How do you make zentangles

Thank you very much. This is definitely a great way to get started! You look at some of those finished tangles and you wonder how in the world they did it. This is so,so easy. I hope you give it whirl! I like the idea of tangling within circles—and am thinking that a combination of sizes would be quite awesome. Yep, have to do that. What a great idea to use it as a stress-reliever for an intense job. I think I might send my sister some pre-made circle papers so she can sit around filling them in; she works as a therapist in a behavioral health hospital.

Love your Zentangle post. Sharpies are a great start but the microns take it to a whole new tiny level of detail. Yeah, the Microns are pretty wonderful. Have you tried Copic markers? I keep hearing wonderful things about those. Thanks for all the good info. Hi Pam, the great thing is that it really is fun and easy. I just starter Zentangle a week ago and absolutely love it! Thank you so much for the great info on how to get started with this wonderful craft!

You go, girl. I love your blog. You have neat ideas for those of us who are creative but not necessarily artistic. You are so awesome! I knew a therapist who used to draw a mandala in lieu of morning meditation. I plan to work on a Tangle instead. HI Just found you by googling perspective drawing for kids, then I found this page — oohh we are going to have so much fun with this this afternoon. Kindest regards from the french alps. Hi Emma! Thanks so much! Did you do some tangling?

Did you love it??? And thanks so much for the new names to call everyone. Hi, I just wanted to say that I found this post inspiring. In contrast, Zentangle art requires a relaxed focus and needs undivided attention to be fully effective and as unique as possible. Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas are the founders of this magical artform. The two came together in when Rick met Maria in Massachusetts. Maria described what she felt when drawing these patterns. Selflessness, timelessness and effortlessness were all mentioned, which Rick quickly concluded was similarly to meditation.

From there on, the artform has snowballed into millions of practices around the globe. Click here to read the full story on the pairing. She used one of our Detail Pens with a slightly thicker tip, the 6mm, to draw her tangles. Want to draw a funky Zentangle like Beckah? Just follow these six easy steps:. The Zentangle method needs fine printmaking paper to use as a foundation for your tangles.

It should be plain white, unlined and cut into 3. Use a pencil to draw a light square border around the edges of your paper. Next, divide your shape into several sections. Use a pen or pencil to draw strings. Strings are the lines that divide the shape into individual sections. Choose a section to start with and fill it with a repetitive pattern. Step 4. Repeat step three until your Zentangle is complete.

Here is a Zentangle with every section filled. Challenge yourself to get as intricate and detailed as possible, play with different pen thicknesses, shading styles, and color combinations. Learn about the founding artists.

The Zentangle Method was invented by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, when they discovered that the act of drawing abstract patterns with the constraint of a few basic rules was extremely meditative. In order to teach the Zentangle Method, one must be certified as a Zentangle Teacher.

If you want to recreate one of the originals, there are tutorials online and books and kits available for purchase. Works that are reminiscent of the drawing method Zentangle but don't adhere to the official guidelines are referred to as Zentangle-inspired art.

Part 2. Start with the right supplies. The Zentangle Method encourages using fine printmaking paper to use as a foundation for Zentangles.

It should be plain white, unlined paper. Cut your paper into a 3. Handmade or textured paper is fine, as long as it doesn't have patterns. You can use colored paper if you want, but wouldn't be considered a true Zentangle according to the Zentangle Method. Draw a border. Use a pencil to draw a light square border around the edges of your paper. The pattern you make will be drawn inside the perimeters of the border.

Do not use a ruler or any sort of straight edge to draw your border. Just sketch it lightly near the edges of the paper. It's completely fine if your hand wavers while you draw the border. The border will be a unique, original constraint inside which your pattern will emerge. If it has wavy lines or looks uneven, your finished Zentangle will be that much more original.

Do not press down too hard with the pencil as you freehand the border. It is not meant to be visible once you finish creating your Zentangle in pen. Draw a string. Take your pencil and draw a "string" inside the border.

According to the Zentangle Method, a string is a curved line or squiggle that will lend structure to your design. The pattern you create will emerge according to the contours of your string.

It should a lightly-sketched, simple, abstract form that elegantly divides the border into sections. Again, don't press down too hard with your pencil as you draw the string.

It will not be visible once your Zentangle is finished. It is meant to serve as a guide for your pattern. Some people find it hard to determine how to draw the string. Remember that the philosophy behind a Zentangle is that it should feel pleasurable, celebratory and natural. Draw whatever comes out when you touch your pencil to the paper - there's no wrong way to do it. If you want ideas for creating different strings, there are string patterns available online.

Start creating a tangle. A "tangle" is a pattern drawn in pen along the contours of a string. One Zentangle may have just one tangle, or a combination of different tangles. Use your pen to begin drawing whatever pattern comes to you - again, there's no right or wrong move inside a Zentangle. As you work, keep the following in mind: Tangles should be composed of very simple shapes. A line, a dot, a circle, a squiggle, or an oval are all acceptable.

Penciled shading can be added to the tangles to create more depth and visual interest. This is not mandatory, but you're free to do so if you'd like. Don't erase mistakes. You can't erase mistakes you make in pen. That's part of the reason tangles are created in pen, not pencil, aside from any shading you might want to add.