The Seed of Life

In this task, you’re going to build a special pattern from circles.

One circle leads to another. Then another. Then another.

Before you know it, something unplanned and special begins to appear.

How?

Each new circle shows you where the next one belongs.

Smudge suspects the circles know what they’re doing.

Need Help?

Draw Your Guide Line

Use your ruler to draw a light vertical line down the page.

This is your guide line. It gives the first circle somewhere sensible to sit.

Draw the First Circle

Place the compass point roughly in the centre of the guide line.

Draw a circle.

Every other circle in the Seed of Life will grow from this one.

Draw the Top Circle

Place the compass point where the first circle crosses the guide line at the top.

Draw another circle using the same compass width.

Now the circles have started to show you where to go next.

Draw the Upper-Right Circle

Look for the place where the two circles cross on the upper-right side.

Place the compass point there and draw another circle using the same compass width.

Draw the Next Circle

Move to the next crossing around the first circle.

Place the compass point there and draw another circle using the same compass width.

Keep Going Around the Circle

Once you’ve noticed the pattern, you can keep going.

Keep moving around the first circle, using each new crossing to place the next circle.

Continue around like a roundabout until the Seed of Life is complete.

Take It In

Pause for a moment and look at what you’ve built.

You started with one circle. Now the Seed of Life has appeared.

Biscuit trusted the circles all along.

Tidy the Seed of Life

You can keep the guide line or erase it.

It’s up to you, but it can be useful if you want to keep building.

If your circles don’t line up neatly, good news: that’s exactly what practice is for. Check out the tool tips and try again.

Now make it yours.

Colour it, pattern it, turn it into a flower, or use it as the starting point for something completely different.

You can keep it simple or make it as detailed as you like.