Finding a pattern to draw and New Tangle

Finding a pattern to draw

Zentangle® tiles are intended to be unplanned, abstract and non-objective creations that grow organically. One of the many wonderful things about the Zentangle® method is it has been intentionally designed to eliminate the thinking, the planning and the decision-making that often blocks our creativity; it was designed to help you to trust your instincts. Beginner classes use black ink on a white 3.5-inch piece of artist paper called a tile which eliminates having to choose a color. We begin by drawing a border or frame and a string in pencil which provides a foundation and a gentle guide for our drawings, which eliminates the need to make a decision about composition. The Zentangle® kit sold at www.zentangle.com includes a legend and icosahedron (20-sided) die which eliminates needing to decide what pattern to draw next.

For many new to Zentangle® finding and deciding on what pattern to draw gets in the way of their Zen. If you don’t have a Zentangle® kit, you can make you own legend with patterns you have already learned and using regular dice. My husband Ed keeps a journal with patterns he has already drawn. He numbers his tangle patterns 1-20, then numbers each group of 20 up to 20 groups, which will give him 400 patterns for his legend. He hasn’t reached there yet. Then he uses his icosahedron die, the first roll is for the group and the second roll is for the pattern in that group. Thus he can shut down his left brain, the thinking part, and allow his Zen to happen. You can do it using a regular die and numbering 1-6. You will be surprised how your intuition will kick in when you get your left brain out of the way.

Linda Farmer at Tangle Patterns makes several suggestions for finding a pattern to draw which include using the letters of your name [or that of a loved one] or numbering the patterns in her annual ebook then using a random number generator to choose a pattern. I keep Sandy Steen Bartholomew’s AlphaTangle: A Truly Tangled Alphabet!  or her app Tangle Library handy at all time. Both the book and the Alpha Tangle app add on are portable and lend themselves perfectly for the letter game. 

 NEW APP: As I was writing this article, I came across a new app with tangle step-outs and pattern generator all in one package. Tangle Patterns Galore by Andre Diamond. Tangle Patterns Galore features 240 tangle patterns with links to online step-by-step instructions. You can search tangles by name and save your favorite patterns to always have them available. Available at http://itunes.apple.com for the iPhone and Pad.

New Tangle!

Ed, my husband and tangling buddy, has deconstructed a pattern, a design on the upholstery at a local Panera and named it Acrosstick. On February 23 it was published on TanglePatterns.com. Be among the first to draw it.