3
Feb
2018
How to create your own mandala?
Table of Contents
Canvas
For painting mandalas, first of all, the symbols, objects, gods, and goddesses are sketched on a canvas. The canvas is usually made up of cotton (from the cotton plant) or linen (from the flax plant) and sometimes hemp (from the cannabis plant). The sketching is done with a black ink or pencil.
Outline
The mandala outline might be square or circular. After the outline, different shapes like Padma, triangles and concentric circles can be added. The pictures of deities like Buddha, Manjushri, Yamantaka can also be sketched one or multiple times depending on the meaning of the mandalas.
Colors
After the sketch is final the painting is done with different colours. The selection of colors depends on the meaning or the type of mandala.
The background colors like red, black, oranges are used in most of the mandalas. We can also see different clouds like shape surrounding the corners of the mandala.
Meditation purpose
If the mandala is used for concentration or meditation purpose the uniform color pattern like blue and white are mostly preferred in this type of painting.
Religious purpose
If the mandala is used for religious purpose then colors like red, oranges, white, golden are mostly used. Shri Yantra is the mandala used for worshipping Goddesses Laxmi. Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and other deities are mostly painted in yellowish skin color.
Representation of Nature
Mandalas like Life of Buddha or Wheel of Life use natural colors like: green to represent nature (flowers and trees), monks (Buddha) wearing red dress. If it is painted by a Master we usually can find gold coating on top of the painting.
Decorative Purpose
These are the big circular mandalas that are hanged on the wall of the hall and other sophisticated places. To color these mandalas different color combinations are used. Primary colors like red, blue or yellow are used for the background. Mixing of two or more primary colors can be used to paint the circles, flowers and other shapes inside the mandala. Decorative mandala are usually symmetric.
