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Creating a Mandala Using Photoshop Elements 2.0
Grade Level: 7 – 12
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Notes for Instructor:
This lesson was conceived as an instruction for a graphic technology classroom but can also be adapted for use in a social studies or Asian languages classroom. This lesson presupposes students are familiar with the basics of the Photoshop Elements toolbox, toolbars and options menus, and palettes.
Click here to download a powerpoint introducing mandalas. ZIPPED version UnZIPPED version
Objective:
In this lesson, you will learn about the Mandala, a Hindu and Buddhist art form originating in Asia. Using the principles of the Mandela, you will create one of your own design in Photoshop Elements.
Part I: Introduction to the Mandala as an Art Form
The mandala is an art form used in both Hindu and Buddhist art - sometimes represented in a painting, sometimes represented in the floor plan/layout of a temple, and sometimes created with dust or sand as a representation of the ephemeral nature of the universe. The word mandala means circles. The mandala is an aid in visualization of the universe for the observer who “enters” the mandala at the southernmost gate.
A traditional Hindu mandala is a metaphor of the universe (God) and has three parts:
- Outer Square : The square has a gap in the middle of each side aligned to the four directions. (N-S-E-W) which are gates into its world. The square does not appear in all mandalas.
- Inner Circle with a central point (the “hub” of the wheel): The circle represents the cosmos emanating from God at its center. It is also called a cakra which means wheel. Man is often depicted on the rim of the wheel where he is subject to the rebirths of samsara.
- Inner Triangle(s) An upside-down triangle represents the female principle; the opposite triangle represents the male principle. They overlap to form a six-sided star. The triangle does not appear in all mandalas.
Use of Color:
Students should discuss the meaning of color as a design element. One suggestion for common color meanings* is:
RED: energizing, stimulating color symbolizing passion, creation, life. Also: rage, violence and fire.
BLUE: Suggests an infinite space (the sky) and eternity. Calming, relaxing, nurturing, feminine.
YELLOW: suggests the rhythms of time (the sun), the light of consciousness, emotional and spiritual energies. Energizing aspects of the masculine principle.
GREEN: nature, balance, harmony, fertility, freshness, health, peace and prosperity.
ORANGE: Earthiness (vs. spirituality), endurance, strength, worthy ambition.
PURPLE: Nobility, refinement, power, patience, trust, faith.
TURQUOISE: Generosity, Love, Healing. Also used on entries to protect from dangerous spirits.
BROWN: the earth, fertility. Also symbolizes holding or blocking energy.
WHITE: the blinding light of spirit, triumphant over death. Silence of snow. Ash after a fire. Purity, innocence, virginity, birth.
BLACK: death, decay, sinister, mourning, non-being. Also: protection from evil. Color of penitence and respect for souls of the departed. Remembrance, eternity, constancy.
* see Fincher, Susanne F. Coloring Mandalas for Insight, Healing, Self-Expression ( Boston : Shambala Publications, 2000) p. 17.
Students should familiarize themselves with traditional Mandalas. Some recommended resources:
- Fincher, Susanne F. Coloring Mandalas for Insight, Healing, Self-Expression ( Boston : Shambala Publications, 2000)
- Fisher, Robert E. Art of Tibet (New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc., 1997)
- Pal, Pratapadita Himalayas : An Aesthetic Adventure ( Chicago : Art Institute of Chicago , 2003)
- Gupta, Sanjukta “The Mandala as an Image of Man” April 1982.
NEH Websites and other Web Resources on Mandalas:
Part II:
Lesson 1: Coloring a Mandala using Photoshop Elements or Ms Paint
Download lesson file COLORING_MANDALA.ZIP
After viewing the introductory powerpoint and discussing the symbolism behind mandalas, students can select any of the mandalas in the lesson file to color. An alternative lesson where students create their own mandalas follows below.
To Color a Mandala in Photoshop Elements:
- Open one of the three sample mandalas.
Save the file as yourname_mandala.psd
- Because mandalas have clearly define/outlined areas, it is recommended to select an area using the magic wand before you color it. This will insure that you color “inside the lines”.
- To create simple blocks of color, use the paintbrush or paintbucket tools.
For more complex designs, use the gradient tool or
use the texture brushes options of the paintbrush to create textured effects.
- EXTRA: Add design elements of your own using the shape tool.
- FILE > SAVE as a psd file.
- Save your mandala as a BMP file and insert it into a word document. In a one-page report, explain the symbolism of both color and shapes of the mandala you have created.
- FILE > SAVE
Notes for Instructor:
Mandala 1: Crystallization – based on a Hindu design representing creation … expansion.
Mandala 2: A variation of the Asian mandala – a circle within a square and based on a cross rather than triangles
Mandala 3: Irish monks created designs similar to this “endless knot”. What appears to be a single endless line is actually two paths which never join, though they cross many times.
* Mandala designs from: Fincher, Susanne F. Coloring Mandalas for Insight, Healing, Self-Expression ( Boston : Shambala Publications, 2000)
Lesson 2: Creating a Mandala of your own in Photoshop Elements
Notes for Instructor:
Before beginning this lesson, it is essential that students have a good understanding of the iconography of mandalas. Previous NEH sites above have links to numerous resource sites. The Rubin Museum site at www.exploreart.org is also highly recommended.
- Open a new file in Photoshop Elements FILE > NEW
- Set the size to 5 inches x 5 inches with transparent background. Resolution 150.
Name the file yourname_mandala
- VIEW > GRID
- EDIT > PREFERENCES > GRID
Set the grid to ¼ inch (.25 inches) Subdivisions: 1– this will give you 20 x 20 boxes.
Set the grid color to gray (this can be changed to another color later if you choose)
Use the grid to lay out your design.
- Create your mandala:
- It is recommended that you create each element of your mandala on a separate layer.
This will allow you to rearrange the layers as you work, to turn on/off the visibility of layers (enabling you to see the grid as you work) and to modify individual elements with modifications as you progress in your design.
- Marquee tools (ellipse and rectangle): use these tools to create an outline by adding a stroke to your selection. You can also add fill to create a solid color object.
- Add design elements of your own using the shape tool. NOTE: To manipulate shapes, you may need to rasterize or simplify the shape layer.
- Because mandalas have clearly define/outlined areas, it is is easy to modfy areas using the magic wand. This will insure that you color “inside the lines”.
- To create simple blocks of color, use the paintbrush or paintbucket tools.
For more complex designs, use the gradient tool or
use the texture brushes options of the paintbrush to create textured effects.
- Use the STYLES palette to create interesting fills, or create a pattern fill of your own to “pour in” to a selected area using the paintbucket tool.
- Add selected areas of photographs and images to you mandala by first opening the photo/image file. Next select the area you want to transfer to your mandala. Finally use the move tool to pull it over onto your mandala project.
Or once you have the area of your photo/image that you want to use selected, copy it
(EDIT > COPY) Next go to your mandala, using the magic wand or other selection tools, select the area you want to paste this selection into. To paste it in to the area you selected on your mandala, go to FILE > PASTE INTO
NOTE: it is recommended that you “Paste Into” on a blank layer so that you can make any adjustment to transparency, etc before merging with another layer.
- FILE > SAVE as a psd file.
- Save your mandala as a BMP file and insert it into a word document. In a one-page report, explain the symbolism of both color and shapes of the mandala you have created.
- FILE > SAVE
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