Drip Painting with Zentangles

Step-by-Step We’ll start this project by creating 15 Zentangle designs. I’ll take groups by table to create their drip paintings. When all 15 Zentangles are drawn and your painting is dry, we’ll fill in the blank areas with your Zentangle designs creating a masterpiece!

So….what are Zentangles? A Zentangle is an abstract drawing created using repetitive patterns according to the trademarked Zentangle Method. The invention of the Zentangle® was intended to make the act of drawing pleasurable, meditative and accessible to all. Check out this website! http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Zentangle

Zentangle Basics The Zentangle should not have an "up" or a "down" - it is without orientation. It should not be representative of any certain recognizable object; rather, it should be abstract. The drawing should be completed in black ink on white paper. We’ll be using white canvas.

Zentangle Philosophy Its creation is unplanned. When you begin creating a Zentangle, you're encouraged not to have an end goal in mind. Rather, allow the pattern to reveal itself as you draw. Its creation is deliberate, yet unexpected. Each stroke should be made deliberately, rather than hesitantly. Instead of erasing stray marks, the artist should use them as the foundation for an unexpected pattern. Its creation is celebratory. Like meditation, the Zentangle Method is meant to feel freeing and healing. It's a way to celebrate the beauty of life. A Zentangle is timeless. No technology or special tools are used. Zentangles should connect those who make them to the timeless human endeavor of putting pen to paper.

Zentangle vs. Doodle The Zentangle Method helps you create a feeling of "relaxed focus". Unlike doodling, the person creating a Zentangle is giving it his or her full, undivided attention.

Step 1 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 be a lightly-sketched, simple, abstract form that elegantly divides the border into sections.

Step 2 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.

Reminder 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. There's no going back. Every tangle is built stroke by stroke. Pay attention to each stroke you make, and build your pattern in a deliberate fashion. Focus intently on your work. Just as you would while meditating, free your mind of worries and problems. Remember there’s no right or wrong way of creating a Zentangle.

Here’s some inspiration: