Cubine is another 3D optical illusion type of tangle pattern.
Variants include using straight or curved lines for the frame and different shapes for the solid areas, shading, and filling shapes with thinly-spaced lines. I tend to like these architectural type of patterns very much. So orderly. 😀
Cubine is an original Zentangle® tangle deconstructed by Maria Thomas. The link to Maria’s illustrated step-by-step instructions for drawing this pattern is here.
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UPDATE 01/01/2015 – CZT Margaret Bremner has added one of her “and then some” tutorials, this one on Cubine here.
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UPDATE 04/25/2018 – Margaret’s been experimenting with “Sprinkled Cubine” (or “Floating Cubine”) here.
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UPDATE December 11, 2018 – As part of the Twelve Days of Zentangle, 2018 Edition series, in this Day 9 video starting at (01:31) Rick demonstrates how to tangle Cubine.
In their conversation as Rick begins the tangle, Rick and Maria recount that they discovered this tangle on a vase in a window. Rick notes that Cubine is one of the few tangles where shading is an integral part of the tangle.
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UPDATE July 21, 2020 – Project Pack #10. As part of The Legend of Zentangle project pack series, Molly tangles Cubine starting at 32:46 in this video.
UPDATE May 24, 2021 – Project Pack #14. As part of the Accessing the Artist Within project pack, Julie Willand tangles Pokeroot, Purk, Diva Dance, Cubine, and Marasu.
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UPDATE December 17, 2021 – Project Pack #16. As part of the 12 Days of Zentangle – Keeping Score project pack, Maria tangles variations of Cubine, taking it out of the grid. She displays examples of this Crazy Cubine, plus Wild Cubine, and Blossoming Cubine as well several beautiful tiles featuring these variations.
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UPDATE December 16, 2022 – Project Pack #19. As part of the Twelve Days of Zentangle, 2022 Edition project pack, Rick tangles Cubine in this video:
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UPDATE May 20, 2025 – As part of Zentangle’s 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month Challenge, Rick tangles Cubine in this video:
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Check out the tag zentangle for more Zentangle®-original tangles on TanglePatterns.com.
For a complete list of Zentangle’s Project Packs click the PROJECT PACKS link in the pink alphabetic tangle menu bar.
Related Links
- Looking for tangles by Artist or Type? For details visit the ABOUT > HOW TO FIND TANGLES BY ARTIST OR TYPE page on the top menu bar of any page on the site.
- What is a Zentangle? — if you are new to the Zentangle Method, start here for the fundamentals.
- Zentangle terminology — a glossary of terms used in this art form.
- How to use the site — an excellent free video tutorial showing how to use the site as well as pointing out lots of useful features you might have missed.
- Linda's List of Zentangle-Original Patterns — here is the complete list of original tangles (aka "official tangles") created and introduced by founders Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, including those not published online. If you are new to the Zentangle Method I highly recommend learning a few of the published Zentangle classics first.
- "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." Patterns that are drawings of a recognizable naturalistic or actual object, figure, or scene, are not tangles. A pattern is not always a tangle — here's what makes a tangle. TIP: tangles never start with pencil planning.
- Un motif n’est pas toujours un tangle — Qu’est-ce qu’un tangle ?
- Un diseño no es siempre un tangle — ¿Qué es un tangle?
- How to submit your pattern deconstruction to TanglePatterns
- For lots of great FREE tutorials on TanglePatterns, click on the TUTORIALS link in the pink alphabetic menu bar below the tangle images at the top of any page.
- Strings! Have we got STRINGS! Click on the STRINGS link in the pink alphabetic menu bar below the tangle images at the top of any page for 250 different (free) Zentangle-starters. More than enough for any lifetime!
- Never miss a tangle! FREE eMAIL NEWSLETTER - visit the SUBSCRIBE page on the top menu bar of any page on the site and sign up to get notices delivered free to your inbox.
- If you have questions about the TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE, visit the BOOK REVIEWS tab on the top menu bar of any page on the site for COMPLETE details!
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May 8, 2010 | 
More like this: 
why are there some steps on how to make them and on some there arent?
Hi Kate, the only patterns I include step-by-step instructions for on my site are patterns I’ve created, or that tanglers have submitted to have them included here. All other patterns contain a link to the pattern creator’s own illustrations of the steps for drawing their patterns.
CZT Margaret Bremner has been experimenting with “Sprinkled Cubine” (or “Floating Cubine”) on her blog. I’ve added the link above, look for the UPDATE.