Project Statement
In this assignment, I created two mandala patterns: one that is inspired by natural forms and one that is inspired by man-made forms. One of these mandalas had to be analog and the other digital, and must connect together in some way. For my digital, man made mandala, I was inspired by film equipment. Film is something I am passionate about, and am thinking about getting into set design in the future. My main design principle was movement. The film reel going from small to large as it goes outside the page really makes the eye move and highlights the repetition as well. There is lots of value created not only with the gray shading, but also with the proportions of the lenses. There is a sense of unity in this piece, because all these objects come together to create a masterpiece (a movie). In my natural mandala, I was inspired by the seasons: Summer, Fall, Spring, and Winter. My goal was to show that design, film, art, etc. never stops, no matter what season it is. While days and seasons come and go, design never leaves. Design is everywhere at all times, no matter what weather or time of day. Creativity never stops. There is movement throughout this mandala because your eye is drawn up as you watch the seasons change. There is obvious contrast between all the different seasons, but they all come together as one in the end, harmoniously.
Process
View detailed project process at Mandala Pattern: Process
Reflection
This project was by far my favorite in the 2110 Foundations course. I have always loved mandalas and I think they are a beautiful use of pattern. However, I learned a lot more about them through this project. I learned the importance of the design principles and how they are needed to create a successful mandala. I learned that every detail is important, and every piece of it means something. It is important to create meaning through design, and I think a mandala is a perfect way to show that. At first, this is what I struggled with. While I knew the project guidelines and had ideas, I was lacking that one piece: meaning. I eventually overcame this by focusing on a subject and making that the center of my project. This helped give my project structure, which is what I was lacking in the beginning. One thing I learned is that I am skilled at hand drawing mandalas, and enjoyed this aspect of the project very much. I used to doodle during class in high school, and mandalas were always something I loved to sketch. Digitally, however, I struggled a lot more. I had to get used to the software and learn how to use it to create and communicate what I wanted. I want to continue to learn and grow with digital software, and have made that one of my goals moving forward. This project really brought me out of my comfort zone in terms of creativity, and I enjoyed every aspect of the challenge and creation process.