

You can sign your ensō or add any words of wisdom that you wish.Complete the ensō in a singular brushstroke.Take a deep, conscious breath and think about the concept that you want your zen circle to reflect.The primary purpose of Zen gardens is to provide a peaceful, meditative space for reflection and contemplation. Remember that after you do, there is no possibility of modification – this is an inherent aspect of a true ensō. Zen gardens were designed as a place for quiet contemplation and meditation, and were often located within Zen temples.

Make sure you have enough on your brush to complete a circle in one try. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the Self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movement, God God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere (Hermes Trismegistus)). You can either meditate in silence, or play some gentle music in the background to help you focus. The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. Sit in a comfortable position in front of your tools.The ink used in painting an ensō is traditionally black, however, you can pick whichever color you like most. The enso symbol is a common subject of Japanese calligraphy and Buddhist enlightenment and has. Get all your necessary tools together: a surface to paint on, a sheet of paper or a canvas, a round ink brush and some ink. Enso is a Japanese word meaning circle or circular form.No matter the level of complexity, style, or placement of the circle tattoo idea you are contemplating, there is a range of meanings that can be used to interpret concepts differently and add layers of symbolism.īy first identifying what your circle tattoo means symbolically and aesthetically, you’ll be able to follow a direction for bringing your circle design to life and creating the perfect piece of body art for you. The circle border also is used extensively within sacred geometry tattoos – think of a triangle tattoo with a circle outside – and border for text, script, and character tattoo art. Sometimes the circle itself will be an important component of the tattoo theme that rolls into its symbolic meaning, while for other designs a circular tattoo border is the most useful shape that the tattoo artist and subject can use in the image. It’s a particularly effective concept in shaping forest, landscape, and wave tattoo designs. At first, ens may appear as a roughly drawn circle, but it symbolizes many things: strength, elegance, the universe, our true and innermost self, beauty in. Some of the most widespread circle tattoo designs incorporate the shape as a border or frame to contain the central theme of the image. They are also hugely popular with tattoo collectors that love using a circular geometric shape created by alternating black ink and negative space. In tribal cultures – such as Polynesian tattoos or older cultures of South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent – they represent strength and courage or are part of a wider geometric pattern that’s important to symbolic themes such as the traditional balance between life and death.Īt other times an armband black circle tattoo can be most effective in covering up old or poorly drawn tattoo pieces, such as barbed wire or poorly drawn Celtic knotwork. The black tattooed armband or thick line tattoo allows the person to remember their loss through acknowledging the body art representing their memory. The solid armband tattoo style traditionally pays tribute to a lost loved one, in the same vein that black armbands are worn by athletes memorializing the death of a club great or personally important figure.
