How to draw SPIN ‘N’ SWIRL

Spin ‘n’ Swirl might well be a reference for our mental state in these strange and sometimes trying times 😉

But in reality Spin ‘n’ Swirl is a pretty tangle from CZT Shilpi Gupta who shared her Vibes tangle with us not long ago.

Shilpi writes,

The inspiration for this pattern comes from a window design of a bakery shop I visited while on vacation. I had mentally registered the design as a pattern with some swirls, loops, and diamond shapes. I am not sure if the final pattern even closely resembles that window design, but after hours of playing and deconstructing I came with this combination of spiral-diamond-loop combination I titled Spin ‘n’ Swirl.

I begin this pattern by drawing somewhat evenly spaced diamond shapes (steps 1 and 2).

Next, I draw a Printemps spiral inside each diamond shape (step 3).

For step 4, I make loops emanating from each of the four corners of diamond shapes. If you wish, you can very well stop here and proceed to shading or move on to step 5 where I make smaller loops in between the loops from step 4.

Finally, I shade by drawing a circular shape at a point where four loops meet (drawing behind/ hollibaugh fashion) (step 6) and add embellishments/color/more shading as you wish!

This pattern can be drawn without an even spaced layout and/or be free floating as visible in the example tile.

I loved drawing the loops in this tangle, very rhythmic and satisfying indeed and for my example I chose to do a free-floating version.

Shilpi illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Spin ‘n’ Swirl below where she features it in a duotangle with the Zentangle®-original Printemps.

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 thanks helps motivate them to continue to share!

Check out the tag shilpig for more of Shilpi’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

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Laughter is the Best Medicine

Today’s smile is courtesy of Joan Stark … #spreadjoy #laughteristhebestmedicine

SHARE! SHARE! SHARE! for all of us in the community who don't do social media (there are many, including me) if you've seen something funny that "takes the mickey" out of our current sticky situation and you'd like to give a smile to your Zentangle friends, email the image (with credits if at all possible) to me (linda@tanglepatterns.com) using the subject line "Laughter is the best medicine" and I'll select the best ones to add to the upcoming posts for a while. Let's see what you've got!

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ADDENDUM: I will admit that Robert and I are Rachel Maddow junkies. For all of us who need a ray of hope in this mess and the raging vacuum of actual leadership from the WH, this inspiring 10-minute interview with Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite of the US Army Corps of Engineers from last night’s program is like a shot of “hope adrenaline”:

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ANOTHER ADDENDUM: In this excellent 13-minute Public Service Announcement (PSA), Michigan family practice physician Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen demonstrates safe grocery shopping and takeout food tips in this time of the COVID-19 Pandemic:

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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.

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