It’s been a while since I’ve done a meditative Zentangle. I took the time for this one because I was having one of “those days”. The Zentangle method is a great technique for setting aside all of the outside world noise and just relaxing and drawing for a bit.
Give it a try!
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.
This tile was created following the instructions from Eni Oken ’s Art Club ’s latest lesson, Glazed Whitework .
It all started with a watercolor tile. It was an interesting challenge to draw the string and all of the tangles using a white colored pencil. Then more color was added creating the depth and shading you see here.
One of the most challenging things was to select appropriate tangles. It’s much more difficult to create detail with colored pencils than if you were using an inking pen.
Disruption.
Every time the energy returned, it disrupted the planetary patterns. She knew it was time to travel again, to take the ship out. But the energy patterns just didn’t allow for it then. She would study the patterns… perhaps there was a way.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.
Tangles: Antidots Betweed Flukes Ing Printemps Static
Wevuz fever.
She was tired of being grounded because of the illness. She never should have gone to the liquid planet. But watching the merfolk swim, with their beautiful coloring fascinated her. It was the height of tourist season while she was there. So many beings from so many strange places, all sharing the pathogens from their home worlds. Something was bound to happen.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.
Starfish.
I decided to try an alternate color scheme for my Starfish tile, based on Eni’s Starfish Line Interrupted video lesson. I generally prefer cooler colors, such as blues and greens, but I also happen to like pinks and oranges on occasion. This choice is based on recently seen actual living starfish at the aquarium, where they tend more towards these colors in real life.
I added the frame, with the tiny details from the Tan Treasure lesson just to add some interest and frame the design.
This ValenTangle 2018 tile was created using Spoken as the basis, as we were instructed for Day 1.
Hearts were added to the top and bottom of each arm and then the centers filled with Betweed and Tipple.
I wanted something textural, yet simple for the background, so I used grey marker to fill it with tiny Printemps.
Over all, I love the way this came out. I didn’t have a particularly clear concept in my head when I started, so I just went where the artistic muse took me, and it worked out.
Fractalized stars.
Recently, Eni Oken added a lesson about fractalizing tangles to her Art Club members. It was a fantastic lesson and everyone had a lot of fun creating beautiful tiles.
I decided to try Betweed for my tangle because it looks like a star to me, and I love anything having to do with stars! The “rule” I used was to draw a new, smaller Betweed in each space created by the original rendition. I managed to go three iterations before some of the spaces became too small for another iteration.
Elemental.
This is the first Zendala I have ever drawn. A Zendala is a mandala created using tangles. I have never done one before because I was so worried about it being perfect. However, after watching Eni’s Radial Zendala video , I understand that it was OK to create something that was “perfectly imperfect”.
I was still very nervous about tackling this, but I had a concept in mind of creating a Zendala that would represent the basic elements: Air, Earth, Fire and Water. I knew some of the tangles that I wanted to use, but I also allowed the design to evolve and grow on it’s own, too.
Ships.
As she looked back at the gate, she saw the others had followed her into this new dimension. She wasn’t sure if they were friends or enemies, but it didn’t matter at this point. They were all here, now, and there was no going back.
I decided to try a couple more radial blossoms and continue the story from the first one, here . I also used reticula patterns in-between the arms of the lower, Ix blossom. I started with E15 from the Zentangle Primer and just expanded on it.
We looked up at the ceiling and saw the fan, its blades moving slowly across the light. Blinking, bright, dim, bright, dim, it left us hypnotized on a lazy summer afternoon.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.
Tangles: Antidots Betweed Crescent Moon C-Wing Footlites Nzeppel Orlique Printemps Tropicana
Twisted Ropes.
This is my first attempt at trying the twisted rope techniques introduced by Eni Oken . I had a small problem with my pink pen… it started puddling and making inconsistent lines shortly after I stared. I decided to carry on with it anyway because I didn‘t want to start my tile over again. It turns out that, IMHO, the blooping pen actually added to the designs.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron and pink, Sanford Uniball pens. Shading done with graphite pencil and Polychromos colored pencil.
Land of two suns.
Whenever I look at this tile, I see plants growing on an alien earth; a planet with two suns.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Bristol Vellum using a black Micron pen.
Tangles: Bales Betweed Eke Evoke Pepper Warble XYP
Conservatory.
For some reason, this tile reminds me of an old-fashioned, Victorian conservatory. I see the tile floor, the elaborate swirls of the wicker furniture and the plants.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen.
Tangles: Betweed Bronx Cheer Bucky Floo Flutter Tile Strircles Stiritup Swarm Verdigogh
We are all made of star stuff.
We are often psychologically influenced by our environment. But our interpretation of those influences varies from person to person. When I was tangling this, I was listening to “Hidden in Snow” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. I didn‘t know the name of the song at the time, and to me, it sounded more like traveling through the stars.
This tile is also unusual for me because it contains only three tangles, one of which was used as the string for the design.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol with a black, Micron pen.
Tangles: Printemps Cheesecloth Hollibaugh Pokeleaf Marasu Betweed