Zentangle® is a form of artistic meditation through a very specific method of deliberate intention that produces non-objective drawings composed of patterns (tangles) that can be viewed from all four sides. Zentangles do not contain recognizable objects and there is no “right side up”. The Zentangle method is very focused and mindful.
The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. You can learn more about zentangles on their site at http://www.zentangle.com. A true zentangle is a 3 1/2-inch square “tile” (9 cm x 9 cm) of high quality paper (“fine, individually die-cut printmaking paper selected for its texture and archival characteristics”).
Inspired by this artform I set about creating my own zentangle-inspired artwork which contains my usual love of elements from nature. This will take while to complete as you can see. My drawing is slightly smaller than a sheet of A3 paper. Here’s what I’ve done so far and I can’t leave it alone!
It started off with the flowers and birds and then just evolved.
I have started the patterns and shading with a pencil which is the part that makes the drawing really pop by adding a three-dimensional quality
I bought lots of black pens in various thicknesses and the best ones to use are micron pens which will not fade. I found myself using a number 4 and 8. You need to have a bucket load of patience to do this type of artwork.
I also started to use white gel pens on top of the black but had a lot of trouble getting my pen to work which was very frustrating.
This is where I am up to so far and I decided to include the words “Fly Free”
I am really pleased with the way it is progressing so far.
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Oh I am so inspired by this Zentangles artwork! Your drawing is beautiful and amazing. Would love to hear more about it when I see you.
Hi Angela, how wonderful to have you visit and comment on my work. This drawing took me about three full days to complete! Looking forward to catching up with you.
Carol, it’s great to hear from you and yes, I showed this drawing to some of my younger students and a couple of them are trying it out. I am writing an e-book which is nearly finished, called “Rainy Day Art & Crafts” which is geared towards parents who do not have an art background. It will have lots of activities with clear, step-by-step instructions and pictures and there will be a zentangle unit included! Let me know how you go doing the zentangles with your little ones.
Love this, Lesley. Have you tried Zentangles yet with your children’s art class. I haven’t done it yet with my little kids but we must have a go.