There’s a new tutorial in town, and, let me tell you, it’s a good one! If you look at beautiful henna and Indian designs and think, “Wow, I wish I could create something that intricate,” I have great news for you—you can! Watch this video and learn how to make mandala patterns in Adobe Illustrator. P.S. It’s easier than you might think.
The main tools you will be using:
Divide
Window>Pathfinder>Divide
Ungroup
Object>Ungroup
Shortcut:⇧⌘G
Group
Object>Group
Shortcut:⌘G
Symbol
Window>Symbols>New Symbol
I’ve wanted to know how to make my own mandala designs forever, and, now that I know how, I’m excited that I can share the knowledge with you guys. I know there are a lot of little steps in there, but, with a little practice, you’ll be designing mandalas like a pro!
One thing I absolutely love about this process is that you never know exactly how it’s going to turn out. It reminds me of making paper snowflakes—making cut after cut until you open it and reveal the design you created. The reveal is definitely the best part of this process too.
Have fun implementing your newfound skill, and happy designing!
*I am linking up to these parties
Mandee is a professional graphic designer, amateur bird watcher, and rollercoaster enthusiast. She is a wife to hardworking high school teacher and mommy to three adorable little humans. She fell in love with graphic design when she started working on a comedy website with a guy she met her freshman year of college. Design wasn’t the only thing she fell in love with, and they were married a year and a half later. She created Designs By Miss Mandee to be a place where she could merge her passion for design with her lifelong love of crafting. 3 Comments on How to Make Mandala Patterns
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Anthony
January 9, 2021 at 5:00 am (2 years ago)Hello Mande, just came across this page on Pinterest. Would this principle work using cutting machine SVG file. I am just beginning to appreciate Mandala designs.
Mandee
January 13, 2021 at 10:54 am (2 years ago)There are a few extra steps that would be needed in order to prep this to become a cut file. Basically, you’d need to outline all the stroke elements and unite the paths. I’d definitely recommend my intro series on the basics of creating cut file designs if you’re interested!
Donna Rueden
March 13, 2021 at 9:03 am (1 year ago)Thank you for this tutorial. You made it seem so straight forward. I can’t wait to try it out.