Mandala: A mandala is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation.

Radial Symmetry: A form of symmetry in which identical parts are arranged in a circular fashion around a central axis. A starfish has radial symmetry; a butterfly does not.

Template: Material or plan used as a pattern for tracing in processes such as painting, cutting out, shaping, or drilling. 

Value: The lightness or darkness of a color. 

Hue: Raw or Pure color in painting. 

Tint: The color (hue), plus white paint. Color + White = Tint

Shade: The color (hue), plus black paint. Color + Black = Shade

Tone: The color (hue), plus gray paint. Color + gray = Tone

Wet over Dry Painting: Letting your first layer of paint dry, and then going over it with wet paint. This is what creates the crispest edges and lines. There's no paint blending. 

After creating several black, white, and gray simple designs, you will pick your favorite to use as a template to create your mandala. We will use this template to trace it into a repeated radial design on our watercolor paper to produce our mandala. 

• Always sweep your brush, and don't stab or color with it (sweeping means to pick it up at the end of each stroke)

• Really think about how much paint you have on your brush. If you have too much paint it will be sloppy/ messy.  Too little paint and you get dry brush. 

• Apply multiple coats if your first coat is too transparent

• Please do try out each color you make, you may even do this on a scrap paper

• CLEAN YOUR BRUSH, and dry it off before going back for paint

• Try and make a little more of your color than you think you need

I DO WANT YOU TO WATCH ALL OF THIS. You may paint and watch at the same time if you like, or watch it and then paint. 

Hue or Colors: 20 pts

Primary colors mixed well to create secondary and intermediate colors. All the colors look like they relate to one another.

Tints (color plus white): 20 pts

White only was added to create tints of primary, secondary, and intermediate colors.

Shades (color plus black): 20pts

Black only was added to create shades of primary, secondary, and intermediate colors.

Contrast : 20pts

Is there a decent difference between the values (your hue, tints, and shades) of each color? Can you really see the different values of each color?

Commitment to Quality: Neatness/ Paint Application:   20pts

Did the student try to paint neatly and consistently?