of art supplies that are going unused too? It’s time to dust them off and start playing. Join me for a color workshop that I’m hosting in the Sharing Circle. Get inspired, learn new techniques, try out some different color combinations, and connect with mandala enthusiasts from all over the world. Let’s play with color this season! ~ Kathryn Costa, Host of Mandalafest, the 100 Mandalas Challenge, and the Sharing Circle, and author of “The Mandala Guidebook: How to Draw, Paint, and Color Expressive Mandala Art.” Are you in a color rut, picking the same colors over and over again? Do you feel overwhelmed by so many colors and …

A Gratitude Mandala Exercise for Those Challenging Times

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It is easy to count our blessings when everything is sunny and cheery, when the kids are behaving, and the bank account is flush. We need our gratitude practice the most during challenging times. In this exercise, think about an area in your life where you are struggling. Maybe you are having a difficult time at work or with a specific person? As you work on this mandala design, think of eight things you are grateful for about this challenging situation or person. When you are done, I guarantee you’ll feel a greater appreciation for the situation, and you’ll have had fun making this mandala. Bloom Where You Are Planted Step 1: To create this mandala, I drew two circles and divided the outer ring into eight equal segments using a protractor and ruler. (45 degree increments) Step 2: Fill each segment with doodled patterns using a black fine liner pen. Be sure to leave spaces for writing words and short phrases. Step 3: Fill the shapes using bright juicy colors. Color has a way …

Product Review: Art-n-Fly Gel Pens

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I recently received a complimentary set of Art-n-Fly gel pens to review. The set of 40 gel pens comes in a plastic container that makes it easy for storage. You’ll see on the right how I store my pens upside down so the ink will flow and collect on the end where the pen tip is. This ensures that the ink will flow smoothly. There were a few pens that needed some encouragement to get the ink flowing but for the post part I was pleased with how the ink flowed in these pens. Note while this canister is convenient for storing the pens in your studio, it isn’t sturdy enough for throwing into your bag. The lid will fly off and the pens will empty out into the bottom of your bag. If you want to travel with these pens, I would put them into another pen case or bag. The set comes with a variety of colors and styles including: metallic, classic, pastel, neon, and glitter. I thought I would give the pastels a …

[VIDEO] Luminous Mandalas – Mandalas on Black Background

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Today’s theme, “Luminous Mandalas” seems so timely. Here in New England the winter nights are really long. It is dark when I wake up in the morning and dark when I leave the office at the end of the day. I’m counting down the days to the Winter Solstice. One day and counting! Today’s video is more than a how-to demonstration on creating and coloring mandalas. It is also an invitation to consider your own gorgeous bright light and how it radiates to inspire others. In this video you’ll find: An introduction to the Great Round and Stage Twelve. A demonstration using colored pencils on a black background to create a luminous effect. A demonstration of using stencils to create a mandala design. A gallery of luminous mandalas from members of the 100 Mandalas Community that features a variety of styles and mediums. An invitation to join the 100 Mandalas Community. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter. Members receive exclusive invitations to contribute mandala art to the 100 Mandalas Videos. Supplies Used in the …

How-to Draw Torus Yantra and Color the Hypnotic Eye [Sacred Geometry]

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Let’s pull out our compasses and play! In this video I show you: Tips on how to use a compass. Clear step-by-step instructions on how to draw the Seed of Life, Torus Yantra with 12 petals and 24 petals. How to color the Hypnotic Eye. Gorgeous examples from members of the 100 Mandalas Community in our first video gallery. The hypnotic eye is one of many ways you can color in the Torus Yantra. I learned how to draw the Torus Yantra from Irina Artamonova, a very talented artist from Moscow, Russia and a member of the 100 Mandalas Community. I included several of Irina’s yantras in the video gallery to show you where you can take this form. Check out Irina’s guest blog posts: What is a Yantra? How to Draw a Torus Yantra. These are written instructions. Materials Used in the Video: Compass used in video Faber-Castell Pitt Pens Torus Coloring Pages (You’ll get the Torus 12 Petal and 24 Petal)  

How to Use Colored Pencils to Color Mandalas

How to Color Mandalas Using Colored Pencils

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I’m infatuated with colored pencils, especially my Prismacolor set of 48 colors. I made this video to show you why I love coloring mandalas with them. This video is like getting a FREE class on the basics of colored pencils. It is a perfect companion to the FREE coloring books that you can download, HERE. (Note: The hamsa coloring book is now only available for members of the Sharing Circle.) This video covers: The types of colored pencils – student versus professional grades. How to store and sharpen colored pencils. Price Best paper to use with colored pencils. How to color with colored pencils (hint: think layers). Four blending techniques. Single color gradients. Two color gradients. Mixing your own colors. If you love coloring, watch this video. It is a great introduction to colored pencils. Enjoy! Show Notes Supplies Used Please note these products are linked to Amazon using affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale. I only link to …

The Mandala Guidebook: How to Draw, Paint, and Color Expressive Mandala Art

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If you love mandalas then my book, The Mandala Guidebook is a must-have. It’s packed with beautifully illustrated how-to instructions covering: Freehand and Compass Techniques Sacred Geometry Celtic Spirals Mehndi Mandalas Labyrinths Mixed Media and Collage Methods How to Interpret Your Mandalas Creating with Intention and so much more! “This is an amazing book, really something for every level of artist wishing to create beautiful, meaningful mandalas. Every chapter has something new! So many techniques and projects, this is an art book I will definitely use! This one won’t be gathering dust as do some of my other art books that are just full of pretty pictures….” ~ Tammy Murdock, 5-star review on Amazon Get a Peek Inside My Book! Free Gifts When You Order My Book! I’ve designed a couple of gifts that go with my new book that I want to give you. It’s my way of saying “Thank you for ordering my book!” These gifts are still in development. You’ll receive an e-mail as soon as they are ready. Gift #1 – 100 …

How to Draw and Color Mandalas: Step-by-Step Video Instructions on How to Draw Mandalas

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Drawing mandalas is not as hard as it looks. I designed these videos to show you step-by-step how to draw mandalas. Once you get the hang of it, watch out! It will be hard to stop. That’s where “Taking the 100 Mandalas Challenge” comes in. Don’t miss new videos as they get published. Sign up for the newsletter to get updates. Let’s start with these videos. How to Draw Mandalas for Beginners How to Draw Perfectly Symmetrical Mandalas for Beginners How to Use Colored Pencils to Color Mandalas [Sacred Geometry] How to Draw the Torus Yantra and Color the Hypnotic Eye Mandala Luminous Mandalas Mandalas on Black Background

How to Draw Perfectly Symmetrical Mandalas for Beginners

How to Draw a Perfectly Symmetrical Mandala for Beginners

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I’m going to show you my trick for making perfectly symmetrical mandalas. Think you can’t draw? Think Again. I show you step-by-step how to set up a grid to create this perfectly symmetrical mandala. Once you get the hang of it, you can easily take this method and create a 100 different mandalas just by changing the shapes, colors, and little details. Let’s see how easy it is… “I’ve struggled alot with trying to understand how to create a geometric mandala. It was like having a light click on in my head when I watched your second video! Thank you! I’m excited to watch your next video now!” ~ Alexis Antinossi Show Notes Supplies Used Please note these products are linked to Amazon using affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale. I only link to products that I have used and recommend. Thank you for your support of my work on 100Mandalas.com. The commission is used to purchase art supplies …

How to Draw Mandalas for Beginners

How to Draw a Mandala for Beginners

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Think you can’t draw? Think again. I designed this video for you! I’ll show you step-by-step how to draw this mandala. I know you have everything that you need. All it takes is something to write with and something to write on plus a desire to create mandalas. Let’s not forget how much fun it will be to color your first mandala. “I want you to know you did a beautiful job in giving me confidence and explaining and demonstrating how to create a mandala. I’m going to try it tonight!!” – Leslie Teltoe Show Notes Supplies Used Please note these products are linked to Amazon using affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale. I only link to products that I have used and recommend. Thank you for your support of my work on 100Mandalas.com. The commission is used to purchase art supplies and books. Bee Paper Super Deluxe Sketch Pad, 6″ x 6″ Sakura 50035 6-Piece Pigma Micron-01 Ink …