How to Make a Mandala in Procreate

Making a mandala in Procreate may be easier than you think, and they’re super relaxing to draw. People also love to color and decorate with them. In this tutorial, we'll go over how to set up the canvas in Procreate for drawing a mandala. Then we'll move on to actually drawing the mandala. Lastly, we'll show you some finished mandalas that will hopefully inspire you to draw your own.

We will be using the brush LittleWild from The Ultimate Lettering Pack, but there are several Procreate lettering brushes you can pick from.

Step 1 - Set Up the Canvas by Enabling the Drawing Guides

Enable the Drawing Guide in the Actions Menu

Open the Actions menu in Procreate by tapping the wrench icon. In the Canvas tab, toggle the Drawing Guide on and tap Edit Drawing Guide. To learn more about Procreate drawing guides, check out the tutorial we have available.

Enable the Symmetry Drawing Guide

Now we need to enable the Symmetry Guide. As you draw the mandala in one segment, the Symmetry Drawing Guides will mirror your drawings in the other segments, so you don't have to repeatedly draw each line/shape for the entire mandala.

Tap Symmetry and then tap the Options button.

Set Up the Symmetry Drawing Guide Options

Pick either Quadrant or Radial. Using Quadrant symmetry may result in a less detailed mandala, but either option is fine to use.

If you'd like to follow along, we'll be using Radial symmetryi n this tutorial, so go ahead and tap Radial.

You can toggle on Rotational Symmetry if you'd like, but we will not be using Rotational Symmetry in this tutorial. Switching back and forth while drawing the mandala is also an option.

Make sure Assisted Drawing is toggled on and tap Done.

Draw Some Circles to Guide the Lines and Shapes of the Mandala

You can basically draw whatever you would like, but mandalas often consist of repeated geometric shapes, patterns, and/or colors in a circular design.

On separate layers, draw some circles and center-align them. They don’t have to be evenly spaced. In the Layers panel, lower the opacity of the circle layers so they don't interfere with your drawing. Now you're all set to start drawing your mandala.

Step 2 - Draw the Mandala Piece by Piece

We'll be drawing the mandala piece by piece, but it's very easy to do with the help of the Drawing Guides.

Before we start, we would like to remind you to use layers. We can oftentimes forget about using layers when we're super focused and into a drawing. Because mandalas can be very intricate, it's important to use layers.

Deleting a layer is easier than trying to erase brushstrokes that are connected. If you are at the point where you can't add new layers, merge layers together that contain drawings that do not touch each other. This will make erasing parts of a layer simpler if needed.

Draw the Larger Pieces of the Mandala

Draw larger pieces first to create the foundation of the mandala. See the following image for an example. Notice how the lines and shapes follow the circle guides and how they're mirrored in the other segments.

Fill in the Mandala With More Lines and Smaller Shapes

Once you have the larger pieces down, draw more lines and smaller shapes to fill in the mandala. It's as simple as that!

Mandala Examples

Color Gradient Mandala

For the following image, we merged all the layers together and used Alpha Lock to fill the mandala with a gradient in Procreate.

Colored in Mandala

Again, we merged the layers and used Alpha Lock to color or fill in the shapes in Procreate. Subtle changes can really help to create an entirely different look.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, you may want to check out our tutorials on making sublimation designs, creating 3D typography, and drawing a pumpkin.