• Personal Mandala Project

    For this project, you will design your own personal mandala and paint it on watercolor paper. You will use a compass (or round object) and straight edge to create elaborate symmetrical designs with a circular focal point. 

     

    Your design must exhibit symmetry, either rotational or bilateral or both, and you must be able to explain the type of symmetry used. The colors and other elements you use to fill in the areas of the design need to use symmetry or approximate symmetry. For example, you might choose to do half of the design in warm colors and the other half in cool colors. Or perhaps within one part of the design is a moon and in the corresponding half is a sun.

     

    Areas within and surrounding your geometric design can be organic and representational elements. The background and all elements should be symmetrical as well. This is to be your personal mandala so be sure to include any symbols or items of importance to you. You may want to paint different areas in different styles such as different brush strokes, or varying the amount of water used in the paint. Some areas may be solid colors. Other areas could be faded and/or blended. You may wish to color your original pencil design with colored pencils to get a feel for how the colors will interact.

     

    Materials:

    • Small paper for a “sketch” of your design
    • 12 X 18” watercolor paper for construction
    • 2B pencil and eraser
    • Compass or circular object
    • straight edge (ruler)
    • Watercolor paint and brushes

     

    Steps:

     

    1. Use a pencil, your compass and straight edge to construct the design for your mandala. Remember that a mandala is a circular design, so your focal point should be a large circle with designs inside it and around it.    

     

    1. Sketch out any other designs that will appear in or around the mandala. (Background)

     

    1. Check with me to get your design approved.

     

    1. Re-create and enlarge your design on the watercolor paper lightly in pencil, using your sketch on drawing paper as a reference.

     

    1. Paint the areas of the design as desired. Let this be a statement about you---personalize it.

     

    Links

    Read - This Article helps to define what a mandala is

     

     

    What is a Mandala?

     

    Mandala Eamples

     

    Balance

     

    Other Southeast Asian Art

     

    Watch - Sacred Arts of Tibet

     

     
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