Transcripts
1. Introduction : Hey, everyone, my
name is Sana Assad. I'm an artist and art
educator, recently, I completed holistic integrated creative art therapy
practitioner diploma. That means from now on, I will be bringing art
therapy exercises at home. This is my first
lesson on art therapy. For first lesson, I thought mindful Mandalas will
be the best option. Mandalas have been used for centuries in different
cultures for relaxation, self awareness, and
connect to the universe. In this course, I will take you to a step by step journey, how you can create
your own Mandalas. Start with a meditation, grounding exercise, how to
choose your color palette, use watercolor,
the best part is, you can use class
resources template to make your easy mandala. Don't forget to download
your class project template, and let's learn how to
create this beautiful, mindful mandala with me.
2. Material guide: For this class project, you can use any material
you already have at home. You can go for color
pencils, markers, watercolor, ink, acrylic paint, anything you wish to do it. I will be using watercolor for this project along
with some gold paint. I'm going to paint
on watercolor, 300 GSM RG paper, which is one of my favorite. You can make your mandalas
on mini journals. As you can see, I have
painted some with acrylic paint as well
as with black pen. Compass is very
important to create a perfect and accurate circle. If in case you don't have this, you can use different
objects to make your circle. Make sure you have
transparent objects so you can see the
alignment of the circles. Canvases are optional, and if you wish to
paint on Canvas, you can definitely go for it.
3. How to use template : Let's begin with
our class project. In this class resources, you will be able to download
the worksheets which will help you to get started
with your Mandala template. On the Mandala template, you can use your compass to make extra
circles if you want, but the base grid is
already prepared for you. Mandalas are often seen as
a reflection of the self. They can represent our thoughts, feelings, and the space
we occupy in our lives. When we engage in this
process of creating them, we are just not making art. We are inviting
mindfulness into our life. Here I'm adding a few more
extra circles to make my design a little bit more complex and near to each other. Otherwise, if you feel
to have a big designs, which can be any
design of your choice, here you have another
worksheet where you can practice for different patterns
and different designs. I do find a lot of references
from Google Pinterest, and you can always get different ideas of making
different patterns. Some of the patterns
you will immediately get it while you
are making it and small mini ideas will
start popping out and this worksheet will allow you to bring all your
ideas on the paper. There are many
benefits of making Mandala whenever
you feel stress. It promote mindfulness by helping us to focus on
the present moment. It encourage self expression, giving voice to feelings and emotions that may be
difficult to articulate. It can improve our concentration as we immerse ourselves
in a creative process. Most importantly, it help us
connect to our inner self, discovering new thoughts,
new insight along the way.
4. How to draw Mandala : Let's create our mandala
using the provided template. Start with shapes like
leaves or inverted use. Whether you want
geometric or organic, continue this pattern
to complete one row. As you work, you'll notice how your hand and mind
begin to coordinate. Parking new ideas about
what to add next. Trust your intuition and let it guide you as you
complete your mandala. Once you complete
your first mandala, you can print out
more templates and then continue by
practicing more. You can choose among those. In the next video,
I'll share how you can transfer your mandala to
the watercolor paper. If you decide to
do it on Canvas, that will be the same technique
to transfer on Canvas. See you in the next video.
5. How to transfer on Watercolor Paper : Now, as we have our mandala, so let's transfer it
through the carbon paper. I'm using carbon paper, but in case if you
don't have it, you can just color at the back of your
paper and trace it. I'm using 300 GSM Archie's
watercolor paper, and the reason of drawing my
mandala on a separate paper, so I can reuse the mandala. If I wish to do it on
acrylic or mixed media, I will have my design safe
with me to recreate it again. Apply your carbon paper and then add your mandala
template on top of it. Make sure you always tape the corner so the
paper won't move. Because in case if
your paper is moved, then it will be
really hard for you to see where the
previous lines were. Just go with the
pencil on your design, try to trace only the design, not the template lines. Once transfer, remove the tape and get ready for the painting.
6. Watercolor Techniques : In this video, we're organizing
our color selection. You can create your
color swatches on a separate piece of a paper. Remember, colors can reflect
our emotions and feelings. It's wise to choose our
color palette in advance. Aim for the selection of
two to four colors to keep things manageable and
avoid feeling overwhelmed. Mandalas have been
used for centuries in various cultures as a way to connect with ourself
and the universe. They can be a powerful tool for relaxation and self exploration. If you feel a little
confused that how to choose the color or what colors will
go best for my mandalas. You can always refer
to color wheel. You can try making complimentary
colors or warm colors, cool colors, or even try
to make analogous colors. Color wheel will
always help you. Now let's start with how to paint inside our
mandala patterns. I'm just making a simple
lease to show you how you can use water color and blended to make the
colors lighter, double layer, triple layer,
it's completely optional. Begin with pink or
any color you want. Make sure it's nice and wet. After that, after one
stroke of the color, add water to blend the color. In this way, it will be the first layer for
your water color. You can continue with the rest. I always encourage
my students to pick one color and add that
color everywhere you want. Once you are done with your
first layer of the color, then clean your brush and then
begin with a second color. Focusing on one color at
a time while completing your mandala can significantly
enhance relaxation. The practice, engage your
mind in a meditative state. Allow yourself to immerse
fully in the process. Scientific studies suggest that this form of focused
attention can reduce stress and anxiety by promoting calmness
in the brain. Here you can see after
the first layer is dry, I'm adding the second layer. This is completely optional. If you wish to bring
the color more bright, you can always add once the first layer
is completely dry. Engaging in mindful coloring or painting activates the
prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision making and
impulse control. Art will definitely help you
and it can sooth your mind. It can bring a lot of difference when you make
it on a regular basis. After adding the solid colors, if you wish to add
designs directly with watercolor with a little bit darker shade of the same color. This can be add a lot of
details in your mandalas. Feel free to design your
mandala according to your mood and the way
you feel at that moment. I hope you have practice. I would love to see
your practice in class project and we'll
see you in the next class.
7. Paint your Mandala : Now, by this video, I'm sure
you are more confident about your color selection and the techniques we will be using to make our final project. As I work on this mandala, I'm reminded on how every
stroke, every shape, allows me to express
my emotions and thoughts in a way that words
sometimes can't capture. Creating art has
a profound impact on our mental and
emotional well being. I prefer to start
with one color at a time and complete that
color wherever I wish to add. Research shows that engaging in art can reduce anxiety
and depression. When I paint, I'm
just making art. I'm also taking care
of my mental health. Daily art practice helped
to build resilience, offering a safe space to confront feeling and
thoughts without judgment. Although I'm an artist
and art educator, creating art on a regular basis, planning my lessons
for children, teenagers, adults, but still, I do my own art therapy by
creating art for myself. And let's not forget about
the joy of creating. Sometimes to show the world, we forgot about the joy because through this
social media era, we are forced to give the
power to the audience. The moment we post our
artwork or anything, we expect the world to
like, share, comment. When we don't get that, we feel that we are
not good about it, and that can increase
our anxiety. Create art for yourself
for your mental wellness. I encourage you to carve out a little time each
day to create art, whether it's painting,
drawing, or even doodling. Just put pen to paper
or brush to canvas. Trust your intuition, like how we are doing it
for this mandala. Creating art doesn't just
enhance your artistic skills, I can provide clarity and understanding
for your emotions. You might be surprised at what you discover
about yourself. After I'm done with
watercolor and golden paint, I'm using a little bit of color pencil to
create a some shadow. This is completely optional. If you feel happy
about your creation, just enjoy and look at it. As my first layer is, I am adding a bit of second layer to make
my colors get vibrant. This is again optional. If you feel that you are happy
with the first layer only, you can start creating
your next mandala. I hope you enjoy today's lesson, and I'm looking forward to
see your class projects. Don't forget to upload
in the class resources. Tell me what other art
exercises you want to see.
8. Final Thoughts : As we wrap up today's class, I want to share a
few key takeaways. Art is healing. Nurture
your creativity. Celebrate your progress.
Stay open minded. Last, but not the least
connect and share. I hope you enjoy today's lesson. Looking forward to see
you in the next class.
Sana Asad
