As far as drawing a transmutation circle goes: If you notice, it seems like everyone has their own specific circles that they use, even if they all come from the same base. Just keep in mind the idea of circulation of power, where you want that power to go, what you want to do with it, and you should be ok... like in Mustang's glove, one side of the equilibrium is heavier than the other. That's cuz he uses the glove to generate sparks--positive energy output--and then manipulates them into fire. On the transmuted trees (i can't remember the names, but the brothers posing as Ed and Al), the younger one's circle uses lines that make the bottom heavier. Tree roots are manifested below (hmm, there goes that up-down thing again), because the energy is directed outwards.

Don't get me wrong, i don't think it works or anything like that... but using the basic ideas of balanced geometry and this power flow technique, it's possible to make a pretty sweet-looking circle. I've done one in photoshop for a whim, it came out rather good methinks.

Well, there are a lot of people that see the trasmutation circles as work of art, or just as interesting drawings. There are another groups that make circles to express themselves, their flow of energy; and there is another group that just make this circles because them are interesting.

Have you ever done one?

I just did this one...what do you think?

i liked transmutation circles so much that i drawed one at my room door . its really great i ve got to take a picture to show it to you guys

thats nice! hm..i've drawn a few but just for fun!

I drew some a few days ago....they sucked horribly.

Sorry, Is just that I did'nt find one specifically to show Circles...I'm going to report it.

wow. awesome circle.
I spent all of school play practice today drawing one on the back of my script. now a bunch of stupid teachers think I'm a devil worshiper or something. Just another reason all schools should be bombed.

thats a pretty awsome circle... but i red in a anime magazine that in the transmutation circles an upside down tringle is considered fire... so I would draw that just because I'm lazy
Speaking of devil worshpers my friend drew a soul sealing circle with his own blood kinda like ed did... it actually dosent look that bad...

... I can't properly link mine here... XD; Sorry.

It's pretty easy to draw transmutation onece you got the hang of it... heres the first one i drew on the computer so far.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/mis...nja/circle1.bmp

(I'm not meaning to insult you at all) Not bad for doing it on a computer but when you do it by hand you can make alot more complicated circles and you can pust symbols and stuff in them.

If you want to draw a circle use the circles at www.fullmetalalchemist.info/alchemy.html as a reference

Also you can not do alchemy like you see in the show. Alchemy in the show is impossible to (unless you are talking about artificial transmutation )

Sorry i tend to do that.



I couldn't find where in the site it said how to draw one..

I drew plenty of circles by hand... but i don't got a scanner so i can't put them up... wich that really sucks, how much does scanners cost anyway?

Yeah I’m fairly good at drawing transmutation circles but I don’t have a scanner ether and none of my friends have one, so yeah.

I would show my hand drawing in the mattter of seconds if i knew someone with a scanner... but the next be thing i can do is on the comp so...

HEY all,

Have a few suggestions that may broaden your perspectives:

Making TRANSMUTATION CIRCLES:

GEOMETRIC DESIGNS are very apparent in these Circles.
Can you get either DRAFTING TEMPLATES or REGULAR SCHOOL STUDENT TEMPLATES? You can TRACE/DRAW with these on paper, and pretty much draw MOST of the TRANSMUTATION CIRCLES you see in FMA. The SCHOOL STUDENT TEMPLATES are pretty inexpensive, plastic and easy to use. I think you can find them in just about any store that sells school supplies.

The SYMBOLS used to create the CIRCLES:

Just recently(JAN(?)FEB/MAR/APRIL(?)of 2005), there was a COVER feature, in one of the major ANIME mags, about FMA, and the TRANS-CIRCLES- the one's used in the TVshow,... a breakdown of their individual symbolic components and their meanings. GET and SCOPE-OUT that article, if you can( I wish I could remember the name of the magazine I saw & looked through but,... I'm not getting anything...)-... lot's of valuable data, there.

2 websites to check out:

http://www.symbols.com

http://www.symbols.net

Lot's of additional information on the INDIVIDUAL SYMBOLIC COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSMUTATION CIRCLES, plus just TONS of data on all types of symbols- accross the board!

Once you have THE TEMPLATES and THE SYMBOL INFORMATION, a bit of paper, and A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE TRANSMUTATION CIRCLES USED IN THE TV SHOW,... then, just relax,.. get creative,.. try a few designs out, and.. just draw. As I mentioned earlier, most of the circles are just a bunch of geometric designs put together, and since you're just, mostly, tracing the templates... it really shouldn't be that hard. As you practice more, your sense of design, and symbol comprehension, should improve. PLEASE DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELVES,... DURING YOUR INITIAL FIRST TRIES. Relax,.. be cool, and enjoy the process of it all. You'll be crankin' out Ubercool Trans.Circles in no time!

BTW: FMA TRANSMUTATION CIRCLES come under the heading of MAGICAL TALISMANS and/or MAGICAL/MYSTICAL SCHEMAS OR SEALS.
There are materials out there( books/websites/etc.) available to help one learn about them & their construction(... if you really feel like you want to go that DEEP into them).

Unfortunately, though,... I can't think of a way for you all to SHOW US your handi-work, outside of scanning the image, and then putting them in the gallery.

TATTOOS:

Good suggestions:

Placing a Tat on a part of the skin that usually doesn't wrinkle or sag too much, over a good course of time.

Getting a TRY-OUT Tattoo, which you can put on and take off, over time.
Helps ya make up your mind about it.
Stained Wings had a good Idea- getting a Henna Tat.
I think the process is called MENDI( an East Indian word?), and when done correctly, looks unbelievably cool. Check it out!

Oops! Gotta go.
Hope I've helped a bit-
and not hurt any feelings.

Ciao.

cool, it sounds like a lot to make a transmutation circle.

I drew a transmutation circle with paint and looked up some latin element symbols.... (forgot their meanings already ) but here it is....please dont laugh to hard..


[attachmentid=2108]



- please when saving this to your pc think of me and leave it as my original work, in other words PLEASE dont steal it....lol

I was looking through the website and saw an old post regarding a section on the boards for Alchemy info. Anyway, i had an idea of what kind of Alchemy circles you all would design. Post them under me. Since i just came up with this i don't have one to post just yet. Anyone interested? Or has this been done before??

This is my icon I designed on the VN Boards.. I'll see if I have a larger version tucked away somewhere on my computer. Supposed to be Wind Alchemy (hey that stuff can be destructive AND helpful I'm sure!)

Recently I challenged myself to draw the more complicated Transmutation Circles, just to see if I could pull off the artistry (is that a word?). Take a look and let me know how what you think! Please! I started with the simple ones and went more complex:

Homunculus Sealing Circle:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/Dry.../SealCircle.jpg

Human Transmutation Circle (variation 1):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/Dry...n/HumCircle.jpg

Grand Arcanum Transmutation Circle:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/Dry.../PhilCircle.jpg

Human Transmutation Circle (variation 2) [omg, this took so freakin long]:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/Dry.../HumCircle2.jpg

(P.S.: I didn't trace anything! I did have to use a compass, but who wouldn't?)

~ Transmutation Circles, What a long work ~

After 3:30 hours of work, I finally finish my transmutation circles

the first one is made with an "STAEDTLER pigment liner 0.4"

the second one is with an "STAEDTLER" pigment liner 0.1"


[img=http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/3135/250pxtransmutationcirclds3.th.png]

[img=http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/9249/148767893c1e69ef6ddmfu7.th.jpg]

Wow
The 1st one looks exactly like the real thing! The 2nd one is unique
It's a job well done for me!

Wow, came out exactly like picture!!

wow, awesome! you must have spent ages on them! do you have a DA account? I'll go fav them!

Wow! Those are really nice! Great job!

WOW .... i cant belive thats real.
Thats great... the 1st one especially.

I made one! It makes fog! You see, it bends the air and water around it and brings it down to the earth.

That's odd. I actually saw meaning in a bunch of shapes... I think I'll try one- they seem pretty easy.

Hey, Guys!

I`m new at this forum, althought i`ve been a FMA-Fan since months.....
(And sorry for my english, I`m Austrian^^)

So, here`s one of my circles...
The arrows should express the output energy, the (I just call it button) in the middle represents a part of The Gate, its for summoning, saving and splitting the energy up to the 3 Arrows.....

Cool circle!


I've tried to draw some transmutation circles, but I always need a reference. And a ruler.

Hey, thx!^^

I thought a bit about the circles, and Squishi-Chans Circle is refered to the old alchemy. Its not the same alchemy as in FMA. Mine is just a expression of myself..... ;-)

Cool!
I'm so uncreative when it comes to circles.... XD

Hey, don`t worry^^
The first time I wanted to draw a circle I thought: "I cant do that..." but I mean its really simple. I decided to draw on the computer the lines are perfect and you can add cool effects.
If youre sitting there and think about what youre expression of a circle could be, you just have to draw. Make a few circles some lines, some stars and its looks like a real transmutation circle. You only have to think about the meaning of your circle.
So, thats it!
Hope you can be inspired by this post.....

Taken from my desktop wallpaper:

Hey, nice one!

The design is pretty well made... with wich program do you made it?

Nice Circle! What do the words in the middle mean?

The graphic was made using Corel Paint Shop Pro. The two Latin verses inscribed within the circle are biblical (John 3: 14-15) and were chosen for their relevance to the Fullmetal Alchemist series.

wow that is a nice circle. i might have to try and draw one and show you guys.

QUOTE (Roy Mustang @ Dec 31 2004, 07:39 PM)

Well, there are a lot of people that see the trasmutation circles as work of art, or just as interesting drawings. There are another groups that make circles to express themselves, their flow of energy; and there is another group that just make this circles because them are interesting.

Have you ever done one?
I just did this one...what do you think?

well i see your circle is for flame and all your energy is more outward good job
i want to know what u use?


ya me too but tell the hole alchemy to the science teacher u know cuas most of reall alch. is chemastry

I thought I might post about how to draw a transmutation circle using a ruler and compass. I know all the young'uns these days use the computer, but you can't use a computer to draw a circle on the ground. XD There's already a good thread here about the design of transmutation circles, and I don't have the alchemical knowledge to tell you what shapes or symbols to put in your circle. Nature Path Alchemist comes to mind as someone who could help you with that. But I do have plenty of mathematical knowledge, and I hope to share with you the lost art of geometric construction. It used to be part of geometry classes everywhere, but they no longer teach it in many places. So if you get caught drawing transmutation circles in school, you can try to pass it off as geometry homework.

To do these you will need a compass and a straightedge. (It is possible to do constructions using compass alone or straightedge alone, but they're much easier to do using both.) The compass you'll need is the type that draws circles (not the kind that finds north) and looks like a letter A or V and has a point on one arm and a pencil on the other. For mid-sized circles (1-3 feet), get a teacher's compass, the kind designed for use on a whiteboard or chalkboard. For larger circles you can use a rope or string as a compass (make sure it's not particularly stretchy) or even use your own arm by placing your elbow at the center of the circle with the pencil or chalk in your hand, and swinging your hand in an arc, moving your body around the center as needed to get all the way around. One of the earlier FMA-1 episodes shows Ed Elric using a long chalk holder to draw a transmutation circle on the floor; this would also work well as an improvised compass. For the straightedge, you can use a ruler, yardstick, board, piece of cardboard, or pretty much anything with an edge you can use to draw a straight line. If your forearm isn't particularly curvy or muscular, it will do nicely as an improvised straightedge for a circle about 12 to 18 inches in diameter.

You'll want to go here first and teach yourself the basic constructions if you don't already know them: copying a line segment, copying an angle, perpendicular bisector (this site calls it "line bisector" but it also constructs a perpendicular line at the midpoint), equilateral triangle, inscribe a circle in a triangle, and circumscribe a circle on a triangle. ("Inscribe" means to draw a shape inside of and touching another shape; "circumscribe" means to draw one outside.) That site also has the construction of a pentagon inscribed in a circle, which is the basic form of the Nationwide Transmuatation Circle. This site has a diagram showing how an inscribed square can be constructed easily, if you're using squares. To construct a hexagon, hexagram or anything else that touches the circle in six points, you can use the simple principle of marking off segments equal to the radius around the outside of the circle; and to construct an equilateral triangle or anything that intersects the circle in three evenly-spaced points do the same, but use every other point. You'll want to practice these several times until you understand how to do them.

So to make the Nationwide Transmutation Circle, for example, here's how you would do it.
1. Draw the outer circle.
2. Inscribe a pentagon in it.
3. Find the midpoints of the sides of the pentagon using the perpendicular bisector construction.
4. Connect the midpoints to form the inner pentagon.

It is interesting to note that the heptagon (7-sided polygon) that Ed used in human transmutation circles in the original series is not possible to construct using ruler and compass. Maybe that says something about human transmutation...

Thank you, sarahbn!
Just for our curiosity, (assuming we master how to draw "beginner" transmutation circles, as described on your post above ^^) could you tell us how to draw transmutation circles with heptagon?

Since it's impossible to construct a heptagon with ruler and compass, the best we could do is to approximate one. The central angle of a heptagon is 360/7 or about 51.4 degrees, so you could probably get a good approximation by drawing a radius of the outer circle, then using a protractor to measure off the central angles from that radius and extending them to the points where they touch the outer circle. Then connecting those points will draw a heptagon. The reason it's only an approximation is that it's notoriously hard to use an ordinary school-grade protractor to measure degrees to that kind of accuracy.

Thank you very much for taking the time to write up this tutorial and sharing it with us, Sarahbn!

I may have to invest in a compass and try my hand at constructing a transmutation circle at some point! I wish I had one of those big ones for chalk like the teachers had in school, so I could go outside and draw one on the ground. xP

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|/Heheh, yeah, good thinking!

You could use a rope or a ruler if you don't have a compass. You may need an assistant to hold the end down at the center though, if its radius is bigger than your arm. You can also make your own large compass by bolting two rulers or boards together at the top and taping a marker or chalk to one end.

Thank you, sarahbn for the info on drawing heptagon, and other circle drawing tips!

OT (Actually, it is a related activity, but also a shameless promo for the upcoming board event xp)
...These tips would come in handy for anyone who would like to draw Alchemy circles and enter our "Look Ma, I'm Performing Alchemy!" that is part of fun activities for this year's FMA Fan Fun Festival for our board, that's coming next month, June 11-12.
(More details on this year's Festival will be announced shortly ^^)