Costa - The mandala guidebook: how to draw, paint and color expressive mandala art

bristol board

canvas

cardstock

drawing paper

mat board, white

mixed-media paper

sheet music and other found papers

wallpaper samples

blending stump

compass

erasers

fine point pens, black

pencil sharpener

pencils, graphite

protractor

ruler

brushes, assorted

charcoal pencils, black and white

colored pencils, water-soluble

craft acrylic paints

fluid acrylic paints

gel pen, white

ink pads and sprays

markers

paint pens

watercolor paints

brayer

craft knife

foil paper scrap

game spinner with brad

Gelli plate and acrylic base

gesso

glue and glue stick

hole punch

makeup sponge

mat board for framing

old gift card

old magazines

palette or palette paper for mixing

palette paper or freezer paper

paper towels

scissors

sewing-pattern tissue paper

soft gel (matte) medium

spray bottle of water

stencils

wood icing

Welcome to the circle. Its a place where we:

• Play with colors, shapes and patterns.
• Relax and let go of the worries from the day.
• Listen to our hearts and inner wise selves.
• Discover new ways of healing.
• Connect with other mandala enthusiasts from around the world.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word that means circle or center. We often associate the word mandala with circular designs that have colors, shapes and patterns repeating from the center. Mandalas can be precise, carefully measured, geometric and perfectly symmetrical, or in contrast, free flowing, organic and asymmetrical.

Youll begin to discover mandalas everywhere like rose windows in churches, Native American dream catchers, Celtic spirals, and yin and yang symbols to mention a few. They appear in all cultures and in all time periods. Youll see them in jewelry, fabrics and carpets, as well as in nature.

Mandalas are a form that welcomes everyone. I love watching beginners who dont believe they can draw discover the joy of creating beautiful mandalas. For the experienced artist, the mandala is an invitation to explore the boundaries of design and form and to experiment with familiar and new mediums. Creating mandalas can be a warm-up exercise to activate ones creativity before working on other projects, or it can be a satisfying final destination.

I enjoy the quiet time during my mandala practice, where I unplug from social media, turn off the TV and put on some relaxing music. Before I begin, I often set an intention that may be focused on gratitude, prayers or a problem to be solved. Other times it is a desire to relax and pause from the busyness of my daily life.

When I set out to create this book, I considered what I would have liked to know when I was discovering mandalas. This book offers a wide range of styles, techniques and mediums for creating beautiful mandalas. The projects in take the practice of making pretty pictures to a deeper, more meaningful level where we explore the meanings of our mandalas and create with intention.

This book will serve as a companion for those who take up my challenge to create 100 mandalas in 100 days. There are so many possibilities found within the simple circle. Im eager to see your mandalas and hope youll join me and thousands of other mandala enthusiasts from around the world at 100mandalas.com.

It can be overwhelming to walk into an art supply store and see all of the products and options. It can also be very exciting. I always recommend that you start with what you have on hand and then add new tools and supplies as you grow into your mandala practice. If youve been crafting for years or are a seasoned artist, then now is a great time to dust off some of those long-forgotten art supplies. Have fun discovering or rediscovering the many artistic possibilities within the circle.

Pencils vary from hard to soft. For drawing, you may like the fine point of a mechanical pencil. Youll need a sharpener for drawing pencils and colored pencils. My handheld Prismacolor sharpener has two openings to get both broad and fine points. It is also a convenient size for traveling.

Erasers come in a variety of shapes and materials. Two types of erasers I use often are rubber and vinyl erasers. Pencil-shaped erasers are helpful for erasing details whereas the other sizes and shapes work well for larger areas.

When drawing mandalas, you may find yourself erasing a lot of guidelines. Be sure to erase gently so you do not tear the paper. Clean the eraser often as you work by rubbing it on a fresh piece of scrap paper so you dont rub graphite onto your drawing.

Ideal for drawing intricate patterns and details, fine point pens come in a range of sizes and colors. My favorite fine-liner pens are made by Micron. I recommended starting with black in a few sizes: 01, 05 and 08.