Zentangle Alphabet

Zentangle® is such a wonderful practice. Tangle patterns seem to find their way into most of my art. I also use it as a warm up exercise when I get in the studio and feel a little stumped as to where to begin.

I look forward to each new Zentangle book that is published. I just received copies of 'Zentangle 8' and 'Joy of Zentangle', ...... fun and fabulous books. Both books also feature the work of some great Zentangle artists and CZT's.

 
One of my alphabet Zentangle tiles is in both books, 'S' for Shepard...notice the tiny eye in the top curve of the 'S'? 

Still Crazy after all These Years!

     Gotta talk about another artist whose style I love, Flora Bowley. Couldn't wait for her new book,  'Brave Intuitive Painting'. It got me in the studio working on a larger surface than I normally do. Instead of my usual journal page I opted for a 24 x 24 canvas. Using my Golden fluid acrylics I added a beginning couple of squirts just like Flora does. Then began mark making with practically all the colors I have.

                                                        Still crazy after all these years!

     Flora's style is intuitive painting. She suggests adding tons of color and various marks to your art - just "let go, be bold and unfold". It is a really fun way to paint. I am really drawn to whimsical work and love these crazy houses. After lots of mark making on my canvas I drew in my house shape with black paint, added more acrylic paint to the house, and determined where I wanted the eyes and mouth.  Zentangle® inspired embellishments were drawn in with a Sharpie paint marker. The eyebrows are pieces of scrap paper I cut to shape.

More Zentangle Mustache Love

     I have lots and lots of the Strathmore Visual Journals, my favorite is the 5 1/2" x 8" Mixed Media Journal. A perfect carry around size, works great for my Zentangle® art, Inktense pencils, colored pencils or simply sketching. The Strathmore Visual Journals are also available in 90lb and 140lb watercolor paper. Both papers are a little thicker and great for watercolors, I don't like them as much for Zentangle drawings because the Micron pens I use don't seem to hold up as well on the rougher paper.

 

Preliminary sketch with circles, mustaches, eyes and eyebrow. 

 

 This is a fun exercise I did in my Strathmore Mixed Media Journal using circle templates and hand-drawn Zentangle mustaches.