By Lizzie Harrington
A creative and tranquil art trend, called Zentangle, is made with lines, curves, dots, and orbs in black ink pen on a 3.5” by 3.5” paper, creating “tiles” that can be put together in mosaic patterns.
This art form is pleasing to the eye, fun, and easy to learn. Zentangle art is based in mindfulness, meditative ideals and creative flow, which is a perfect thing to do to give your mind a break from studying for finals.
The Zentangle method is about unwinding the mind, and being an unfocused art that allows your mind to focus on one stroke at a time and not worrying so much about the end result.
According to Zentangle.com, “As you use the Zentangle Method to create beautiful images, you likely will enjoy increased focus, creativity, self-confidence and an increased sense of well-being.”
The Zentangle method is about learning the steps to patterns to construct beautiful images. There are over 3000 different patterns to learn and endless possibilities to your art. It is nearly impossible to feel “stuck” when creating Zentangle art. Every person who tries Zentangle can add their own unique style with the stroke of each line.
To learn Zentangle, there are free printable PDFs of step-by-step tutorials available on the internet, YouTube videos, Zentangle.com, books, and local art classes. Jerry’s Artarama, in Raleigh on Wake Forest Road, hosts a Zentangle class a few times a year, where you can network with other Zentanglers and certified Zentangle teachers. Finding a Zentangle newsletter email to opt in is a great way to learn and connect with other fellow Zentangle artists.
Zentangle.com offers a monthly newsletter with new tangles to learn, and the latest art being created in Zentangle. One newsletter included an article written for the Martha Stewart blog that mentioned Zentangle. “Your new de-stressing method, it’s like coloring but easier,” said Alexandra Lim-Chua Wee in the online blog.
Zentangle is a popular because it is not as time consuming as other hobbies. A tile can be started and completed in less than an hour, giving artists a sense of focus, relaxation, and immediate positive feedback.
Although Zentangle is traditionally created with black ink on white paper, popular adult coloring books have taken Zentangle drawings as the outlines to be beautifully colored in creating completely new art. There are also other Zentangle practices that include color like Tangle & Watercolor, Alcohol Inks, and colored pencil.
With the fall semester coming to a close and exams near, Zentangle is a great way to take a little time out of the day to unwind and do something creatively fulfilling. Zentangle is easy to learn and a great way to connect with artists.