Most Americans probably last held a drawing compass in elementary school. It also usually has two legs, one with a sharp point for holding the instrument in place and one with a pen or pencil point ...

Put the compass spike at the bottom of the circle and draw an arc that touches the top of the circle and extends more than half way down each side... Image caption, ...then keeping the compass ...

This is the reference point for the beginning of your mandala. Now draw circles around the centre using your compass or various circular objects. They can be at different distances from each other.

Circles are difficult to create. Whether you draw them by hand or try to achieve ... you put at the other end of it, sort of ...