How to draw a simple Mandala

mandala

ˈmandələ,ˈmʌn-/

noun

a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.

To a lot of doodling and drawing enthusiasts, mandalas are the circular patterns that talk symmetry, beauty and perceiving perfection in the face of some haphazard yet repetitive patterns. My fascination with mandala patterns began when I discovered them in colouring books for adults a couple of years back. The intricacy of the patterns and the way the patterns adapted to colour was what appealed to me more than anything. I then tried to get myself to draw a couple of mandalas when I could. Mind you, they look awfully simple but it is rather tricky to get the symmetry right. 

It was after many unsuccessful attempts, I found a nondescript video on YouTube that showed me this amazingly creative and easy way to draw beautiful mandalas and I would love to share it with you!

Here you go! 

You will need :

1) An OHP marker or a felt tip marker pen. To be able to draw more intricate patterns, you can choose a pen with consistent writing abilities and a fine tip. 

2) An HB pencil

3) Compass from a Geometry set

4) A4 sheet

5) Old newspapers

Tools of the trade

With the centre of the sheet as the reference point, draw circles starting with the smallest inner circle. The circles need not be of the same diametric ratio so you can really not worry about spacing and just draw the circles making sure the centre of your compass is a constant as shown in the picture below.

Drawing the circles with a constant center

Put old newspapers between the sheet you are working on and the surface so that you do not stain it as marker pens tend to bleed. Starting with the innermost circle and moving outwards, fill the circles with simple patterns. 

Start filling in the circles with simple patterns

Do not worry about handling the pen to the paper. Simple repeating patterns like lines, leaves and dots can be used to fill in the spaces. Also remember about not being perfectly in sync. The beauty of a mandala lies in the fact that the completed pattern looks like perfection even if your fillings inside miss a line or a flower.

Close-up to the not-so-perfect pattern filling

If in between, you are missing inspiration and have hit a block, no need to fret at all. Simply fill it in with a solid black colour. The solid black against the white work sheet will create a striking impact. 

Just keep on going! Fill it all in black

You can stretch the mandala as far out as you like it. 

Symmetry in the bigger picture!

And here is one of mine! 

The finished product!

I am no good with the pen and I still managed to make this mandala following some simple tricks! I bet you can too. Next time, I am making one with colours and I will remember to share it too with you guys.

Do try this out and share your completed mandalas with me :)

Until next time!
Cheers,
D

SMILE!

We prize ourselves at being lovers of candid photographs. The beauty of a candid shot is that it is raw in emotion and purely an unadulterated excerpt of a memory. The same does not go for pictures that are posed-for. Photographs of people that are staged, as part of a photo-op or a professional photo shoot or with the plain intent of capturing a certain someone on frame with their knowledge lacks all the incentives that a candid photograph carries with it. Naturally with so much thought and effort being put behind a picture that is posed-for, you would except a smile flashing back at you most times. Right?

Alas!

Most people do not smile at the camera. And I hate it! To have to initiate a fun jeer in a group or having to coax people into smiling even slightly has turned into quite a task. Unless your photo-op demands you to look deadpan at the camera, I suggest you smile when a camera is pointed at you. Because when you smile, you are telling everyone, who will subsequently look at your picture later, that it took the least effort for you to do so. By flashing your grin, you are conveying a message that you are easy and friendly and not a serial killer in disguise. 

Be like babies. Babies take a second to smile and laugh. And laugh hysterically they will, because all they own is innocence and happiness. Bring that kind of a positive energy to a photograph; For it is a keepsake and not something that will disappear with the blink of an eye. 

Make the most of what little you have left of today and when someone you know asks you for a picture, pose and smile! And while you are at it, smile often. Smile when someone gets up to offer you a seat in the bus. Smile when someone stops the lift when they see you running so that you can get on. Lift your head from your phone and smile at your mum and your dad and tell them you love them. You need not do it all the time, but do it enough. 

And to make your day a little more cheerful, time for some pictures of my favourite Suhana and her happy happy smiles! 

What I thought about 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'

Before I start a rant of any kind, I need to come clean about one thing. I am a crazy, obesessed Potterhead. So when it comes to anything Harry Potter, I feel the need to embrace and defend it if need be.

So obviously when the news broke out of a possible eighth instalment of the series, I was over the moon. Ecstatic. And also extremely confused. Confused because Rowling had ended the seventh book with such finality that it seemed almost impossible that anything could ever go wrong again in the Potterverse future.

"The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well."

But leave it to Rowling to weave a story so believable and true to the heart that makes you forget that you are actually reading a play's rehearsal script. 

For many who argue that this book is not written by J.K.Rowling, I hope to clear the air once and for all. She may have not written the play but she did provide the original story that eventually shaped the play as it is now. Give the woman some credit. 

It is only when you read the 'book', you will understand the nuances of each character in detail. They are the magnified, perfect imperfect versions of their old selves from twenty years back. Ron is still the goofy one and Hermione the bossy know-it-all. Ginny is brave and passionate and Harry, burdened and courageous. The introduction of new characters and their traits, especially with Albus and Scorpius is superbly handled. Draco is, well, Draco. We get to find out a lot more about the Dark Lord himself, which made for a very interesting read. 

I would have loved if Hagrid, Neville and Luna made an appearance but since this is a play, the focus on primary characters is understandable. Dumbledore makes feeble but important appearances throughout the book, only to hurl some wisdom and love at the 'Boy Who Lived'. You see Professor McGonagall in her stern element well too late into the book but it is heartening nevertheless. My personal favourite?? Severus Snape! You have got to read the book to really get his footing in the entire Harry Potter series. 

For what it's worth, I loved reading the book/play for it let me live the Potter-world all over again. I was done reading in 6 hours flat and now, I have major withdrawal issues, just as I did when the last Potter book and the last Potter movie released. I really wish they made a movie out of this one too. After 'Fantastic beasts and where to find them', I am somewhat sure they will. That is the hope.

Until then, All is indeed well.

#MovieReview: Ghostbusters (2016)

Disclaimer: This is a spoiler-free review of the movie Ghostbusters that released this past week. Spoiler-free, not by choice, but by restraint. There is nothing much I can spill as the writing of the movie is the real ghost that needed some major busting. 

If you stepped into the cinema hall expecting to be blown away, stem your expectations right there. Nip them in the bud. This movie is nothing like its predecessor with the same name. 

There are moments in the movie that make you feel like you could stay on till the end, but for most part, I was inching towards the exit door. And all the harsh things I say, I say for the script alone. The writing and the setting of the movie is so lifeless, I am surprised the actors did not fall asleep during shots. Or maybe they did, we don't know that. 

The casting is spot-on! An all-woman ghostbuster squad is a dream concept and despite the bad reception the movie's trailer received, I was expecting some amazing stuff. Sadly, that did not come. I could not believe my eyes when Thor was wasted away like that. You can call me out for typecasting Chris into a singular role but when you watch the movie (if you do) you will comply by what I say. Melissa McCarthy and Kate McCinnon are great, pulling off a dull story rather splendidly. Leslie Jones as the loud, funny tag-along is bearable too. Kristen Wiig is made to look stone-faced all throughout the movie, except for the times when the ghosts vomit slime on her face.  

My favourite in the movie is Kate McCinnon. It's a shame she stands behind Chris Hemsworth(a horrible miscast) in the movie posters. Kristen Wiig is under utilised, there is hardly any depth in her character. However, that is in no way a reflection on her acting prowess. Obviously. The script failed her! Then there is Bill Murray, along with many other actors who appeared in the earlier Ghostbusters movie, trying to pull a Stan Lee with forgettable cameos.

Rating: 6/10

Watch the movie if you have loved these brilliant actors on Saturday Night Live and would not mind seeing them being wasted away. Also, find it in your heart to get over Chris Hemsworth's dumb blonde moments in the movie. He was just acting. I hope.

#MovieReview : Sarrainodu (2016)

I love the Indian film industry. They set so much footage in store for the actor of the movie, it's insane! He gets all the attention, all the (cool?) dance moves and all the women. In fact, the writers seem to think it unnecessary to weave an actual plot in their movies for this very reason. Sarrainodu (meaning 'the correct man') is one such movie which has its tone set in hero worship.

I cannot get myself to summarise the entire movie in writing, I think I might not be able to do justice. All you need to know about the movie is that Allu Arjun is the good guy with martial arts like skills that are almost supernatural. Nothing can wound the hero. Then, there is a bad guy and his father (for the spoilt son angle) 

Our hero is unemployed, is sufficiently rich, hits on the young and single MLA, decides to marry another damsel, decapitates bad guys and occasionally provides comic relief minutes before he springs into action against goons in the movie. The bad guy does, well, bad things. The hero and the villain cross paths and surprise surprise, the hero kills the bad guy in the end. 

Now, for my take on the movie! Being an avid hindi movie viewer, watching a telugu movie is a novelty. I will go all out on the limb here and confess, despite the obviousness of the plot I rather enjoyed the movie.
Here's why:
1. I hardly understood the dialogues but the visual impact of the dialogue delivery left me quite amused.
2. The absolute hilarity with which the events of the movie transpired. They were unreal and laughable and I did have a good laugh.
3. The popcorn was really good! 

Sarrainodu in two words: Plot-less and Unnecessary  

So much for hero worship! 

#ShaadiSeries : Mehendi-ed

I had a difficult time zeroing in on a lot of vendors that I had needed help from during my wedding and finding the right Mehendi artist was one of them. I have a full figure body and naturally my hands are quite big which according to a lot of mehendi artists are a gold mine for them as they provide a bigger canvas to draw various complex and ornate designs. So when a friend suggested a mehendi artist to me, I got in touch with her and we sat down to brainstorm a few Mehendi designs that she could use for me. Let me divulge the readers in a little background here.



In Indian traditions, applying mehendi or henna is embraced as the most ornamental way of getting yourself ready for an occasion. No matter how big or small the festivity, there is an inlaid compulsion for the women in the household to get their hands and feet tattooed with henna. Like all other arts, Mehendi too has evolved a great deal over the years. In earlier days, women plucked out the leaves off of the mehendi plant and ground them into a paste and applied it onto their palms and feet in simple round designs. As the tradition furthered, mehendi came to be ground even finer, put into plastic or polythene cones and was applied on the hand in the form of elaborate designs. Over the years, mehendi cones have been selling commercially in stores all over the country and even abroad where the trend of temporary henna tattoos has really caught on. Mehendi designs too have evolved over this time, from basic traditional to modern contemporary designs like Arabic design.

So there we sat pondering over Mehendi Designs and I came across this mobile application called Ethnico. It was amazing as it had a plethora of ideas I could use for my own wedding mehendi application. We also found a lot of design inspirations for the rest of my family who had mehendi applied both in Arabic Style and Traditional. I selected a few designs that were my favorite from the list and I think anyone who is looking at getting bridal mehendi applied must consider these designs:

1. This ornate Leg Mehendi

​2. This beautiful Bridal Mehendi with incorporations like the Bride, Groom, Shehnai and the Palanquin in the Mehendi. I eventually ended up getting mehendi applied very similar to this one.

3. Basic Arabic Mehendi Designs like this one

There I had it, my problem well taken care of by this really resourceful website that I came across. I recommend the Ethnico app to anyone who is looking for traditional Indian design inspirations. Head over to their website http://www.ethnicoapp.com/ or download their app. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Quiet and Fierce - Chandana Munipalle

It was in the aftermath of a major photography drought I went through that I conjured this project in my head where I photograph the prominent bloggers in Hyderabad city. Though the number is quite small, this little but significant community of bloggers is the one to look out for. In my series of meeting and photographing these amazingly talented and beautiful women, I will be talking about them and what drives them to do what they are doing now. And the first of these women is 'The Girl at First Avenue' Chandana Munipalle

At first glance, Chandana will bowl you over, with her quiet demeanour. As you get to know her, spend more time with her what will hit you more clearly about her personality is her perseverance. Chandana decided to become a fashion blogger at a time when fashion blogging was still in its nascent stages. People hardly understood the What, When and How of the industry, let alone understand the nuances of fashion blogging. Over the years, she has made the mark for herself as a blogger who is fierce and selective about her choices and true to her passion. My obsession with using the word 'fierce' to describe her comes from her sheer grit and honesty to what she does. If there is a prospective campaign she feels creatively unchallenged by, she will not take it. Such is her passion. We spent a good few hours mulling over the sad state of fashion blogging now, especially in Hyderabad. With numbers not entirely being true determinants of influence, both Chandana and I felt that there needs to a be a major transition in the fashion blogging scene so as to engage more audience and create more creative content.

If you have never read her blog, you must read now. You will find it hard to miss her style and how she weaves a story in a post. My personal favourite is this post on Charminar 'Citystories'

If you are looking for inspiration and some brilliant creative content, follow Chandana and her blog

Chocolate Pariah no more with PlaceofOrigin.in

Moving to a town has its ups and downs. Having lived in the city all my life, access to a plethora of exotic foods and products was super easy but having moved to Kakinada a few months back I have come to realize that it isn’t the case here. I am hardly complaining but I miss my goodies and the little guilty pleasures from time to time whenever the chocolate cravings kick in. My sweet tooth is super specific and I rarely get to indulge my greedy self here. That was until I came across the website PlaceofOrigin.in

Place of Origin is a concept online marketplace where specialty Indian foods, confectioneries, savory products and many other varieties of food can be directly bought from the source of the product itself. What caught my eye particularly was the sweets and chocolates section! Being a chocoholic of sorts, I raided the chocolates section of the website and was mesmerized by the sheer variety that they have on the website. There is a chocolate for everyone! The variety is insane : they have the regular milk chocolate, the dark chocolate, gluten free chocolate, lactose free vegan chocolate, organic chocolate, truffles, traditional chocolate bars, raw cocoa, fruit and nut chocolates and a lot more! Check this out if you do not believe me!

Scouting through the products, I stumbled upon the store Mason & Co from Auroville (in Pondicherry) that makes vegan organic chocolates. Since they are milk free and hardly have any sugar, they are dark chocolate in flavor and my absolute favorite. On my last visit to Pondicherry late last year, I could not get my hands on these yummy chocolates and it has me elated that I do not have to wait to get the chocolate. Looks like I have decided what I am buying!

You can check out the Mason & Co chocolate store here. They are a 100% certifiably organic and boast of being one of the best dark chocolates ever.

You can also browse through the Chocolates section of the website here and find your perfect flavor

The PlacesofOrigin website is here, and I dare you to not find a regional food that you have loved for years and could not lay hands on because you could not access it geographically. Chances are, you might find it on their website!

#ShaadiSeries : When it's not your party!

I have missed this. Typing incessantly without a worry in the world about having to sound coherent or sensible. 

Back to business! I have a stable WiFi connection now, which allows me to work, connect and blog. So, Hurrah! For the uninformed, I have been married for over three months now and I am in the middle of what most people call 'adjustment'. With that being taken care of rather healthily, I spend a lot of the free time I have thinking about my wedding hullabaloo. I'll be honest here. I have always wanted a huge wedding, complete with the functions and the fun and the laughter. The works. And now that I look back on the week when it actually happened I realise bit by bit that it was nothing short of a dream. At times, I sailed through the days as if I was looking down upon what was happening as an onlooker.

But most of it was not my party, and if you have been through the wedding process you know what I mean. While a wedding and all the functions are supposed to be about the ones who are getting married, the ones who are about to tie the knot hardly get to have as much fun as the others. They do not even get to have a say in the proceedings lest you want that glaring look from that random auntyji silently imploring you to zip it! You are either too laid-back to even care or too hyper that you try and control everything that happens. There will be people, relatives mostly, who will be up and about trying to find a flaw in the proceedings or as the famous phrase goes - ungli karna. I, for one, did manage to transform into my obsessive self and pretty much try and get a control over everything that was happening. As it is I was doomed to have a nerve wrecking time being the bride, on top of that, I wreaked upon myself the burden of making sure everything happens smoothly. The realisation dawned quite late so to say, but I am here making a public service announcement to all the new brides-to-be.

You will have butterflies and you will want it all to be a fairytale but do not be the one who has to make sure that happens. Delegate chores, relax and sit back. Your job is to get dressed on time and show up, let your friends and cousins and your family fret about the details. Trust me when I say this, but candid pictures of you frowning over a table arrangement gone wrong is the last wedding memory you need. Voice your concerns to your loved ones beforehand (like a fortnight before the D-day) and let it go because when you are getting married, your mantra to live by should be just that. It may not be your party, but it sure is the most important day of your life. Have at it that way. 

#MovieReview : Fan

Shahrukh Khan is a weird human being, a weirder actor. Just when you thought he had lost his marbles with his recent feature films letting us down a great deal (read Dilwale and Happy New Year), this movie is sure to make you feel real proud of being an SRK fan. With the likes of Swades and Chak de India in his kitty, SRK does not really need to prove his mettle but his choice of movies in the last couple of years have got us wondering if SRK was losing his sheen. But all that will seem reduntant somehow when you watch the movie. It was unreal watching SRK play a character like Gaurav after so many years! Unreal and refreshing.

The plot of the movie is quite uncomplicated. Gaurav Chandna from Delhi is a hardcore Aryan Khanna fan and has been idolising the actor since he was a little boy. He has a shrine of sorts dedicated to the actor built right in his bedroom. He also resembles his idol, joking in his monologue at the beginning of the movie that God moulded his face with the clay that was left after He was finished with Aryan Khanna. He wins a actor-lookalike prize in his colony after he puts up a great show posing as Aryan Khanna, with the help of his ever-so-adorable parents. He sets out to Mumbai to meet SRK on his birthday and give him that trophy. What happens after is what the movie is all about.

The thing that will strike you when you first see the movie will be how the 'Fan - Gaurav' resembles the pre-DDLJ era Shahrukh Khan, right out of Darr and Anjaam. The hero and the anti-hero played by the same actor is not a novel concept in Indian cinema but the way the relationship between a superstar and his (self-proclaimed) greatest fan unfolds on the silver screen is in this movie is fresh baked cookies. The movie sure does fizz out in terms of drama in the second half, but SRK whilst playing both Gaurav and Aryan, more than makes up for it with his brilliant acting. 

The movie has been shot brilliantly and Maneesh Sharma's love for Delhi continues as he captures the city in its raw hide in some shots. However, one might wonder that the casting was deliberately done in a way that the major limelight could be thrown on SRK alone. Nevertheless, that wasn't necessary because this is his movie out and out. If you want to go watch the movie or if you do not, you really must. SRK fan or not, you will like this movie for what it is. While you are at it, don't expect a wonderfully written script, it definitely could have been better. Watch it for the performances. And Gaurav.