Without chukki rangoli for daily use
I do not use any aids viz. drawing the pattern with chalk piece, using scale to get perfect symmetry. Whatever symmetry I attain is through practice only. Use the white rangoli for daily purpose
I hope you will agree that the rangoli drawn above is reasonably symmetric. This design can be used as the central part of a bigger rangoli. We can start with this and then expand. As a matter of fact, the flower design is most commonly used.
Here there are 16 petals. We can have 8 or 32 petals too. Optimum number is 16, for drawing 32 we should use the thin line technique. Whatever the number the gaps have to be filled with some simple patterns.
I get personal messages (DM) for drawing rangoli designs for functions and weddings. I politely decline the requests though the organisers promised to pay for my art. Somehow, I am not inclined to do it.
I have participated as judge in rangoli competitions. The first one was in 2013 when SICASA (South Indian Chartered Accountants Students Association) invited me a judge for a rangoli / kolam competition at the ICAI building on Nungambakkam High Road.
It was early days in my social media journey had a few thousand subscribers on YouTube and a few million views on YouTube and blog. I was impressed with the variety of designs including traditional and innovative ones. After the competition students discussed with me and asked for tips on the art. Overall, it was nice and pleasant experience on a Sunday.
On another occasion a leading Tamil magazine conducted a kolam competition for Karthigai festival. This was in Annanagar. I had taken rangoli colours in packets (I get them from Nagpur and they are excellent) for all the contestants. All of them eagerly took the packets and thanked me profusely.
Three prizes were given for the best three kolam in the opinion. The prizes were attractive and to my suprise I also got an expensive gift from the organisers. One lady who did not get a prize argued with me after the competition. All said and done we are subjective in our judgments, and I pacified her saying that the probability of the judge of the competition not winning a prize in a competition is also high.