Halloween. All the goodies were ready, filling the bowl, nestled into the spider’s web. She waited on a bench by the door with the bowl in her lap. Would they come, dressed in outlandish garb? Or would they dance in the light of the fire and simply ignore her? This is a very simple tile, with only three tangles. But by overlapping and allowing various parts to grow outside of boundaries, the tangles take on a life of their own.

The Zentangle Primer. Our group has changed books. We originally wanted to use the Zentangle Primer, but we had to wait because Amanda did not have a copy. So, while we were waiting for hers to arrive, we have been using the One Zentangle a Day book. Amanda received her Primer on Saturday, so we have both been reading/rereading the Primer. Today’s post is from the Primer, Lesson 1, Your First Tile.

Wrapped up. This Zentangle is the result of two different Facebook posts. In one group, someone asked about shading a Zentangle that was drawn in blue ink. That got me to thinking about how I would handle the situation. So, for this tile, I’ve used blue ink. For the shading I used both colored pencil and graphite. I think the combination of the two allows for more dramatic depth than using the blue pencil alone.

Day 2. For this day, we are adding three new tangles to our repertoire: Fescu, Nekton and Knight’s Bridge. We were also instructed to practice making various strings. For Amanda’s tile above, as you can see, her string is much more complex than on Day 1. She also used areas of repeated tangles to tie everything together. Matthew did a wonderfully curvy string that gave him an interesting open space to fill with graceful Fescu!

Hapy Halloween. When I was creating this tile, I wanted to have bats flying in front of the moon. There was no tangle that even remotely looked like bats at the time, so I created one. Here’s the step-out: This was so many years ago, when I was first learning all about Zentangles. Now I know that this isn’t really a “tangle”, but I am still sharing it with you for your Halloween pleasure!

Amanda’s Day 1. You will recall that I said yesterday I was working on a challenge with another tangler? Well, here is her tangle based on the same lesson! I love how she made the Tipple into bubbles, including a few popping at the upper and lower right! Amanda’s son, Matthew also did the Day 1 exercise! Matthew is a 17-year old, highschool junior. He is in his second year of art classes and is a very talented artist.

Day 1. This week, I’m working on a challenge with another tangler named Amanda. We both have the book, “One Zentangle a Day” by Beckah Krahula. Today’s tangle is for Day 1, which introduces Tipple, Static and Crescent Moon. I chose to follow the standard, Zentangle method, and started with dots in the corners and then connecting them with a frame. I used a simple string and filled each section with a tangle.

Brooch. The brooch was hidden among all the fine fabrics in the second wagon of the caravan. They were concerned for robbers and pirates along the road to the castle. They worked to keep the Queen’s treasures safe all along the way. I am always fascinated by the end result of using random strings and random tangles. When I start, I have no idea what the finished piece will turn out like.

Sail away. I originally created this Zentangle for Columbus Day, 2010. I’m sharing it today because this past Monday was Columbus day for this year, 2017. I love the half-compass on the right side and feel like all the other tangles tie into the theme nicely. Zentangle drawn on an Official Zentangle tile using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Aah Scallops Bannah Floo Tidal

Sunrise. She looked out the portal and realized the pink glow came from some kind of strange sun that appeared to send out some rather odd rays into the atmosphere. She would have to have the Science Officer run a complete scan to see what sorts of strange gasses were being emitted. This tangle started out to be a Molygon “sun”. I decided I needed to add some texture to each of the shapes, but Scrolled Feather was the first one out of the Tangle Jar.

Ownership. What we give away could be given back, or kept until we are imprisoned by it. She tossed the ties on the floor and walked away. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Aura-Leah Huggins Jonqal Lokomotive Mr.E Palrevo Papyrus

Mutant disks. Bunzo looks like a cross between striped Frisbees and amoebas. It’s as if the plastic disks are replicating by division! I decided to make each section a different color, according to the most prevalent color in that particular area of the tile. I was a little worried because there were so many colors, but I think, in the end, it all came together and worked out well.

This is a small, white, real pumpkin that I tangled on during October 2010. It wasn’t easy to do because the squash was heavily coated in some kind of wax. I used Pigma Micron pens, but they tended to stay wet a long time. Also, the ink tended to bead up in spots so that when it dried, there were darker circles.

Patches. Patches of fabric. Upholstered tufting. Embroidered flowers. Jewelry and trims. All the items of her boudoir strewn about. Symbols of life. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Beedle Casella Coil Puf Squill Zingo

Crazy. For this Zentangle, Nzepple has taken a walk on the wild side! This is referred to as Crazy Nzepple. I just wanted to do something simple and claming, and this fit the bill. I chose blue because it is the color of water and sky. It is soothing and calming. I added the gel pen accents, both the metallic blue dots and the white highlights to give the tile more dimension.