This application is to do some artwork; you are to make your own mandala
or yantra. Below and in the appendix (I
AM A I gallery -- http://www.i-am-a-i.org/gallery/gallery.html) is
a set of drawings.
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One part of that set contains templates
for making your own mandala – Concerning
the Templates.
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The other part of that contains mandalas
that were made from the mandala template designated 5 (easy) -- Concerning
the Pre-drawn Figures. These figures are arrayed in the gallery
as examples, with various shadings to show different effects
The dictionary used defines mandala as a geometric piece of art that symbolizes
the universe. Technically, a more accurate term for these figures
would be a yantra.1
The figures made in this exercise will
be used later in a chanting exercise application. Doing this artwork
serves as an introduction to a one-point focus and the artwork itself will
be used later with an affirmation chant.
Since you are asked to make your own custom mandala, symbols (relevant
to your intention and philosophy) may be inserted into some of the pictures.
A note about
sketching and shading
Sketching is for people who cannot draw. You need a line, know you
cannot draw it exactly, so you draw a bunch of little lines, and their
accumulation presents the line you want (hopefully).
The same can be said with shading a drawing. Start lightly; and that
which looks to you could be darker, lightly go over it again and again
and…until you are satisfied.
Concerning
the Templates
The templates provided are computer drawings of a mathematical construction
using the proportions of p and
f
--
pi and the Golden Section (or Golden Mean).2
If you are going to create something, you may as well use these proportions
as a structure or as something to build on.
If not for aesthetic reasons, do it because of the resonant capabilities
of like mathematics. Because the templates and mandalas created are
based on the Golden Section, they can make some very esthetic hypnotic
figures -- something that can suck your vision in and keep it there.
Templates 5 (easy) and 5 (hard) are based on the pentagram
geometric construction that is in Euclid’s geometry book. The templates
5 (easy) and 5 (hard) are the circles that are a result of
using the golden section with * -- with a few extra circles and lines added.
Templates 4 and 8 are arranged to separate a circle into 4 or 8 sections
respectively. Templates 6 and 12 divide a circle into 6 and 12 equal
parts respectively. The pattern is the same with templates 7 and
14. All still use * and *.
You can use the provided computer templates to base a customized structure
of your own. To do so, take a piece of tracing paper and put it over
a template. Then start, for example, with whatever line catches your
eye and darken it with a pencil on the tracing paper. Pick out shapes
that you see to trace and draw those out on the tracing paper.
You know you are going to make a figure, so start picking out patterns,
and just follow lines. You can make a mandala squarish, anything
you want. For example, Templates 4 and 8 can generate a square-like
mandala/yantra. This exercise is only a starting point for you to
make your own mandala, using the mathematical proportions of * and the
Golden Section as guides.
This version of the assignment consists of tracing out four different mandalas
with pencil using whatever templates you want. Whatever lines your
eye picks out under the tracing paper; you follow with the pencil.
You do not have to do it ‘this way’, or ‘that way’ or any particular way.
You can ‘putz’ around and do this in front of the TV, listening
to music, commuting on a train, or something. Go over with ink the
ones that you like the best.
Please note: not drawing a line is as, or more, important than drawing
a line. An example is in some of the demonstrated figures.
Where there are several lines meeting, it was left open to avoid a busy-ness
at that point.
A rose pattern (mandala 9) was
made that came out of 5 (easy). That was to be the logo for
a Mystic Arts class. Dozens and dozens of mandalas where done, before
the author finally started to see and create patterns that the author really
liked. The author did 20 different ones before the author finally
got the rose.
After you trace some lines, and have some outlines of several basic mandalas,
make copies of each mandala. Then go back with pencil and start shading
the copies to your preference. The author found when teaching this,
that black and white figures work better than color figures for Exercise
9B -- Affirmation Chanting. The black and white simplifies the
amount of data coming in to the mind.
This artwork exercise can be just the beginning point to more mystical
artwork if you wish to take this further.
Concerning
the Pre-drawn Figures
If all this seems like too much work (which it is a lot), the pre-drawn
mandalas below are available to be copied, shaded, or altered by you.
It is for that purpose they are in the appendix. They can save you
some work and still illustrate the one-point focus concept used later.
In addition, examples of shaded mandalas are shown.
Alternatively, for the later chanting exercise, you can also research mandalas
and find four different other figures you would like to work with.
Remember though, the figure you choose must not be so ‘busy’ that it distracts.
This may counteract the effect of the affirmation exercise.
And…if you pick a picture or symbol (as opposed to making one), you may
miss the one-point focus reference used later.
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==> This
assignment is to make four different mandalas to be used in a later exercise
or find four mandalas that you can use.
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==> Construct
at least one mandala or yantra without symbols, words, figures, animals,
etc. -- i.e. purely black and white.
| These
are examples of Black and White Filled Yantras (and are in the beginning
and ending of each chapter of I AM A I) |
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