Do a little.
I’m still have a little trouble getting back into the swing of my daily routine. So I did this first thing yesterday morning, just so that I would accomplish something. I find that I can always fall back on the basic tile, that we all make in our first Zentangle class for a comfortable, meditative experience. In this case, I changed it up a little by using a black, 3Z tile. Not everything we create has to be a master work of art!
This is the second of a pair of tiles for my current project . I didn’t want both tiles to match exactly, but I wanted them both to have the same theme. The pictures of these have come out a bit paler than the actual tiles. Hopefully, the pictures of the end result will show the colors better!
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a brown Pigma Micron pen. Shading done with Copic marker and colored and graphite pencils. Color was done with Distress Ink markers.
Another piece in my current project! I had so much fun making this part. I hope the rest of it goes like this!
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a brown Pigma Micron pen. Shading done with Copic marker, colored and graphite pencils. Color was done with Distress Ink markers.
Tangles: Hollibaugh Kuke Web
This tile uses a basic technique referred to as a Zenbutton. CZT Marguerite Samama is credited as the inventor of this technique. She was experimenting with methods for using Fragments in different ways when she discovered it.
You can watch an instructional video, created by Melinda Barlow, CZT, here , to see the basic technique.
I’ve been thinking about trying it for a few days. Yesterday, I sat down and went for it. For my first attempt, I’m very happy with the results. I will definitely add this to my tangle enhancing techniques!
Tradition.
We all enjoy learning new things, pushing boundaries and growing in our art. But we shouldn’t forget where we came from in the process.
To keep with the original tradition of Zentangle, I have used the die and legend that came with my new Zentangle Kit to select the tangles that I used for this tile. I chose them one at a time, filling in a section before rolling for the next. I went around clockwise, starting with Bales. I think it’s fascinating how everything fits together and looks good without having to think much or labor over what to use where. That is what makes this type of tangling a very meditative experience.
WhollyHollibaugh.
Recently, Zentangle released a new video, #18, in the Kitchen Table series that illustrated the principle of seeing behind parts of a design through a window, or cutout in a tangle. Hollibaugh was used to illustrate this, so I decided to create this tile for my collection showing the concept. They call the tangle enhancement “Wholly Hollibaugh.”
Zentangle drawn on Stonehenge Kraft using black and brown Pigma Micron pens and Sakura white gel pen. Shading done with Copic marker and graphite and colored pencil.
If you will recall, I was experimenting with using Membranart as a background behind other tangles, here . I made a fairly complex version of it to provide some tension with the foreground.
Amanda liked the idea of that, so she decided to experiment, also. She chose a simple tangle, Hollibaugh for the foreground so that she could concentrate on the Membranart itself. This was a new tangle for her to tackle, and I think she did a great job here!
Palette.
Her basket was full of magical designs just waiting to be added to a frock or a cushion. Some plain, some fancy, some simple, some complex, woven together they created a magical mixture for the customers to choose from.
The basic string for this Zentangle came from the Tangler's Palette" stencils from Acadia Laser Creations on Etsy. I wanted this set of stencils as soon as I saw them. They offer so many different possibilites for creative play!
If you saw my New Year's post , then you know that I have challenged myself to work on black tiles more frequently this year. I want to develop techniques and find the materials that work for me. For that reason, for every challenge or lesson from Eni or any other artist, I am making a black tile for the theme as well as a normal one.
To that end, this is my black tile from Eni’s Zentangle Basics lesson. for this one, instead of charcoal, I tried using a white, colored pencil to do the highlighting. I found that it would actually move and blend, somewhat, with a clean stump. I do wish it was a brighter white where it was applied the heaviest, though. I will need to keep experimenting!
The newest Art Club video from Eni Oken's Art Club is a lesson on Zentangle Basics . Almost everyone, when they take their first Zentangle lesson from a CZT, creates a basic tile, using certain tangles that illustrate what Zentangle is all about. Eni’s video is no different, (after all, she IS a Certified Zentangle Teacher!) This is the tile I created while watching the video.
I’ve been tangling now for many years. My first actual tiles are dated 2010, but I was tangling before that in my sketchbook. If you go to the Zentangle Gallery page, by clicking on the link here or at the top, right of this page, I bet you will recognize more tiles that are based on the beginner’s instructions. This is the sixth tile to be added to the collection. Can you find them all?
This tile is a direct result of following the instructions on the blog post for the First Day of the 12 Days of Zentangle over at zentangle.com .
The purpose of this exercise was to draw each of the tangles that are used to teach a brand new person how to tangle. The most common tangles used for a beginner’s tile are Crescent Moon and Hollibaugh and they are often followed by Florz (or Bales) and Printemps. However, we are instructed to draw each of the tangles with a “twist.” For example, Cresent Moon is drawn using triangles and angled auras, and Hollibaugh is drawn so that the strips look more like roots and are intertwined with each other.
From the Zentangle Primer: Lesson 3, page 55, Exercise #8. For this string exercise we were to go “beyond the string,” and push past boundaries.
I think Amanda did a fantastic job, compared to her original string, which you can see below! I love the way her Pokeleaf meandered around part of the string and then went up and joined into the Verdigogh at the upper right!
Amanda’s talent and distinctive style is slowly emerging with each exercise that she does!
From the Zentangle Primer: Lesson 3, page 55, Exercise #7.
In this lesson, we are learning about strings. For the first exercise, we are supposed to combine two (or more) sections of our string together to form a new section that is better suited for the tangle we want to use.
Here is what Amanda’s original string looked like, so you can compare it with her finished Zentangle above.
From the Zentangle Primer: Lesson 2, page 45, Exercise 4.
For this exercise, we were to use all the same tangles: Shattuck, Jetties and Bales, but use different shading.
I think Amanda (above) did a fantastic job with this tile! I love that she used several tanglations: Bales, Hollibaugh, Florz, and Jetties! My favorite is her version of Bales. It has so much depth to it now!
My artwork is above. I mixed Bales and Florz togther for my background, and pillow-shaded each floret in the design. I had a lot of fun with Jetties. I decided to treat them more like beads, and made each one different, although a few original Jetties snuck in on their own. I’ve drawn Shattuck many times, this is the first time I’ve added perfs to them.
From the Zentangle Primer: Exercise 2, page 33.
For this tile, we were told to select two tangles and to alter or combine them to create a new tanglation.
I chose to use Printemps and used it to create the strips for Hollibaugh. This ended up presenting a challenge, because it was difficult to distinguish edges where the strips crossed over each other. I ended up outlining each strip with a wider-nibbed pen to create stronger edges.
From the Zentangle Primer: Exercise 1, page 33.
For this exercise, we each had to create a Zentangle using the same tangles as the first. However, we were to shade them differently.
Amanda’s artwork is above. You can see how she shaded around the outside of the central bobble which makes it appear more like it is floating above the tile. She also altered Printemps from her original style. This version gives it a lot more drama and depth.
From the Zentangle Primer: Exercise 1, page 33.
For this exercise, we were to create another Zentangle, using the same four tangles as the first tile. However, this time, we were instructed to shade each tangle differently.
In addition to changing the shading, I also changed the style of each of the tangles. I chose to wrap Florz around a bobble and give it more of a 3D, or dimensional feel. I took a lot of creative license with Cresent Moon, adding more details and treating it more like ruffles. I normally draw Printemps fairly small, but here, I tried to make it much larger than I normally do. And for Hollibaugh, I rounded out the areas where the strips ran into the border.
Halloween.
All the goodies were ready, filling the bowl, nestled into the spider’s web. She waited on a bench by the door with the bowl in her lap. Would they come, dressed in outlandish garb? Or would they dance in the light of the fire and simply ignore her?
This is a very simple tile, with only three tangles. But by overlapping and allowing various parts to grow outside of boundaries, the tangles take on a life of their own.
The Zentangle Primer.
Our group has changed books. We originally wanted to use the Zentangle Primer , but we had to wait because Amanda did not have a copy. So, while we were waiting for hers to arrive, we have been using the One Zentangle a Day book. Amanda received her Primer on Saturday, so we have both been reading/rereading the Primer. Today’s post is from the Primer, Lesson 1, Your First Tile.
Portals.
The window was made of many openings. As she looked through each portal, she wondered why it was different from the others. What were those strange patterns. What kind of life forms were there. So many questions in need of answers.
I love this form of Hollibaugh, using rounding to create graceful openings between the crossed bars.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.