Zentangles are miniature pieces of unplanned, abstract, black and white art created from repetitive patterns on a 3.5-inch (9 mm) square paper tile. They are not only exquisitely beautiful, they are fun and relaxing to create.
The process of creating a Zentangle® is a form of “artistic meditation” as one becomes completely engrossed in making each pattern, deliberately focusing on “one stroke at a time”®. The creativity options and pattern combinations are boundless. And anyone can do it!
The Zentangle method “increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being. The Zentangle method is enjoyed all over this world across a wide range of skills, interests and ages.”
As CZT® Margaret Bremner has written, “One of the lovely things about Zentangle is that it isn’t supposed to BE anything. Even more, it’s SUPPOSED to NOT be a something. … Zentangle is simply a lot of beautiful patterns playing harmoniously together. Zentangle-inspired art (ZIA) is another story; it can be Something if you want.”
From the "Beginning Zentangle" booklet in the Official Kit
The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. You can learn much more at zentangle.com and from taking a class with a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT). Here’s a brief overview.
Format – A Tile
The surface for a Zentangle® is a 3 1/2-inch square “tile” (9 cm x 9 cm) of high quality paper (“fine, individually die-cut printmaking paper selected for its texture and archival characteristics”).
Any other format is referred to as a “Zentangle-inspired” creation.
The paper is called a tile because completed tiles can be arranged together in a beautiful mosaic.
Process – A Ceremony
The first important step in the ceremony of Zentangle is to relax and breathe deeply, bringing one’s attention to the process.
On the Zentangle tile, one lightly pencils a border and a “string“, a freeform shape into which one then draws intricate non-objective patterns called “tangles“, with very deliberate intentional strokes using a thin-nib archival ink Sakura Micron pen. Additional shading can be added in pencil to create depth and drama.
Example of a Border with a "String" drawn within it with pencil on a Tile - ready to tangle and become a Zentangle®
A Zentangle is not intended to be a representation of something else. Both the tangles used, and the resulting completed tile are intended to be unplanned, abstract, non-objective creations that grow organically as you make each deliberate stroke. As described on the official website:
“A Zentangle® has no up or down and is not a picture of something, so you have no worries about whether you can draw a hand, or a duck. You always succeed in creating a Zentangle®.”
The mindful drawing of individual strokes makes possible the shift in focus that is meditation. The decision-making involved in other forms of art is deliberately removed in the Zentangle method. The outcome “unfolds one stroke at a time”.
Primo Examples
If you’ve never heard of Zentangle® before and would like to see some wonderful examples, check out this one by guest artist Jella Verelst here on TanglePatterns.com. Then visit the Zentangle Gallery to see originators Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts’ beautiful work. Maria is widely recognized as one of the top lettering artists in the world. Her 40+ years of experience with pen and ink transform an ordinary line into something quite lyrical.
Zentangle® or Doodle?
Often people new to Zentangle will say, “I’ve done this all my life, I never knew it had a name.” With all due respect, chances are it wasn’t Zentangle though the outcome may look the same. What is the difference between doodling and Zentangle®?
Zentangle® is a form of artistic meditation through a very specific method of deliberate intention that produces non-objective drawings composed of patterns (tangles) that can be viewed from any perspective.
Zentangles do not contain recognizable objects and there is no “right side up”. The Zentangle method is very focused and mindful, whereas doodling is generally something you do with your hands while your thoughts are occupied with something else. It’s easy to confuse the outcome of Zentangle with doodling, but they are quite different processes.
Likewise, the tangle patterns composing a Zentangle do not represent a natural or actual object, figure, or scene.
Not all patterns are tangles. Learn more about what makes a tangle pattern different from a doodle pattern here.
A Zentangle® is also a specific size and format as described above.
Related Links:
- UPDATE 10/28/10: a discussion about Zentangle® format and Zentangle-inspired art (ZIA’s), here. Contribute to the conversation if you’d like!
- An excellent article discussing “Zentangle or Doodles”, from Verlin.
- An excellent article on this subject from November 2009 by CZT® and Totally Tangled author, Sandy Steen Bartholomew
- Copyright issues you should know
- Legal information about the Zentangle® method – What you should know about using the term Zentangle® and using tangle patterns in teaching or your art.
- Zentangle® Terminology
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