Create Your Own Kaleidoscopic Mandala Tutorial

2010 Andrea Braun-Radnedge

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

9ow to Create Your Own Kaleidoscopic Mandala

As intricate as a mandala might loo ! "ou will soon #ind out that it$s not all that complicated% All "ou need is accurac"! a sense o# colour! a &it o# inspiration 'which tends to come o# its own accord( and patience% And here is how it wor s%%%

)hat "ou need* 1( A +0cm , +0cm 'appro,%( sheet o# watercolour paper or can-as 2( A set o# #ine &rushes si.es 000 to 2 +( /ouache or acr"lic paints 0( A compass 1( A #ine pencil 'the &est is one with a lead re#ill that "ou do not need to sharpen 2( A set-s3uare 4et$s get started%%% Ma e a dot in the middle o# "our can-as% )ith the compass ma e a circle o# 10cm radius '"ou can choose "our own si.e o# course! these are 5ust the dimensions #or our demo(% 6raw a line #rom the middle o# the circle to the outer line% )ith the set-s3uare draw another line at +07 and another one at +07 and so #orth until "ou ha-e di-ided the entire circle into 12 pieces o# the pie% 'You can also di-ide the circle into more or less pieces o# the pie% +207 can ma e 12 , +07! 12 , 22!17! 18 , 207 or 8 , 017% 4ess than that would pro&a&l" not loo as interesting%(

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

:ow "ou ha-e got the &asic structure in place% 9ow "ou will ha-e to proceed #rom here depends on the design "ou ha-e got in mind% ;or this demonstration we will start with an inner circle o# a&out +cm diameter which < ha-e mar ed with the compass% < will &e wor ing with acr"lic paints on can-as which allows me to paint o-er m" mar ings i# necessar"% <# "ou use gouache on paper! ma e sure the mar ings are -er" light! otherwise the" will show through the colours% <n the centre o# the small circle < will paint a little star with a simple design o# two shades o# &lue around it% One hal# o# the design is lighter and the other dar er% <n the second piece o# the pie < will mirror this design and continue li e this all the wa" around! m" initial design in the #irst piece o# the pie and its mirrored -ersion in the second%

But now < ha-e decided to alter m" design slightl" and add a #ew highlights to gi-e it more depth% A &it o# white on the lighter &lue and a dar er shade in the middle o# the dar er &lue gi-es the impression o# wa-es% 'Right(

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

And here comes the ne,t step o# our design% < want a star shape around the middle moti-e% =o! < care#ull" measured the distances so that the"$re all e3ual% '4e#t( This is how < ha-e coloured the star% < tried to &lend the red! orange and "ellow into smoth transitions% To achie-e this e##ect! "ou ha-e to wor #ast enough so that "ou add the second colour while the #irst is still wet% 9ere! < am wor ing with acr"lic which is not as #ast dr"ing as gouache% )here two colours meet! e%g% orange and "ellow! < &rush o-er the 5oint to mi, them in slightl"% < might ha-e to wet the &rush a &it% =ometimes! < will need a wea dilution o# either colour to create the #ading% ;or e,ample! orange is stronger than "ellow! so! in order to add onl" a little &it o# orange onto the "ellow! < use a thin wash o# orange that < ru& into the "ellow until all the orange is gone% You will ha-e to e,periment a &it depending on what medium "ou use% 9ere is a detail o# the colour transition% '4e#t( :ow we can ela&orate a &it more on the e,isting design%

< ha-e decided on a little #loral design% 9ere! "ou can see the mirror techni3ue which will lead to the aleidoscopic e##ect% )hen "ou do this #ree hand and the shapes are not geometrical! it can &e a &it tric "% This is wh" < tend to do #irst e-er" other piece o# the pie with the design in one direction and then the others with the mirrored design% This helps to eep the drawing more stead" as well%

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

Oops! here! < seem to ha-e s ipped one stage in the photo ta ing%%%)ell! "ou can see what <$-e added to the design% There are two wa"s "ou can go a&out creating a mandala design% The #irst one is to start in the centre and to ma e it up as "ou go along% That$s the method < ha-e emplo"ed here% < loo 'or sometimes stare( a while at it and then let the ne,t step &u&&le up #rom inside% < am alwa"s care#ul with colour com&inations! though and tr" not to go o-er&oard with contrasts% But this is down to personal taste% <# "ou li e it reall" colour#ul! 5ust go #or it% The other wa" is to draw out the entire design #or one piece o# the pie &e#ore < e-en start wor ing on can-as% This is a &etter method #or a more intricate design% < will show this method at a later stage% Curl" designs < draw out on the can-as &e#orehand% >ust -er" lightl" so that the pencil mar s do not show trough the paint% <n the case o# the red &etween the star triangles < did the cur-es #irst! then care#ull" painted around them in red and then went o-er the "ellow again to get it cleaner%

<n these two pictures "ou can see how < go #rom a shape #illed with plain colour to wor ing some depth into it% This is mainl" achie-ed &" adding dar er and lighter tones &ut also with &orders% <n the case o# the ?sun ra"s@ < started with "ellow ochre! then added some red and wor ed it into the tops in the transitional wa" as descri&ed earlier% < used a slightl" dar er shade o# this orange #or the &orders% At the &ottom end o# each ra" < added white highlightswhich < had to do se-eral times with an undiluted white #or the last little &it%

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

9ere is the detail% You can see that < put a dar er line around the green triangle shape as well and right ne,t to it is a little dar er shade 'not reall" that -isi&le on the photo! there will &e &etter e,amples later on(% This is a wa" to create a certain depth &etween shapes in the design%

9ere is a &it o# a 5ump%%%< #elt the picture needed some contrast and went #or the s " &lue%

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

And the #loral design is &ac ! too%%%<n the detail photo "ou can see the mirror e##ect% 9ere! < did it not &etween two pieces o# the pie &ut #or e-er" one and then alternating two slightl" di##erent designs which shi#ts the aleidoscopic principle &" hal# a pie-piece% =trictl" spea ing this is not correct &ut in this case it wor s% 9ere is another contrast% As #ar as colour schemes are concerned! < normall" stic to three main colours with a #ew -ariations and mi,es% <n the case o# this mandala it$s "ellow ochre! o&alt and ultramarine &lue and crimson red% < added some white to the red #or the &ig star shape and the "ellow ochre and &lue ma e the green that < use 5ust -er" sparingl"%

On the le#t a detail o# the red star shape%

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

And here is what < chose #or the decoration o# the red%

:e,t step% <t$s prett" sel#-e,planator"%

Andrea Braun-Radnedge

)e$re now nearing the outer circle% < ha-e decided to create another contrast%%%

Time to #inish with the last ring%

Andrea Braun-Radnedge