Mandala

Colouring page for 11 Nov 2022

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Usually, I gift a colouring page to Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook Group on a Thursday. This week, it’s been delayed by a day, but I do hope it’s been worth the wait.

This week, it’s a flowy, swirly, abstract mandala. There is a lot of potential for playing with contrast to bring out depth, dimension, volume, layers … There’s no right or wrong way to add colour, the only essential is to enjoy! Oh, and find calm and relaxation as you do so too.

I used a limited colour palette for mine. Though I’d started off thinking I wanted to keep the colours pretty much flat, like in Arts and Crafts or Art Nouveau, but it didn’t end up that way. The colours are, however, inspired by some work in these movements, just given a slightly more modern and ‘Angela’ feel to them.

Colouring Page – 20 Oct 2022

Angela Porter2 Comments

This week’s colouring page for the Facebook group “Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans” is a Hallowe’en themed mandala. It combines two of my favourite things – mandalas and Hallowe’en!

This design has a whimsical feel, but that is one of my default settings! And adding colour to it makes me feel much happier about the design.

Mandala Colourng Page

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Thursday is the day I create a colouring page for Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group. This week, I tapped into my need to create a calming, peace-inducing, relaxing mandala. I’ve been looking a lot at the work of William Morris, and this is rather influenced by that but in my own way.

I chose a rather vintage colour palette; the muted tones suit my mood today. It never ceases to amaze me how the addition of colour, even done fairly simply as is my wont, and as very much the style of William Morris.

Template Thursyay!

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Click this link to join Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group.

Today is the last day of astronomical summer; tomorrow is the autumnal equinox, the first day of astronomical autumn. Autumn is my favourite time of year. I love the warm, balmy days and the cooler, snuggly evenings cwtched up under a warm blankie. The changing colours are glorious – nature in her fiery finery!

I’m hoping that the glories of autumn will entice me out from home a bit more often, camera in hand. I can hope. I’m still finding it hard to go out and about. But little by little, I am getting out a bit more, from time to time.

Anyhoo, today’s colouring page is an autumn-themed mandala. Now I know that for those south of the equator, spring is incoming for them, but Hallowe’en and Thanksgiving and other celebrations take place according to the calendar rather than the seasons. So though I’ve coloured this template in rich autumn tones, it could be coloured in any way you wish.

I love to draw mandalas, and this one was no exception, especially the cute, whimsical mushrooms and pumpkins! And not forgetting the acorns and oak leaves too. I even managed to sneak a few hearts in there. And of course, stars and moons, berries and botanicals are always most welcome!

Template Thursyay!

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Thursday is Template Thursyay! Most weeks, it’s the day I release a new colouring page exclusively to the members of Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group.

This week, I’ve designed a mandala full of layers and patterns. I’ve chosen a limited colour palette of soft greens, pinks, reds, oranges and browns; a softer, calmer selection of colours that have that late summer, early autumn feel.

I love drawing mandalas. Seeing the repeating pattern building up is both fascinating and relaxing. Adding colour to bring out the layers and breathe life into the design is a magical process. I’ve not done much with high contrast to bring out the dimension today. Gentleness is the approach needed today both to my art and to myself.

I find it fascinating how my colour choices are often softer, more muted and in limited palettes nowadays. It does make a change from the riotous colours that I so often used not all that long ago, and still do when it comes to the more whimsical and cute colouring books that I create for Creative Haven.

Seeing how others choose to add colour to the colouring page designs I create is also endlessly fascinating and varied.

A Sunflower and Wheat Mandala

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I decided that I’d like to turn the sunflower and wheat elements of yesterday’s drawing into a mandala. And this is the result.

I’m fairly happy with it, though I think some parts lack contrast to really give them some visual volume. But it will do, for now. I like the hint of a suggestion of the whole mandala being sun-like. it also reminds me a little of hand-coloured etchings or prints. It would have looked more like a woodcut if I’d used heavier lines and more texture. These are things to try to remember and put into practice in my next mandala like this.

Shade and light

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Click on this link to view today’s YouTube video tutorial.

This morning I spent over an hour adding shadows and highlights to both of these drawings and filmed them for you on my YouTube channel.

I used a paper stump (tortillon), graphite pencils and a white gel pen to cast the magic of shade and light, resulting in volume and dimension.

And I do mean magic! The drawings go from fairly ‘flat’ looking to having the illusion of dimension. That’s magical if you ask me.

Graphite is not my favourite medium. But I just couldn’t decide on how else to add shade. I’m fairly happy with the result, and that’s all that matters isn’t it?

Template Thursyay! Colouring page 28 July 2022

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Thursday is the day I gift a colouring page (or template) to the members of Angela Porter’s Coloring Books Fans Facebook group.

This week it’s a mandala. Why? Well, I just really wanted to draw a mandala!

I enjoy the calming, meditative process of mandala drawing. And as I didn’t want to disturb that calm space I found myself in by making a right mess of adding some colour, I decided to go with an analogous colour scheme. Soft blue, teal and green are also very calming colours.

As it’s a colouring template, I’ve not added lots of textural patterns. However, that is something I can always play around with at another time. For now, the high contrast that brings a feeling of volume and dimension to the design is good enough.