Buddha Face Thangka Art Course – Inspiration Gallery!


Welcome to the Buddha Face Inspiration Gallery! Here displayed are the artworks that were created during the online Drawing the Buddha Face! Thangka Art course with Carmen Mensink in May/June 2020 at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art. These traditional Buddha faces -made by people from all over the world and both with and without any drawing experience- not only express the enlightened mind, but also the beauty, love and dedication of the maker. 🙏🏼 Aren’t they all amazing? Enjoy!

Boxia Wang

I enjoyed this course a lot!

I enjoyed this course a lot! I have been wanting to learn Thangka since 1 year ago, and was hesitate to draw the face of Buddha following the pictures...

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I enjoyed this course a lot!

I enjoyed this course a lot! I have been wanting to learn Thangka since 1 year ago, and was hesitate to draw the face of Buddha following the pictures I found online. I’m so grateful that I waited for a year and this is exactly the course I am looking for.

It is very helpful to do the meditation before the class, because I got too excited about the class and my mind is so full that the meditation helped to calm me down and to set the right motivation.

Boxia Wang
Sophia Procofieff

Very well structured

I liked very much the path and combination of lectures, meditations and sessions. I have been interested in taking this kind of course for a long time...

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Very well structured

I liked very much the path and combination of lectures, meditations and sessions. I have been interested in taking this kind of course for a long time and found it very well structured.

Sophia Procofieff
Adda Hernandez

I am not a painter but the Buddha came out very much alive and beautiful

I just wanted to explore buddhism spirituality by learning to painting buddhism art. And in reality this is the second drawing I have done apart from ...

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I am not a painter but the Buddha came out very much alive and beautiful

I just wanted to explore buddhism spirituality by learning to painting buddhism art. And in reality this is the second drawing I have done apart from my cat, so with this I just want to say that I am not a painter but the Buddha Carmen teach us how to draw came out very much alive and beautiful. And I am deeply thankful to Carmen for offering this class online.

Adda Hernandez
Anna

Being able to look back several times to the Iconography and the Colours

I already followed an onsite course of drawing the Buddha Face in Den Haag.
But now I had more time and being able to look back several times to the I...

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Being able to look back several times to the Iconography and the Colours

I already followed an onsite course of drawing the Buddha Face in Den Haag.
But now I had more time and being able to look back several times to the Iconography and the Colours was one of the aspects I really appreciated.

Anna
Melissa

I knew this course would be awesome, however you far exceeded that expectation

I had a little peek at your free medicine buddha lecture.. So in my heart i knew this course would be awesome.. However you far exceeded that expectat...

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I knew this course would be awesome, however you far exceeded that expectation

I had a little peek at your free medicine buddha lecture.. So in my heart i knew this course would be awesome.. However you far exceeded that expectation..
i love the combination of story meditation, pictures, and bonus materials.. and yay i get to sing the mantra with you…

loved your approach beginning with meditation, your through explanations of words meanings, and story.. and wow even you can pray in tibetan language. the language is art in itself, the art,language, prayer, meditation, story, all In one.. so beautiful yet you are bringing this to a wider audience. Our world needs so much healing.. big gratitude for your heart…

beautifully done…hope to see more courses in the future, I’m already signed up for medicine buddha thangka course so excited…

Melissa
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Ferne Parmenter

Very helpful to replay the videos

The First time I ever saw a Tibetan Thangka, I immediately wanted to learn more about it. My expectations were met with this course because it was muc...

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Very helpful to replay the videos

The First time I ever saw a Tibetan Thangka, I immediately wanted to learn more about it. My expectations were met with this course because it was much harder than I thought it would be, it was such a fun challenge to draw a balanced face using the grid system.
I did like the combination of the different elements in this course. I really liked them and wasn’t expecting the mediations or the Tibetan mantras.
The lectures were very informative without being too much information at once. Good bite-size chinks of information. Then I was happily lost in time as I drew.

It was very helpful that I could replay the videos to see and hear the instructions multiple times so I could follow along and not feel lost or left behind. I could really find my own pace.

Ferne Parmenter
Johnny

Not just a “drawing”course

I really enjoyed the course and the focus on Buddhist traditions particularly as they relate to thangkas, methods and lineage. Its not just a “drawing”c...

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Not just a “drawing”course

I really enjoyed the course and the focus on Buddhist traditions particularly as they relate to thangkas, methods and lineage. Its not just a “drawing”course but an education on the buddhist path to enlightenment through traditional thangka art.

Johnny
David Ekins

The online medium worked really well

Really enjoyed this class.
I thought the online medium worked really well, as i travel alot its hard to get away at a certain time to do the onsite in...

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The online medium worked really well

Really enjoyed this class.
I thought the online medium worked really well, as i travel alot its hard to get away at a certain time to do the onsite instructions, so i am glad i can continue learning from you Carmen.

David Ekins
Yong Shou Ying

I never imagine I could draw a Buddha

I came with an open mind and did not have any expectation. I just want to learn some thing new and enjoy the process. I started with meditation before...

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I never imagine I could draw a Buddha

I came with an open mind and did not have any expectation. I just want to learn some thing new and enjoy the process. I started with meditation before I drew the gridlines and Buddha face in pencil. It helped to keep my mood calm and balance. I never imagine I could draw a Buddha and it is close to symmetrical. I enjoy the process and it freed my mind and I am totally immersed in drawing. Every little step completed is a triumph for me and some times I would admire it before I progress the next step. The lectures give me insight and understanding in the art and buddhist tradition. The videos in showing how to draw were really good as gives me a good guide to follow.

I wish this tradition continues to flourish and more get to appreciate the tradition and this course.
It is so helpful especially in such time where technology is overwhelming and simple things can be taken for granted. Thank you for having this online course!

Yong Shou Ying
Deborah Ireland

A good balance of instruction and practice

The course had a good flow and a good balance of instruction and practice

A good balance of instruction and practice

The course had a good flow and a good balance of instruction and practice

Deborah Ireland
Metta

Opportunity to do this with such an excellent teacher, in a way that I could afford

I was so happy to find this course and this teacher especially at this moment. This is something I’ve wanted to study for most of my life. To have the ...

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Opportunity to do this with such an excellent teacher, in a way that I could afford

I was so happy to find this course and this teacher especially at this moment. This is something I’ve wanted to study for most of my life. To have the opportunity to do this with such an excellent teacher, in a way that I could afford, and not have to travel made it all possible. I am currently unemployed and so the finances are difficult but this was a reasonable cost, so I am grateful.
I loved learning the history and the context and the symbolism, and how to meditate with the thangka. I loved seeing other’s creations.

Metta
Teresa McDowell

Pleasantly surprised – I’m glad that I got to participate

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked how the art lessons were broken down so that I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I also enj...

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Pleasantly surprised – I’m glad that I got to participate

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked how the art lessons were broken down so that I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I also enjoyed learning about the history of the Thangka, and participating in the meditations. I feel that it was an all around great course, and I’m glad that I got to participate.
I feel that the drawing video was the most useful to me. I liked how the individual lines were shown step by step on the video.

Teresa McDowell
Javier

Well structured and detailed explanations available for each step

My expectations going into the course where to get more in touch with the aspects of buddhism regarding the drawing of the Buddha.
I was surprised on ...

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Well structured and detailed explanations available for each step

My expectations going into the course where to get more in touch with the aspects of buddhism regarding the drawing of the Buddha.
I was surprised on how well structured and detailed explanations were available for each step.
The history before the drawing classes i believe add so much value because it brings the attention of the importance and significance of this tradition. On top of that, meditation was key to focus and be able to concentrate on the class.

Javier