What is a Zentangle?
A Zentangle is basically a flowing series of lines that create a beautiful piece of art. The process reduces stress and improves your focus while you create. Anyone from young children to art-challenged adults can design a Zentangle. It can contain any number of repetitive designs, and there is no limit to the creative art forms it can inspire. Some people call it “doodling,” but it is much more than that.

Note: Traditional Zentangles were developed by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, who use them as a ritual way to meditate and create a sense of well-being. Their mantra is "Anything is possible one stroke at a time." Suzanne McNeill, a Certified Zentangle Teacher and owner of Design Originals Publications, introduced Zentangles to the craft industry with her Zentangle Basics and Zentangle 2 books. These projects were inspired directly by their work. For more information, see end of article.

You will need:
•  Pencils*: one H (for drawing), one 2B (for shading)
•  Permanent fine-point pens*
•  3 1/2" x 3 1/2" paper tiles cut from lightweight, smooth surface watercolor paper or cardstock
•  Optional: Water-based dual Brush Pens* in colors of your choice
              Colorless blender
        Plastic blending palette (an overhead transparency sheet, old CD, or any                              
                                                          piece of smooth plastic)
•  Note: Individual projects contain additional materials.

*The following products were used for these projects: Amate Studio bezels • Environmental Technology Inc. Envirotex-Lite, EasyCast 2-part epoxy resin coatings • Magenta card blanks, stamps • Sakura Pigma Micron 01 pen • Sharpie permanent pen • Shiva Paintstiks (available from Dharma Trading Co.) • The Crafter’s Workshop patterned stencils • Tombow Mono pencils, Dual Brush Pens.

Note: For product information, including Zentangle books & starter kit, see end of article.

Make a Zentangle

STEP 1: Create sections. Use H pencil to make a dot in each corner of paper tile. Connect dots. Divide penciled square with guidelines (strings) that can be simple curved or straight lines.

STEP 2: Draw pattern. Use permanent pen to draw a repetitive pattern, or “tangle”, in each section. Every section does not need to be filled with a pattern.

STEP 3: Shade pattern. Shade patterns with a 2B pencil to give them depth and more interest. The original pencil lines are part of design and are not erased.

STEP 4: Color pattern (optional). Although not a traditional Zentangle technique, designs can also be colored with water-based blendable pens. To color design, place colors onto plastic palette. Use brush point and have at least a 1" diameter of each color.
Use blender pen like a paintbrush, picking up color from palette with brush point. Apply color where you want darkest shades, and color until motif is completely colored or color has faded to clear. This non-direct coloring method makes it easy to shade color from dark to light and to mix colors by layering one color over another.
Note: Let first color dry before adding a second color on top. Do not overwork coloring as it may start to ‘pill’ paper. Using a smooth watercolor paper will prevent this.

Zentangle Inspirations

Zentangle Cards
Cards were made on 5" x 5" watercolor paper tiles and mounted on 5 1/4" square card blanks. Each was made in the traditional fashion and colored, using an analogous color selection (colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel). One is in warm tones of reds, oranges, yellows and browns, and the other is in blues and greens.
The warm-toned card is an example of themed tangles, using a sewing theme to inspire zipper, button, stitches, and thread patterns.

Galloping Rabbit Card
This card started with a colorful background created by spritzing water on a plastic palette covered in purple, pink, and blue pen colors. Put paper face down into color, rub, and lift. Let colors dry completely to create a colorful and interesting background for creating Zentangles.
Color a rabbit rubber stamp with a light pen color and stamp onto paper. Use pencil to add “strings” and divide into sections. Outline stamped rabbit and draw in “tangles” using permanent pen. Add more color with pens.
The finished panel is 3" x 4", mounted first on a piece of teal cardstock and then onto a green card blank with a folded size of 4 1/2" x 6". Use a fine-tipped green pen to add a quote around edge.

Coasters
Turn your favorite Zentangles into coasters! Glue onto 4 1/4" square white tiles using a thin-bodied white glue. Seal paper pieces with two thin coats of white glue and let dry completely. Pour on a two-part resin coating to give a high-gloss waterproof finish. After curing, add cork buttons to bottom of tiles to protect furniture surface.

Accent Pillow
Patterned stencils are perfect to create this Zentangle inspired project. You will need a 15" square ready-made white pillow blank, freezer paper, masking tape, patterned stencils, stencil brush, and a black Shiva Paintstik. Remove stuffing from pillow blank. 
Cut a 12" square from freezer paper. Use a pencil to divide square into sections. Cut sections out, keeping them in order. Iron freezer paper sections, shiny side down, onto front of pillow blank. Mask off square with masking tape. Remove each section and stencil on pattern. When a section is complete, tape freezer paper back over to mask off stenciling. Repeat with every section using a different pattern. When finished, remove freezer paper sections and masking tape to reveal your stenciled Zentangle. Re-stuff pillow. Sew opening closed.

Zentangle Frame
Zane’s tiger-painted face inspired a themed Zentangle frame. Materials needed are a 10" square frame with a 3 3/4" square opening, 90 lb. smooth finish watercolor paper, white glue, bone folder, pencil, permanent black pen, Dual Brush Pens, and an artist’s fixative spray.
Brush on a thin layer of white glue to face of frame. Glue on an 11" x 11" piece of watercolor paper, pressing down firmly with bone folder. It is important not to get any glue on front of paper. When glue has dried completely, trim off excess paper around edge and inside opening.
Use a pencil to add “strings” and create sections. Draw in jungle themed “tangles” and color with pens. When finished, spray with two to three light coats of fixative spray to protect.

Zentangle Jewelry
Wear Zentangles in exquisite jewelry pieces! Cut traditional Zentangles to fit bezels. Then pour on a 2-part resin to beatify and protect. Follow manufacture’s directions for sealing paper pieces and pouring into bezels.


Sources:

Amate International
www.amatestudios.com

Environmental Technology Inc.
(800) 368-9323
www.eti-usa.com

Magenta Rubber Stamps
(450) 922-5253
www.magentastyle.com

Sakura of America
(800) 776-6257
www.sakuraofamerica.com

Sharpie
www.sharpie.com

Shiva Paintstiks
(800) 542-5227
www.dharmatrading.com

The Crafter's Workshop
(877) 272-3837
www.thecraftersworkshop.com

Tombow
(800) 835-3232
www.tombowusa.com

Zentangle Website (Resources, Zentangle beginner’s kit, supplies, list of certified teachers, information on workshops, and a gallery of projects)
www.zentangle.com
 
Zentangle Books
Zentangle Basics by Suzanne McNeill, Design Originals
Zentangle 2 by Suzanne McNeill, Design Originals
www.d-originals.com