This week’s I Am The Diva Challenge is “Orbs”. These simple spherical shapes are a fundamental of the Zentangle Method. For this tile, I chose tangles that are created completely from orbs, with some minor ornamentation. It was really good practice, and got me back into the swing of drawing these shapes with total concentration. The sepia color was a bit of a happy accident… I picked up what I thought was a black pen and started drawing… So I just kept on going!

This beautiful Zendala was created by Amanda Higbee, CZT. I love the way the tangles flow and transform from one to another! Zentangle drawn on an Original Zentangle Zendala tile using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite and black Kimberly watercolor pencil. Tangles: Indyrella Umble Vermal Zander Warble

Another tile from Matt this week! I gave him a Zentangle kit for his birthday at the beginning of September. He is really enjoying it! The tangles on this tile are based on what appears on the Legend Card in the kit. Zentangle drawn on an Official Zentangle Tile using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Chartz Hollibaugh Keeko Paradox Tipple Xircus

Inktober. Are you familiar with Inktober? It is a month long challenge started by Jake Parker designed to instill in artists a daily, ink-drawing habit. You can read all about it (and get the list for this year) from the Inktober website. There is also a tangled version of Inktober. The list of prompts for that are here. I’m starting a new Journal Junkies Art Journal on October 1, so I’ve cheated a bit and added in my calendar and a few other pages already.

Market haul. Yes, it wasn’t that much fun, hauling freight from one planetary market to another. And this time, the products were mostly fruit and woven goods. Nothing dangerous. But this is what pays for the adventures. It keeps the process going smoothly. We do the necessary to experience the extraordinary! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Beadlines Echoism Pokeroot Vink Well

Matt sent me this tile yesterday to post here. I’m always fascinated by the unusual elements he adds to his tangles! Sometimes it is his own interpretation of a tangle, sometimes it’s a tangle that is totally new to me, and sometimes it’s just a small, added tweak that captures my attention. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.

She loved this place and it’s tropical feeling weather. It was nice to be in a place where she could sit on a lanai, or wander in an out without realizing it. It reminded her of the home planet… where her ancestors came from. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Diva Dance Florez Hollibaugh Lightning Bolt Meer Mooka Easy Trentwith

We had a small, fun class yesterday! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Bales Crescent Moon Florz Hollibaugh Printemps

“He who controls the spice controls the universe.” ― Frank Herbert, Dune Zentangle drawn on an Official Bijou tile using a brown, Pigma Micron pen. Shading done with colored and graphite pencils. Tangles: Molygon

Sometimes, when I don’t have a specific direction for my tangling, I just pull tangles at random. For this tile, I chose the section of the string first, and then the random tangle. I wasn’t quite sure what to do, at first, when Vega came out of the tangle jar. I’m used to drawing it as a border or a ribbon, rather than a fill. But I have to say, I might use it more often after this… I really like the results.

Over the weekend, I received this picture of a tile Matthew created!I’m not sure of all the tangle names… perhaps some of them don’t even have names. But it doesn’t matter… It’s still a great tile! Zentangle drawn on a black Official Zentangle Apprentice tile using a white Sakura Gelly Roll. Highlights done with white charcoal pencil. Tangles: Paradox Aura Leah Tipple

All over. Amanda (Amanda Higbee, CZT) sent me this picture on Saturday. It was something she had been working on for a few days. Amanda says that she saw something like this on line, and wanted to give it a try. I asked her which tangle it was, and she wasn’t sure… she thinks Cyme is the closest. To me, it reminds me of Garlic Cloves, or Ravel.

No matter which tangle you choose, there are usually many different ways to draw it. Take Hollibaugh, for example. I’ve used curved, filled, flared, “holyhollibaugh”, coffered, wrapped, auraed, woven, swerved and mummy versions, to name a few. So I thought it might be good to have a way to keep track of these versions all in one place. That way, I would have a reference of styles to choose from.

Adaptation. I recently had someone tell me that they never use Cadent when they are tangling. They don’t like it because they can’t get all the shapes to be “even”. One of the the things that is great about tangling is that you can adapt whatever tangle you choose to work with your own style and ability! So, today’s tile is a monotangle of Cadent… drawn in the “crazy” style.

I just had to do a tile with a tango, or hybrid of Diva-Dance and Undu! They were such perfect partners… As if they were made for each other! Zentangle drawn on a tan, Official Zentangle 3Z tile using a dark blue, Pigma Micron PN pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Diva Dance Undu