Some of my friends have been asking for more information about Zentangles. Rather than go into my own description I thought I would share with you the words of Zentangle creators, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.
From the
Zentangle website:
"Zentangle is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being. Zentangle is enjoyed by a wide range of skills and ages and is used in many fields of interest."
Zentangles are created on a 3.5 inch square, called a tile. I have been working on cartridge paper, but this really isn't ideal. A heavier weight, like the tiles available directly from the Zentangle store, would result in a better finished product. I intend to purchase some tiles, but I just wanted to get started with my tangling, so I used what I had available at the time.
The only other supplies required are a pencil, sharpener and a fine tipped black pigment ink pen. (No eraser is required, as there are no mistakes in this art form - yay!)
I have packaged my supplies into a small zippered hard drive case that I found in
Officeworks. It hold everything perfectly, keeps things safe and is easy to transport.
The process of creating a Zentangle is simple:
- Use your pencil to a mark a dot in each corner of the tile. Connect the dots to form a border.
- Draw a string in pencil - the string divides the tile up into sections. Strings can be any shape - straight, swirly, looped - there are no rules.
- Using your pen, fill each of the sections on the tile using a Tangle. (Tangle is the name given to the patterns used)
- Shading can be added to create depth using a pencil.
- Add your initials (yeah I am bad at this part), and sign and date the back.
Linda Farmer has a fabulous site, called
Tangle Patterns, which is an index and graphical guide to tangles that are available on the web. There are plenty of links to step by step tutorials showing how to draw them. You can also subscribe to receive links to any new additions, so you won't miss a thing! Tangle Patterns is a fantastic resource for those starting out.
The time taken to create a Zentangle varies. Some tiles can come together in 15 or 20 minutes, others have taken me an hour. It really depends on the tangles being used, and how complex your string is. I have found it useful to have a notebook to practice new tangles in before using them on a tile. It really help to get the flow happening - or decide that you actually don't like the tangle.
I really like these two tiles. The tangles used are heavier.
Florez,
created by Andrea Shuman, and
Fern, an official tangle, are my latest favourites.
#21 - 13.02.11
#22 - 13.02.11
