Mandala in Adobe Illustrator

Today we will be drawing a Mandala in Adobe Illustrator with the help of Shape Tools and Transform Effect. Mandala reflects balance and perfection and our artwork will also reflect the same.

We will start the tutorial by launching Adobe Illustrator first and then creating a new document with RGB color mode.

Step 1

Select the Rectangle Tool and draw a rectangle of the size the same as the artboard. We are drawing the rectangle to create a background. Now fill the rectangle with a bright gradient with the help of the Gradient Tool.

Now select the rectangle and press Ctrl + 2 to lock the selection.

Step 2

Select the Ellipse Tool and fill the stroke with white color. Now draw a circle in the center of size 20 pt.

After drawing the circle, with the help of the Pen Tool, draw the shape as shown in the below image.

Select and copy the shape created and paste it in the opposite direction.

Copy and Paste the shape in opposite direction

Select both the shapes and click on Object in the Menu Bar. Place the cursor on Transform and select Rotate.

After selecting Rotate, a Rotate dialogue box will appear on the artboard. In the Rotate dialogue box, set the angle to 20^o. Then check the Preview and click on OK.

In a similar way, create more copies till the artwork shown in the below image is formed.

Press Ctrl + D and the shapes will be rotated.

I have deleted the inner circle and filled the shapes with white color.

Step 3

Select the Rectangle Tool and draw a small size rectangle above the shape.

Repeat the same steps which we had used in rotating the first shape in step 2.

In mandala drawing, we will keep on drawing new layers of different shapes and will rotate them in circular form with the help of the Transform Effect.

Now draw more layers of shapes to complete your Mandala art and your Mandala is created in Adobe Illustrator. You can also draw different shapes with the help of the Pen Tool and rotate them in circular form.

The most important thing which is needed to learn, while making Mandala in Adobe Illustrator, is the correct use of the Rotate Effect.