How to draw ZANGLERS

Today we have another interesting and unusual ribbon-style tangle from New York CZT Jody Genovese.

Jody already has a dozen tangles on the site and Zanglers has an off-the-beaten path character to it that I really like. I think you will enjoy it too.

Zanglers has a lovely story and a special dedication, which Jody describes for us.

This tangle is for my step-son Matthew. I have three step children Greg 30, Matthew 27 and Jessica 26. Matthew is in the middle and he is on the autism spectrum. The spectrum is wide and presents in so many ways. He has a knack for music knowledge ranging all the way back to the 50’s through modern day. He looks at a CD once and can tell you every track. It’s pretty amazing.

He’s also very artistic. I saw a portrait in his sister’s apartment once and asked her where she bought it. I thought it came from a gallery in NYC, it was that artsy and unique. She said, “Oh Matthew did it. It’s a self-portrait.” On closer inspection it was done with tiny little bits of torn magazine pages. Unreal. For some reason when we tell him how much we love it and want him to do more he is no longer interested in that particular type of art or project.

Since beginning my Zentangle practice five years ago I have been very carefully trying to introduce it to him. I felt like it would be something he would really enjoy because of the abstract nature and the ability to take a tangle in so many directions. I show him my tiles and ask him if he wants to try. Up until recently he has only wanted to look. Periodically he asks if he can see what I am working on.

I’ll back track and say that his sister is the one person who he really responds to. Right now she is taking pre-med courses and has been using Zentangle as a way to de-stress between exams and classes. Seeing Jess do Zentangle seems to have sparked more of an interest for him and he has been asking to see things on a more regular basis. About a month ago Jess and Matthew were over for dinner and the four of us did a tile.

The next day he said to his sister, “Jess, I did my first Zangler yesterday”. She laughed and said, “You mean your first Zentangle tile.” “Yeah.” He said. “Like I said. My first Zangler.”

She and I had a good laugh over that so I told her the next time I submitted a tangle for consideration I would dedicate it to him and call it Zanglers.

Matthew was out last weekend and we didn’t do a tile, but he worked with me in my journal. I would draw a tangle and then he would draw it. He made sure that the next time Jessie comes over I am to show her his work. I sent him home with a pen and his own journal.

Before he left I showed him two patterns I had drawn and ready to submit for consideration to Tangle Patterns. This is the pattern he chose.

Attached is ‘Zanglers’ for Matthew. Here’s to hoping his Zangler … I mean Zentangle journey has just begun.

Zanglers is an interesting combination of straight and curved auras, shading adds the finishing touches to its appearance.

Jody illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Zanglers below where she features it in a tile with a cool “ghosted” Hollibaugh. Like I said, interesting and unusual!

Image copyright the artist and used with permission, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please feel free to refer to the steps images to recreate this tangle in your personal Zentangles and ZIAs, or to link back to this page. However the artist and TanglePatterns.com reserve all rights to these images and they must not be publicly pinned, altered, reproduced or republished. They are for your personal offline reference only. Thank you for respecting these rights. Click the image for an article explaining what copyright means in plain English. “Always let your conscience be your guide.” ~ Jiminy Cricket

As you enjoy any of the tangles on the site, please leave a comment of thanks and encouragement to show the artists you appreciate them for sharing their creativity to inspire yours. Your comment helps motivate them to continue to share!

Check out the tag jodyg for more of Jody’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

Related Links

1. 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.
2. What is a Zentangle? — if you are new to the Zentangle Method, start here for the fundamentals.
3. Zentangle terminology — a glossary of terms used in this art form.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. "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." Thus 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?
7. How to submit your pattern deconstruction to TanglePatterns
8. 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.
9. 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!
10. 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.
11. 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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