Anytime you look for coloring pages or coloring books, mandalas are the first to appear. They are a popular choice for coloring because they have intricate details and are easy to get lost in, but this does not mean they are something that beginners should avoid.
When starting out coloring mandalas, beginners should remember to:
- Use the right tools
- Keep your color choices simple
- Work from the center out
- Stay consistent
- Work in a relaxing environment
These five expert tips will give beginners the boost that they need to work with mandalas. When done correctly, coloring should be a relaxing experience. These tips help you hold on to that state of mind while still leading you to beautiful results.
Use the Right Tools
When working with mandalas, you deal with many narrow areas that need to be filled or even small details. Using a medium that spreads far or does not fit into these smaller areas increases your frustration, which can ruin the coloring in mere minutes.
When coloring mandalas, these tools are suggested:
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- Colored pencils
- Thinner markers
- Gel pens
You are not limited to this list, either. These are what are most commonly used successfully when coloring mandalas, and there is plenty of support and superb recommendations for these tools. You can even use a combination of tools to color your mandalas.
Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are a popular tool for coloring in general. They are cheap and apply dry, meaning that they will not smear easily either as your color or if you need to close your coloring book. Colored pencils are also easy to blend, and you can easily add a gradient effect to your mandala when using them.
When working with mandalas, having the ability to sharpen the point of your tool helps deal with finer details. Colored pencils are great at filling in any white space on the page, so you will not get tired of coloring in larger areas either.
Prismacolor Premier and Arteza colored pencils are recommended for beginners because they have low price points but still feature professional quality. Cheaper colored pencils still work, but you might run into issues with blendability.
Thinner Markers
Thinner markers are also great for detailing, but they do run a risk of spreading. You can limit this by sticking to extra fine-tipped markers, or you can keep your markers from those finer details. Either way, markers can help you fill in color and provide a unique, wet texture to your mandala.
For the most part, you can get away with Crayola fine line markers or Crayola Supertips. They still have an issue with spreading and bleeding, but it is less than brush-tipped markers. As long as you test their compatibility with the paper beforehand, there should not be any surprises.
Gel Pens
Gel pens bleed and spread less than markers, making them an attractive choice for coloring mandalas. They have a uniform tip that fits into the most detailed areas, and they come in a never-ending array of colors.
The only downside of gel pens is that they may not cover enough area to make proper use of your time. This is easily remedied by mixing them with another choice or using a hatching technique to fill in more area.
Keep Your Color Choices Simple
The first mistake most beginners make when coloring mandalas is choosing too many colors. You may think that all the details will need different colors, but the opposite is true. Coloring mandalas is about focus and relaxation, and having too many colors makes the piece (and your coloring experience) too busy.
A good range to stick to is 2 to 4 colors. This gives you enough room for variety without overwhelming you with your option choices. There are a few different schemes you can work with to make choosing colors even easier.
- A monochromatic theme involves colors in the same family, like different shades of blue or different shades of green. This will capitalize on the effect of that specific color, and it makes shading or blending much easier for you. Make sure you pick variations that are easy enough to distinguish.
- In a scheme using complementary colors, you will need to reference your color wheel. These colors are the ones opposite each other on that wheel. For example, if you decide to use the color blue, then you would use orange to compliment it. You can do this once and choose a third or choose two sets of complementary colors.
- When choosing contrasting colors, they will have different amounts of tint and shade. These features can be included in the two schemes mentioned before, or you can apply a contrasting theme to the colors you choose at random. Either way, contrast can be key to changing up the look of your mandala.
What to Do When You Pick Your Colors?
Once you pick out the colors you are going to use; you should test them out; make sure you like how they look together before you commit to using them in a piece. You want your colors to exist in harmony, and finding out that they clash horribly after hours of coloring is not a peaceful experience.
Make sure there is also a great range within each color by creating test boxes to test how they apply. You can also test out gradients and different variations you would like to include in your mandala. The biggest issue you should look for when comparing the colors is contrast. If the colors are too similar in hue or value, then the mandala will appear to lack dimension.
Work from the Center Out
Starting from the center of the mandala helps you maintain balance, and it makes sense if you think about it. The center of the mandala is where the smallest whole pieces are contained, and working with these will help to create a base for the rest of the drawing. This is the core, so what happens here is foundational. It may seem daunting, but once this area is established, you have something to shoot off of and refer back to as you proceed. Working from the center out also allows you to start small, and you have more frequent opportunities for breaks as you begin.
Check out more tips for mandalas HERE.
Stay Consistent
Mandalas are repetitive in their design, and they usually look better if you play into the repetition than if you try to break it up. Try to use the same colors for any features that repeat throughout the piece. This laces your work together. This is also a good tip to help you keep the mandala balanced and symmetrical. You can use plenty of drawings to play with imbalance, but the idea does not work well with the mandala and all that it represents. Simply keeping color and value consistent throughout the piece will lock in that relaxing sense of symmetry and balance.
Work in a Relaxing Environment
You may be trying to use mandala coloring to relax, but creating a laid-back environment will go a long way to help you. It does not need to be perfect, but you should put to:
- Limit distractions
- Clear your work area
- Get everything you need set up
Make sure you have eaten or that you have snacks at hand. Either way, a secured bottle of water will help to calm your nerves and keep you focused. If you are the type that works best with some background noise, then go ahead and set something up. The point is to create a space that you can work in without getting distracted or frustrated. Even with preparation, you might not be able to knock on your stress. Just do what you can to keep pressure off yourself and lose yourself to the coloring experience. Take breaks as needed, and step away any time coloring is not serving its purpose. You can always come back to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is coloring a mandala cultural appropriation?
Coloring a mandala is cultural appropriation because it involves adopting a cultural aspect into your life, but this is not always bad. Mandalas are most involved in Hindhu and Buddhist traditions to assist in spiritual development, just as you are trying to do. If you are worried about misusing this cultural symbol, you should look into its cultural significance.
What do I do if I get frustrated coloring a mandala?
If you get frustrated when coloring a mandala, you should take a step back. Trying to push through will usually result in more frustration, and the cycle does not seem to stop until you do. Even a short bathroom break can break through the tension to let you tap into your creative energy when you return.
What are some benefits of coloring mandalas?
There are plenty of benefits of coloring mandalas, including stress relief, distraction, creativity boosting, technique building, and mindfulness practice. These only scratch the surface, but they already prove that coloring mandalas is useful in improving day-to-day life.
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