With their recent unit on value, the middle schoolers learned how making mandalas can be a meditative process. Tibetan monks spend days to weeks creating mandalas out of sand only to wipe them away when they are done. These students also spent weeks creating mandalas that they can be proud of, but, unlike the monks, they get to take theirs home when they're done. They learned that value is the lightness or darkness of a picture and that they can value blend by pressing harder or softer with their colored pencils to create a range of values. Another coloring technique they utilized was color blending, in which they blended one color into another one to create an all new color or a gradient. Aside from value, the middle schoolers explored the principle of design known as balance. They briefly touched upon the different kinds of symmetry and what makes radial symmetry unique.
In order to make a radially symmetrical design, they created a design on triangles of tracing paper. With this tracing paper, they transferred their designs onto their drawing paper until it created a design that radiated from a center axis. Once drawn, they were able to color inside their unique designs by utilizing their newly learned skill of value and color blending. They also learned that outlining their shapes in black and coloring dark, rich, and waxy can make all the difference in their final drawing. It is amazing how different everyone's mandala drawings can be, even though they were all given the same instructions and criteria. The themes the students chose ranged from floral, geometric, fish, hunting, food, and many more! The diverse themes just go to prove I have quite the group of creative thinkers.
In order to make a radially symmetrical design, they created a design on triangles of tracing paper. With this tracing paper, they transferred their designs onto their drawing paper until it created a design that radiated from a center axis. Once drawn, they were able to color inside their unique designs by utilizing their newly learned skill of value and color blending. They also learned that outlining their shapes in black and coloring dark, rich, and waxy can make all the difference in their final drawing. It is amazing how different everyone's mandala drawings can be, even though they were all given the same instructions and criteria. The themes the students chose ranged from floral, geometric, fish, hunting, food, and many more! The diverse themes just go to prove I have quite the group of creative thinkers.