Welcome to the Inspiration Gallery! Here displayed are the artworks that were created during the online Buddha Face Thangka Art Course with Carmen Mensink, Edition 2021, at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art.
These traditional Tibetan artworks are made by people from all over the world, and both with and without any drawing experience. Not only express these images the enlightened Buddha mind, they also convey the beauty, love and dedication of the maker. 🙏🏼
Isn’t each and every one of them amazing?
Loved the confidence it gave me
I loved the precision of the gridwork and the confidence it gave me to know that the framework was there for me to draw in and colour. Although this i...
Loved the confidence it gave me
I loved the precision of the gridwork and the confidence it gave me to know that the framework was there for me to draw in and colour. Although this is not completed yet, I understand the quote “When you draw the Buddha you draw your mind” it is a humbling experience. I am looking forward to finishing it and to future courses too. It has certainly lived up to my expectations and more.
Natasha
This course was very holistic, not only about drawing
Dear Carmen,
I enjoyed the course a lot for various reasons..I like that you shared the history of Thangka painting with us. I like that you also spok...
This course was very holistic, not only about drawing
Dear Carmen,
I enjoyed the course a lot for various reasons..I like that you shared the history of Thangka painting with us. I like that you also spoke to us about your lineage and admire how you respect the master disciple tradition thus enabling us to respect the dharma material as well. This course was very holistic as you made us think of an intention before we started drawing. It was not only about drawing. but you took us through the main purpose of thangkas – To aspire to develop qualities within ourselves that the deity on the thangka represents.
I look forward to all then other courses and I am now starting the 8 auspicious symbols course.
Thank you so much!
Kanika Mehra
I plan to make it part of my practice
I enjoyed the class. At first I thought there should be more guidance for drawing the different facial features but as I started working it all came t...
I plan to make it part of my practice
I enjoyed the class. At first I thought there should be more guidance for drawing the different facial features but as I started working it all came together. It is inspiring to work on the Buddha’s face and I plan to make it part of my practice.
Thank you Carmen
Sheila Odessey
Clear, neat structure and very manageable sessions
Thank you for this course, which I feel follows tradition & is serious. I had been wanting to learn more about thangka for long, this was the perfect e...
Clear, neat structure and very manageable sessions
Thank you for this course, which I feel follows tradition & is serious. I had been wanting to learn more about thangka for long, this was the perfect entry door! I feel inspired to practice drawing more Buddha Faces in the future and continue on this path… clear, neat structure and very manageable sessions.
Would have loved slightly more detail on individual face features (like you did for the eye!) and proportion, lines of jaw, chin, which I copied freehand from your general face video.
Thanks for making these teachings available to us. I would love to visit you in person one day (-: Anne from Barcelona
Anne Vial
Clear explanations and beautiful videos
I enjoyed the course. The clear explanations and the beautiful videos invited us to draw. The meditation at the beginning and at the end were very nic...
History of your thangka lineage as well as buddhist iconography
Thank-you Carmen for another superb course! I enjoyed learning some the history of your thangka lineage as well as buddhist iconography. The materials...
History of your thangka lineage as well as buddhist iconography
Thank-you Carmen for another superb course! I enjoyed learning some the history of your thangka lineage as well as buddhist iconography. The materials were well presented and you inspired us with many great images and bonus materials. I am looking forward to more!
Tansy Foster
Loved the whole experience from start to finish!
The course was so comprehensive and every detail thought out, so that it made it very accessible to know how to complete the drawing. I have been maki...
Loved the whole experience from start to finish!
The course was so comprehensive and every detail thought out, so that it made it very accessible to know how to complete the drawing. I have been making art my entire life, and this course allowed me to express color and form in a very meaningful way! I loved the whole experience from start to finish! thank you Carmen for bringing your talents and skills to so many people, who can now experience the joy of Thangkha painting.
Zoe Greenbaum
So enjoyable seeing the buddha face emerge
Thank you so much for this course, so enjoyable seeing the buddha face emerge.
A really inspiring experience
I very much enjoyed this class! I have drawn with colored pencil before but have not picked them up in quite a few years and just discovered how much ...
A really inspiring experience
I very much enjoyed this class! I have drawn with colored pencil before but have not picked them up in quite a few years and just discovered how much I love working with them. There is definitely a meditative aspect to this drawing. Creating the Buddha face was a really inspiring experience. Your instructions and additional educational materials were very helpful and worked well for me.
Christianna Kreiss
This course is well worth every penny spent
Brilliant course, Carmen will feed you bite size, manageable, educational packages, gently bringing them together, skillfully building up to make a he...
This course is well worth every penny spent
Brilliant course, Carmen will feed you bite size, manageable, educational packages, gently bringing them together, skillfully building up to make a heart warming, intuitive picture of the Buddhist path to Enlightenment as a creative artist.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these lessons, as within a couple of viewings, the profundity of Carmen’s decades of devotion practice helped me change my mind and heart and soon I was happily painting a Buddha’s beautiful face.
I saw Carmen bring alive paper, pencil, rulers, grids, and artistic symmetrical drawings to invoke Enlightenment, all explained with a slow rich inner intelligence, which ignited my puppy dog enthusiasm’s and I could not wait to start drawing.
This course is well worth every penny spent. I highly recommend Carmen as a teacher. Ask questions if you feel uncomfortable, she has years of experience to help you with.
Best Wishes David
David
I had no drawing experience and doubted I could draw a Buddha face
I loved everything about the course. I had no drawing experience and doubted I could draw a Buddha face so was delighted with what I was able to achie...
I had been wanting to learn about thangka, this was the perfect entry door!
Thank you for this course, which I feel follows tradition & is serious. I had been wanting to learn more about thangka for long, this was the perfect e...
I had been wanting to learn about thangka, this was the perfect entry door!
Thank you for this course, which I feel follows tradition & is serious. I had been wanting to learn more about thangka for long, this was the perfect entry door! I feel inspired to practice drawing more Buddha Faces in the future and continue on this path… clear, neat structure and very manageable sessions.
Anne Vial
I am not a drawer by nature and loved the experience
Loved the course. Very informative and helpful. I am not a drawer by nature and loved the experience. Looking forward to doing more courses.