Mandala, Mandala, Mandala

Mandalas: simple lines and shapes that add up an intricate, gorgeous composition that blows audiences away. Not to mention the therapeutic benefits for the artist. Toward the end of the year the noise level is on the rise as schedules are disrupted for special events, students start mentally checking out of school, and attention spans are short. Enter: mandalas. It's almost impossible to stay stressed or distracted while you are embarking on mandala-making.

Video accessed on YouTube.

If you break mandalas down to their most basic elements they are made of repeating simple lines and shapes. What is not so simple, for some, is to repeat those simple lines and shapes so they are the same size all the way around the design. Artists combat this in a few different ways. You can draw concentric circles with a compass or trace and transfer a section that you like. Or you can follow artist Elsa Rhae (video above) and make lemonade from lemons if one of your shapes gets too big or too small. 

One trick I have my students do, after they've cut their paper into a square, is to use a straight-edge to find the center of the paper by drawing diagonal lines from the corners. Then they are free to build out from that center point with curved lines, spirals, petals, tear drops, and any other pattern they can think of. Some students prefer to work in pencil while others enjoy the challenge of using Sharpies right away. After the design is inked and any stray pencil marks are erased it's time to add color. At the top of the post, the first example was completed using watercolor pencils, which gives a bit more control but still has the tendency to leak. My students loved the tie-dye effects of using watercolor paint and pipettes. 

Here's what we've done so far:

1. Start with a square piece of watercolor paper of any size. The bigger the paper the more room you have for layers of design.
2. Find the center of your paper by making soft diagonal lines with a pencil from opposite corners of the paper. Where they intersect is the center.
3. Choose a dot, spiral, or center shape of your choice. Continue building out the layers until you are happy with the shape of your mandala. 
4. If you worked in pencil, re-trace your design with Sharpie. Then erase any stray pencil lines.

Now for the magic part aka beautiful color blending that you don't totally control:

1. Take your paper to the sink and run it under water until the whole surface is wet. Since you used watercolor paper this step won't hurt your design!
2. Lay your wet paper on top of paper towel and return to your liquid watercolor paints.
3. (Before you wet your paper) Choose 3-4 colors that are analogous or close to each other on the color wheel. One color can be more complementary (like the pink and green above) but they will need a color buffer when you apply the paint.
4. Keep a cup of clean water to wash out the pipette between colors.
5. Use the pipette to apply drops of color scattered around your paper. Leave some white space so that the other colors you chose will have a place to shine before blending with colors you've already applied.

Vocabulary

Mandala

Radial Balance

Cultural Significance

Mandalas refer generally to repeating patterns around a center point, showing radial balance. These designs are especially important in Hinduism and Buddhism and examples can also be found in Christianity. In all religions, the circular arrangement of the design represents the universe and contemplating these forms can be meditative or a reference to the journey between the earthly and the divine. 

Animal Textile Mixed Media Compositions

Animal Textile Mixed Media Composition - I really need to find a more succinct name for this awesome project. Students study Islamic art and design principles, connect their learning to a habitat, and then put it all together with an array of materials. Students love all of the choice in this project and the results are stunning.

 

Accessed at www.patterninislamicart.com

As a starting point, students learn the different motifs that make up traditional Islamic design. These are easy to distinguish but it's important vocabulary for students to develop so they are accurately able to describe what they see. We also discuss some of the religious implications that set Islamic designs apart from other artistic traditions - namely, that humans and animals are very rare except in stylized forms. 

Depending on the amount of time we have for this unit, I like to discuss how ideas migrate to influence artists and their products. This is a great time to make a connection between art and world history by examining the Silk Road. Here is a video from Crash Course World History, hosted by the John Green of Paper Towns fame, that gives students a brief intro to this complex system of trade and the spread of ideas.

Then students "migrate" a piece of A4 paper around their table after first folding it into quarters and creating a design of their choosing in the first box. The second student who gets the paper will take design ideas they like from the first design but reimagine it a bit in the next box on the paper. This continues until all of the boxes have a design in them. If students finish their designs before it's time to pass then they can add color and more detail. 

But let's get back to the main project of this unit - the mixed media compositions. These are the steps students go through to create their final artwork:

1. Choose a traditional Islamic design for your background. Which motif does it show? Calligraphy, geometric, or arabesque?
2. Sketch your design on an A3 background paper in pencil. Your design may be simplified to allow better color application later.
3. Add color to your background with acrylic paint. Are all of your pencil lines covered up?
4. Research and select an animal from the desert habitat to feature as your subject.
5. Practice and then sketch your animal using either charcoal, ink, or colored pencils.* Did you add details that give the animal form and texture?
6. Cut out and attach your animal to the background. Take care if you used charcoal that your sketch didn't smudge.

Here are two student examples.

Are your students struggling with realism in their drawing? Students usually work from reference photos and I show them the video "Austin's Butterfly" as a reminder to use careful observation when developing realism. Students also benefit from the act of critique during this project to practice looking carefully at others' work and reflecting on their own drawings.