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Linda Farmer, Certified Zentangle Teacher

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How to draw ALGRA

Zentangle pattern: Algra. Image © Linda Farmer and TanglePatterns.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may use this image for your personal non-commercial reference only. The unauthorized pinning, reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.Hi everyone! Welcome back and thanks for joining me again for another week of fun tangles.

Deep breath … Let’s take a trip to Spain.

Today’s sweet ribbon-style Algra tangle is from Belgian CZT Ria Matheussen and it’s her 26th!! on the site.

Ria writes,

The Alhambra in the south of Spain (Granada) is very famous and every year people from all over the world come to visit this magical palace which is placed on the UNESCO list.

I visited this place years ago and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this medieval castle and its history.

For this new tangle I have found inspiration in a mosaic of the Alhambra:

I chose the name Algra (Alhambra- Granada) which was an easy choice.

Algra is an easy tangle that can be used as a border, a filler and also just on its own.

When you’ll do a few exercises to form the first step, the rest will be very easy. I have drawn three little curls in every pattern but it is not necessary. You can see that a lot of variations are possible.

On my tile I have made a composition of Algra with the (always wonderful) Diva Dance, Doodah, Blinkt, Tipple, Hibred, Printemps and stretched Printemps.

Wow, what a lovely ZIA with all these great tangles.

When I was tangling my example of Algra, I noticed that each motif (second column below) is actually composed of 3 intersecting S shapes and then every other one is connected with a V shape. That made it easier for me to get the motif distributed evenly around the center. Just sayin’ …

Ria illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Algra below where she shows different ways to use it as well as some variations for its embellishments.

How to draw the Zentangle pattern Algra, tangle and deconstruction by Ria Matheussen. Image copyright the artist and used with permission, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Image copyright the artist and used with permission, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. These images are for your personal offline reference only. Please feel free to refer to the images to recreate this tangle in your personal Zentangles and ZIAs. However the artist and TanglePatterns.com reserve all rights to the images and they must not be publicly pinned, altered, reproduced or republished. 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

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  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.
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13 comments to How to draw ALGRA

  • Oh Ria!! This is an absolutely LOVELY pattern! Simple, elegant, easily varied, versatile. I enjoy all your tangles, but there are a few that really stand out for me and this is certainly one of them. I’m looking forward to playing with it! Thank you. 🙂

  • Joyce Blodgett

    I’m sitting in my least favorite laundromat, gross “music” blaring overhead…and drawing Ria’s “Algra” coupled with “Dian” and “Sawed,” and the results are so pleasing, it’s making even the cacophony of clashing musical instruments bearable 🙂

  • Debbie Raaen

    Loving this pattern Ria. Very timely as well, because Linda’s examples remind me a little of angels.
    Loads of possibilities here bith with placement and decoration. Thanks!

  • Susanna Redaelli

    beautiful!

  • Dear Jan, Joyce, Debbie and Susanna, thank you very much for taking time to give a kind feedback on this pattern. I wish you pleasant moments while exploring Angra and send you warm regards from Belgium!

  • Joyce Blodgett

    I just now looked at Linda’s rendition of “Algra,” and I see what you mean—they DO look like a bit like angels!

  • Deborah J Davis

    This tangle is very pretty. I’m sure I’ll find uses for it. Thank you.

  • Linda M Dochter

    Linda –

    Just a heads up. There are two different spellings for the name of this tangle in this post.

    Thanks for the amazing work you do with this blog and the annual compilation.

    Peace,
    Linda

  • Linda M Dochter

    Ria –

    I’ll admit I’ve been in a slump for trying new tangles. This one will move me forward. I see it as simple and playful in several samples and so carefully structured with metatangles in the photo of the tiled floor. It will be a while before I work up to that challenge.

    Peace,
    Linda

    • Ria Matheussen

      There are so many tangles and every day, I see popping up new ones. Therefore I’m glad you gave a nice reply to this one, thank you very much. You can draw this one in the easy way as I showed (a simple pendulum) and it will give a cheerful touch on your work. How this pattern is drawn on the pic, I agree that is a real challenge and I didn’t do it yet in that way. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy while exploring and send you warm regards from Belgium!

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