Thursday, July 30, 2020

MANDALA ART #26

Good morning!!

Today's tutorial includes a youtube video and illustrated instructions. So you can read the article, look at the detailed illustrations and watch the video to get a perfect idea on how to draw this beautiful Mandala flower.

Adding shadows to your Mandala gives it an extremely beautiful finish and a professional look. In order to create shadows with ink pen there is a number of techniques. In this tutorial, I will show you three techniques, while, at the same time, showing you how to draw this beautiful Mandala flower.

The three shadow techniques used are: Stippling, hatching, and cross hatching.

In order to get a great drawing experience you have to have the proper tools for it and especially the proper pens. The thickness of the ink pen used here is 0.2 and I use this thickness a lot as it satisfies my goals in pen drawing.

If you need a list of drawing tools you can check the following link: https://mandalabymaria.blogspot.com/2020/07/required-materials.html

Materials Needed:

A4 Canson (white)

Black drawing pen (0.3)

Pencil

Ruler

Protractor

Compass

Directions:

To get a nice finish you must build your Mandala on a grid, and in order to draw this grid you must have in your mind the design you intend to create.

If you don't have a particular idea of a Mandala, like me :) -as I never know what I will be drawing and I leave myself be inspired by the moment- then trace a mandala grid with random measures and the design will come to you spontaneously.

What is a Mandala grid and why use it?

A mandala grid is a base structure composed from circles and lines that will help the artist achieve symmetry in an easy way.

In order to trace the grid you need a compass, a protractor, a pencil and a ruler.

In this tutorial, the Mandala grid is simple and quick.

Start by tracing 2 circles (8.5 cm radius and 9 cm radius), then trace lines separated by 10 degrees.

How to trace the grid lines?

Draw a cross in the center of the circles.

Place the protractor on the horizontal line, in a way that the black horizontal line of the protractor coincides with it.

Mark a point every 10 degrees; meaning put a mark on 10-20-30-40 etc.

Then join each marked point with the center of the grid forming lines that goes across all the circles.

For more on Mandala Grids click HERE

Step 1:

Starting from the center of your grid, trace a curve from the center towards the nearest grid line on the right, as shown in the illustration. Repeat until your whole grid is filled with curves leaning towards the right.

Step 2:

Repeat step 1, but this time the curves must lean towards the left.

Step 3:

Stippling. The first shadow technique we will use is stippling. We create a shadow effect with dots.

The part we want to fill is the intersection between each 2 petals.

Start by filling this intersection with distanced dots, just a few. Then, the more you approach the center the more dots you will draw, until the part near the center becomes almost fully dark.

Step 4:

Retrace the outline of the 8.5 cm circle.

Step 5:

Fill the space between the 8.5 cm radius circle and the 9 cm radius circle with small circles.

Step 6:

Retrace the outer outline of your Mandala and fill the blank spaces between the small circles with black.

Step 7:

Hatching. In this step, trace lines at the summit of each petal to create a shadow. This technique is called hatching.

Step 8:

Cross hatching. In this step we will use the third shadow technique that is defined by tracing crossed lines and we refer to it as Cross hatching. In order to give depth to our Mandala, cross hatch the space between the summit of the petals as shown in the picture.

For more on how to draw this Mandala flower, watch the youtube tutorial:

Besides drawing, coloring a Mandala has proven to be an extremely relaxing activity that lowers anxiety and depression and helps stimulate your creativity.

I have two beautiful Mandala coloring books published on Amazon that I would love to introduce to you.

During the Mandala coloring workshop I held in Beirut.
These Mandalas are taken from my first book.

The first Book is "Mandala coloring book by Maria Hajj"

This book is very precious to my heart for two reasons: one, fo being my very first book to be published, and second because I have included my 2 very first Mandalas in it.

You can get it here:

Mandala Coloring Book:

Amazon.in: https://amzn.to/2UOe574

Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/3dWeBat

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2UuPcx1

DE: https://amzn.to/2BQo5Wy

FR: https://amzn.to/2XQy6vv

IT: https://amzn.to/3fd9BhZ

ES: https://amzn.to/3hqjV8r

AU: https://amzn.to/3cUnnVl

MY second book is: Summer Mandala coloring book

Amazon.in: https://amzn.to/2UKBaYc

Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/2XSDxu1

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/37orLdK

DE: https://amzn.to/3cUnpMX

FR: https://amzn.to/2BSN37H

IT: https://amzn.to/2UygVwG

ES: https://amzn.to/3dVDYZU

AU: https://amzn.to/3fdQYu9

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

MANDALA / STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL / BEGINNERS/ MANDALA ART #28

The sentence I hear the most during my days is :Oh my God how can you draw that! If it was me, I would lose my mind!
My answer is always: Anyone, and everyone can draw a Mandala. You just need to learn two things, how to discipline the steps you follow, and how to discipline your physical and mental attitude while practicing this art.

For the past year and a half my mission was to prove that, in fact, anyone can draw , whether it was a Mandala, a Zendala, or anything in that circle of art. And I have made humongous changes in peoples lives when it comes to their relationship with art.

My main concern was to be able to deliver the message that every person, every single person on this earth, is creative.

And creativity is different than a talent.

You might not be talented in drawing portraits or painting a landscape but you are surely creative in your own special way. And you also have to know that the way you use colors and assemble patterns is a physical manifestation of your soul.

So you are strictly not allowed to judge that choice you make. Like saying " I'm not good at choosing colors" "I don't know how to use colors"

Yes, you do know, but the problem is that your mind and soul are not aligned. Because for a long while, you have forgotten about your soul and the beautiful messages it has to deliver through you.

Your soul has a lot to say, and what better way to say it than through art.

This art is crucial as it builds a bridge between your soul and mind, a bridge that needs restoration due to all the events you have lived in your life and all the hustle you find yourself in, that, usually, dismisses the importance of a soul, and concentrates mainly on the body, the physical appearance, not even on the mind. And you find, while advancing in age, that your mind and soul are getting tired and old as they have been neglected.

I put this blog and my youtube channel at your service, to take a step towards proving to yourself that you can do it because there is a very creative artist hiding inside of you.

Remember that I am always more than happy to answer your questions and give you the needed guidance to accomplish the art projects offered on both sites.

I will now leave you to watch this beautiful Mandala art and hope that you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed shooting it.

Just before I leave, I would like to introduce you to my books that you can find on Amazon. These books are very precious to my hearts as I have put my soul into them.

The first book "Mandala coloring book by Maria hajj" is very special for two reasons: first reason is that it was my first published book, and the second reason is that I have included in it my very first 2 Mandalas.

My second book "Summer Mandala book" is beautiful in this time of year with everything happening around the world, and having to stay locked down in our homes instead of taking vacations and enjoying those beautiful summer vibes. So this book, with all it's summery icons, will put you in the mood for summer.

Get my coloring books:

Mandala Coloring Book:

Amazon.in: https://amzn.to/2UOe574

Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/3dWeBat

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2UuPcx1

DE: https://amzn.to/2BQo5Wy

FR: https://amzn.to/2XQy6vv

IT: https://amzn.to/3fd9BhZ

ES: https://amzn.to/3hqjV8r

AU: https://amzn.to/3cUnnVl

Summer Mandala Coloring Book:

Amazon.in: https://amzn.to/2UKBaYc

Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/2XSDxu1

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/37orLdK

DE: https://amzn.to/3cUnpMX

FR: https://amzn.to/2BSN37H

IT: https://amzn.to/2UygVwG

ES: https://amzn.to/3dVDYZU

AU: https://amzn.to/3fdQYu9

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Optical Illusion #9- Easy step by step drawings- Meditation Art

Welcome to my 9th Optical Illusion tutorial.

What is an optical illusion?

An optical illusion is a doodling technique in which you get beautiful 3D effects that are in fact created from very simple lines.

What I believe brought you to my tutorial is the fact that you are looking to doodle a nice drawing with easy steps that will encourage you to try doodling even more. And the more you doodle, the better you get and the more relaxed you will be.

Do you know why doodling is a highly effective meditation art method?

Well it's for a very simple reason. It stop your mind from wandering to negative places and it keeps it busy with doodles that are traced easily.

For this tutorial you need:

A4 white cardboard on which you will trace a 21*21 cm square or a square white paper

Blue permanent ink pen (any available brand)

Yellow coloring pencil ( any available brand)

Unipin, Artline or Micron fine drawing pen 0.1

Black permanent marker

Here is a link to some of the products I recommend with links that will lead you right to the product in demand

https://mandalabymaria.blogspot.com/2020/07/required-materials.html

Click on the video below to watch the complete tutorial, and remember to subscribe to receive a daily notification about my daily uploaded tutorials.

Coloring is also one of the most relaxing art activities that has been spreading widely among adults. In times where we all have been extremely busy with our daily routines, art has vanished in the lives of the majority.

Adult coloring has opened a small gate to get back in touch with that inner artist that you have hidden inside.

I have Illustrated two beautiful books with Mandalas to color that I would love to introduce to you.

The first is "Mandala coloring book by maria hajj"

This book is my first ever, and it is very special to me as I have included in it my very first 2 mandalas. And I still remember that day when I decided that I want to explore this beautiful world of Mandala art and since then, not one day has passed, without me creating a Mandala.

My second book is Summer Mandala coloring book by maria hajj
This book is cheerful, full of summery icons and could be extremely helpful this year when most of the world is locked down.

Here are the links to my books if you wish to check them out.

Get my coloring books:

Mandala Coloring Book:

Amazon.in: https://amzn.to/2UOe574

Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/3dWeBat

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2UuPcx1

DE: https://amzn.to/2BQo5Wy

FR: https://amzn.to/2XQy6vv

IT: https://amzn.to/3fd9BhZ

ES: https://amzn.to/3hqjV8r

AU: https://amzn.to/3cUnnVl

Summer Mandala Coloring Book:

Amazon.in: https://amzn.to/2UKBaYc

Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/2XSDxu1

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/37orLdK

DE: https://amzn.to/3cUnpMX

FR: https://amzn.to/2BSN37H

IT: https://amzn.to/2UygVwG

ES: https://amzn.to/3dVDYZU

AU: https://amzn.to/3fdQYu9

MANDALA / STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL / BEGINNERS/ MANDALA ART #27

If you are a new visitor to my blog then allow me to welcome you and wish that you can find what you came looking for, and if you are a returned visitor then allow me to thank you for your follow and trust.

This tutorial is both pictures and video.

In my opinion, these Mandala art tutorials are very powerful as they complete all gaps one can have in understanding some of the required steps.

This mandala was highly requested by my followers on youtube, and I sure hope you are one of these subscribers or would be one of these subscribers as in my yWhiteoutube channel we are all, me and the subscribers, a big family, trying to spread joy through art.

Materials needed:

A4 white cardboard

Fine drawing pen

Stabilo fine

Compass

Protractor

12" ruler

Pencil

Here you can find the link to my favorite drawing tools with links and details:

https://mandalabymaria.blogspot.com/2020/07/required-materials.html

The very first step in a Mandala art is to draw a Mandala grid. Now if yo have a design in mind you can figure out in a way the measures you need, or if you are following a certain tutorial then follow the measures I give, but if you feel like drawing a Mandala and don't have a design in mind then trace a random Mandala grid and let this random grid inspire you.

This is the link to a very useful tutorial (youtube and pictures) where I explain all you need to know about a Mandala Grid

https://mandalabymaria.blogspot.com/2020/03/step-by-btep-tutorial-how-to-draw.html

For this tutorial this is the Mandala grid needed. So the grid is almost covering the whole page. The circles are required are of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 cm radius. As for the grid lines, they are separated by 30 degrees. Which means that when you use the protractor, you place the lines of the protractor on the crossed axes you have drawn across your circles. Then you mark on the 30 degree, 60, 120 and 150. And you trace lines by joining the mark of the 30 degree with the center of the circle, the mark of the 60 degree with the center of the circles and so go on.

Step 1:

The steps in this tutorial, are in fact very easy but you have to watch out for the small trick needed in order to have twisted colors in your mandala.

So as a first step trace, in the center circle, regular petals, each on 2 grid sections, following the color order I adopted.

Step 2:

In the second row of your Mandala grid- the space between the first and the second circle- you will be repeating the first step, but, and this is a very important BUT, instead of tracing the red petal right above the previous red petal, you trace it shifted towards the right. Which means that you start your red petal, in the second step, from the summit of the red petal drawn in the first step, and you land it on the summit of the orange petal drawn in the first step. And so go on.

*The pictures include all the required details.

This is a picture representing the twist of each color.

Final Steps:

In the following steps I will start filling the shapes with patterns to decorate the Mandala. Each picture has a clear explanation of what should be done in order to get the pattern right.

For more about this tutorial, watch the video shared below.

Watch the video below and subscribe to the channel to receive a notification about the daily posted tutorials.

Thank you for reading this Mandala art tutorial, and for choosing to watch the video.

I hope that the instructions I gave you were clear enough.

I am always ready to answer your questions so do not hesitate to leave a comment, send me an email or a DM on Insta @mandala_art_bymaria or Facebook @workshopsbymaria

Materials Needed- A list of the brands I use to create my tutorials

I am always asked about links to the drawing tools I recommend, so I added in this post few of the tools I like using and they are pretty useful to recreate all my Mandala art tutorials

DOT PAINTING REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Friday, July 17, 2020

Mandala to draw/ Simple Mandala #1

I remember when I first discovered the beautiful Mandala Art. I was out alone in a beautiful cabin, in the woods, coloring. And as I was turning the pages of the adult coloring book I had, I wondered about the drawing technique and I couldn't wait to be back home to start experimenting.

Youtube helped me a lot as I found a number of tutorials that were useful to me. But what helped me be who I am today is the daily practice. Mandala art became my life, became the breath I take every morning.

I started this blog few months ago, with the beginning of the confinement. I was locked down at home, and I couldn't proceed with my weekly meditative art workshops and I wanted to stay in touch with my followers and my students and I thought that everyone would appreciate free tutorials.

So I started my youtube channel and my blog.

The design I have prepared for you today is a simple yet very beautiful Mandala design. As they say in french " C'est dans la simplicité que se trouve la beauté".

This design is perfect for beginners as the Mandala grid is simple, made with only 4 different circles, and the grid sections are wide and the shapes chosen are easy.

Few things to keep in mind when drawing a Mandala:

1- A mandala consists of a number of circles organized around one center

2- Always start drawing from the center out.

3- Finish each line before passing to another row.

4- Always have a compass, a protractor, a pencil, a ruler and a fine drawing pen by your side.

This simple Mandala tutorial is divided into seven easy steps.

But before heading to the steps let's start by tracing a mandala grid.

For more info about a mandala grid Click Here

Mandala grid measures: 4 different circles ( 2, 4, 6, and 8 cm radius circles)

Grid lines angle: 30 degrees

Mandala Step 1:

Mandala Step 2:

Mandala Step 3:

Mandala Step 4:

Mandala Step 5:

Mandala Step 6:

Mandala Step 7:

After you have trace this beautiful simple Mandala you can color it. If you need few tips and tricks on how to color a Mandala you can check these couple of videos that I will share with you.

My books are also available for you to purchase on all Amazon sites, they have helpful coloring tips and beautiful Mandalas to color

Get my coloring books: Mandala Coloring Book: Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/3dWeBat Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2UuPcx1 DE: https://amzn.to/2BQo5Wy FR: https://amzn.to/2XQy6vv IT: https://amzn.to/3fd9BhZ ES: https://amzn.to/3hqjV8r AU: https://amzn.to/3cUnnVl Summer Mandala Coloring Book: Amazon .com: https://amzn.to/2XSDxu1 Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/37orLdK DE: https://amzn.to/3cUnpMX FR: https://amzn.to/2BSN37H IT: https://amzn.to/2UygVwG ES: https://amzn.to/3dVDYZU AU: https://amzn.to/3fdQYu9

Check these tutorials here:

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Mandala Art/ Illustrated easy step by step drawing/ Creative Mandala #2

This is a step by step easy tutorial on how to draw this creative Mandala design.

The pictures posted in this article offer you detailed instructions on every step needed to draw the Mandala.

This tutorial is divided into 36 easy steps, but before diving into the drawing process let's learn few basic knowledge about Mandala and Mandala drawing.

The basic materials you need for every Mandala are the following:

A4 paper

Compass

Protractor

Pencil

12" Ruler

Fine drawing pen 0.2

For those of you who already asked me about the best compass, you can try to purchase the following compass as it is good for your canvas and for mural drawings.

The compass, and protractor will allow you to trace the base structure in every Mandala, called mandala grid, that helps achieve symmetry in a simple way.

The grid is composed of a number of circles, which sizes differ based on the design you're targeting, and a number of lines that should be separated but equal angles.

In all the simple Mandala tutorials, I start by taking the center of the paper.

This center will be the one and unique center around which all the circles of the Mandala will be organized.

The measures required for the circles are as follows:

Radius lengths: 1.5 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5.5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, and 8.5 cm

As for the grid lines, they are separated by 30 degrees.

Below you will find the different steps of this beautiful Mandala art. In a Mandala, you always start from the center and take the grid lines and grid sections as a landmark needed to trace your lines.