How to draw PARADOX and CRAZY PARADOX

Paradox is a fun three dimensional tangle pattern to do and it can be a real mind bender.

The key to this tangle is the ability to remember to turn your tile! Variants include all the options of shading and solid colors as well as filling various shapes and other tangles within it.

Paradox is a Zentangle®-original tangle; Rick writes “We named this tangle ‘Paradox’ because it consists only of straight lines which create beautiful spirals.” The link to Maria’s illustrated instructions is here.

Paradox examples are shown in another issue of the Zentangle® newsletter here. Scroll down past the instructions for Opus.

And more “fun with Paradox” examples are shown in this issue.

UPDATE: August 25, 2011 – CZT Margaret Bremner posted an excellent tutorial, “Paradox and then some”, here. Be sure to check this one out!

UPDATE: August 26, 2011 – Zentangle co-founder Rick Thomas was inspired by Margaret’s post to explore a two-sided version of Paradox here on the zentangle.com blog.

UPDATE: June 22, 2012 – Margaret is at it again, she’s posted a variation she’s named Feathered Paradox. This technique also works using rounding in place of her triangles and I think I prefer the rounding version, it has a softer look.

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UPDATE: November 11, 2017 – Project Pack #1. In this project series, in this video (12:57) Zentangle co-founder Rick Roberts demonstrates Paradox using White Sakura Gelly Roll Pens on a black 3Z Zentangle tile.

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Update: December 20, 2017 – Project Pack #2. As part of the Twelve Days of Zentangle (2017 Edition), in this Day 10 video (13:49) Maria’s daughter, CZT Martha Huggins, tangles an enlarged version of Paradox and fills each triangle with Marasu-like bands using a white Gelly Roll on a black Apprentice Tile. At the end of the video Martha shows several tiles using Paradox as a framework filled with some Zentangle-original tangles (Purk, Printemps, Well).

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Update: March 21, 2020 – It’s been a while since Rick and Maria posted a Kitchen Table Tangles (KTT) video but today in this one “Rick and Maria explore Tessellation possibilities with the paradox tangle on a Flower of Life string.” (19:08)

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Update: April 23, 2020 – Canadian CZT Margaret Bremner adds a post called Crazy Paradox where she explores another version of Paradox and includes downloadable steps.

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UPDATE July 20, 2020 – Project Pack #10. As part of The Legend of Zentangle project pack series, Rick tangles Paradox at 11:58 in this video.

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UPDATE December 17, 2020 – Project Pack #12. As part of the 12 Days of Zentangle, 2020 Zentangle Renaissance project pack, Rick tangles Paradox and Flux on a Renaissance tan Phi tile.

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UPDATE May 23, 2021 – Project Pack #14. As part of the Accessing the Artist Within project pack, Rick tangles Paradox, Hollis and Moon Pie on the spread with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote, “Every artist was first an amateur”. This video is mirrored especially for left handed tanglers.

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UPDATE December 12, 2021 – Project Pack #16. As part of the 12 Days of Zentangle – Keeping Score project pack, starting at 06:09 Rick tangles Paradox on two gray Zendala tiles which he makes into a pillow box ornament.

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UPDATE 08/20/2022 – Project Pack #18. As part of the Introducing Zentangle’s new Translucen-Z Tiles project pack, Rick begins this tile with Tripoli and fills it in with Paradox at 09:15 in this video:

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UPDATE May 28, 2023 – As part of Zentangle’s 21-day challenge honoring May’s Mental Health Awareness month, Day 18’s Bijouism is Focus and Rick tangles Paradox in this 14:34 minute limited-audio video.

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UPDATE August 6, 2023 – Project Pack #21. As part of the Organic Tangles: Tangles of a Botanical Nature project pack, Rick tangles his Hanging Paradox specimen in this video:

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UPDATE May 20, 2024 – As part of Zentangle’s 21-Day project honoring Mental Health Awareness Month this year, on Day 11 Rick tangles Paradox in this video.

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UPDATE March 16, 2025 – Project Pack #26. As part of the The Elegance of Limits project pack, Rick tangles Paradox in this video:

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For a complete list of Zentangle’s Project Packs click the PROJECT PACKS link in the pink alphabetic tangle menu bar.

Check out the tag zentangle for more Zentangle®-original tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

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