Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Diva's Weekly Zentangle Challenge #118

A preface: I only recently discovered Zentangle®, a meditative drawing method with which I have become obsessed. All it involves (once you learn a bit of the philosophy and methodology) is a tile (a 3.5"-square piece of high-quality drawing paper), a felt pen (Sakura Micron pens are the best), and some time.

It likely appeals to me for many reasons:
  • I have a BFA in Graphic Design with minors in Painting and Fibers
  • I have always had a thing for felt-tip pens
  • I love little picky detailed line work
  • I love abstraction
  • I'm very much into meditation, connecting with one's Source, tapping into the subconscious, and using relaxation tools to access and shift one's Consciousness
  • I'm a huge philosophy nut
  • Being part-way into the Artists' Way, I appreciate the life-changing quality of tangling
And so about a month ago, I stumbled onto it, got some pens, bought a book, took a Zentangle 101 class that popped up with remarkably auspicious timing, and started tangling.

This is my 16th tangle, my 13th "official" tangle (meaning I wasn't just doodling randomly trying to figure out what Zentangle is, I was following the methods), and my first submission to the Diva's Weekly Zentangle Challenge. (They're on #118, I have some catching up to do.)

So let's get to it. Participants are provided with a tangle (pattern) to use in their tile, and we are to learn how to draw it, then use it in combination with any other tangles of choice to create our tile. This week's tangle is Kuke, inspired by a shriveled-up cucumber, created by CZT® Katy Abbot (a CZT® is a Certified Zentangle Teacher).

I learned Kuke, then I used it and several other tangle patterns (Amaze, Opus, Flux, Flukes, and Tipple) to create this tile:

Amaze, Flux, Flukes, Opus, Kukes and Tipple. In addition to shading with pencil,
I added a bit of color with my new Sakura Brush pens in grays.

Sakura makes some awesome drawing tools. The Pigma Brushes just blow my mind--they're felt pens with a brush tip that work kind of like paint. And ZERO smell. I have a set of 8 colors which I've barely cracked open yet, and my set of six greys (3 warm, 3 cool) arrived today. No clue how to really get the most out of them yet, but they sure are fun to use and offer shading options beyond graphite.

Now, if I could just get my hand to be more steady. I have shaky lines. I know... SLOW DOWN. It's not fine-art sketching, it's meditative. I'm supposed to be deliberate and focused in how I create every mark. Sometimes I get ahead of myself, or I get impatient. (Which is probably why doing this is a good thing for me, eh?) It'll come. It's only my 16th tile.

In other news, if it cools down just slightly (it is TOO EARLY for all this heat and humidity), I may go out and participate in the wranglin' part of my moniker.

6 comments:

  1. Welcome to the wonderful world of tanglers. Your tile is great, and I say embrace the wavey line you do it beautifully!

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  2. Welcome to our world. You will love it here. Your very first submission is absolutely gorgeous. Great lines and shading.

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  3. Jeanne, Welcome to Zentangle! The more you delve into it the more you will love it. The same is true of the book "The Artist's Way" it is an awesome book and one I keep near to me as it is great to go back and re-read certain chapters. Hope to see more tangles from you.
    peace,
    Sue O.

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  4. Not to be repetitive, but Zentangle® is the use of structured repetitive patterns, welcome to the world of tanglers. You did a great job. Like how your tangles flow into each other. The one on the lower right looks a lot like Quabog. I have not used it much because have not felt I could make it look as nice as yours.

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  5. Great to see you her, I hope to see a lot more of you.
    Your tile is beatiful, I love the other tangles next to Kuke.

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  6. The kuke is a great enhancer of a beautiful tile!

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