In Digital Media, we used Adobe Illustrator to create our Mandalas. First, we made templates with 8,10,12, and 16 slices where when you draw in one slice the design would get replicated to the rest of the slices. We were encouraged to incorporate elements of ourselves into the mandala and I think mine did a good job of reflecting who I am. I enjoyed working in Illustrator using the Pen tool and exploring the different brushes that you could use to get different strokes. When we finished our design, we had the option of laser printing it on different materials varying from a Bamboo Wood Circle to a clear Acrylic on a LED stand. I chose to get mine printed on a Pizza Cutting Board and I love how it turned out. Mandalas originated from India and I wanted to incorporate that culture as well as a modern take on Mandalas and I think my mandala incorporates does a good job of incorporating a little bit of both.
Black and White v. Colored Mandala
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Laser Engraved Mandala
Mandala Build Reveal Video
I am really impressed with how my Black and White Mandala turned out and the detail that I was able to incorporate in my design. I feel like I could’ve done a better job for the Colored Mandala and maybe even designed a completely different one altogether. For the reveal video, when I was turning the layers on and off to show how I created the mandala, there were parts where I didn’t start from the center and go out which made the video look a little odd.
I really valued this project a lot and it was a nice way to ease into the year. I loved how relaxed I felt while creating my mandala and the fact that I was able to express myself through my piece. I was also really happy with how my mandala turned out on the pizza board too. Granted, it ended up being a little too big, but the detail showed up really well.
I learned a lot about myself through this project. I found that I had a hard time putting myself into my artwork and I wasn’t really happy with my drawings in the beginning. Only later did I realize that I just had to go for it without thinking and just draw. I was so scared about how I wanted my mandala to look that I let it hold me back. I notice that I didn’t do that with just this project but I’ve done it with others in the past. I’ve been so focused on trying to get everything to be perfect that I’m too afraid to try something new or fully express myself in my art.