Hello friends, so lovely to see you again 🙂
Today’s BrixBox is both a tangle and a grid/reticulum, as many of our tangles have the potential to be. I’m sure there’s little need to point out how endlessly versatile this tangle can be. For my example I decided to leave it pretty bare-bones so you can visualize how just about any tangle or embellishment in any configuration can go in the BrixBox-es.
BrixBox is from Dutch tangler Anneke van Dam, it’s her third on the site and it’s another tangle from the archives. I was reminded of BrixBox recently when the same pattern was submitted by CZT Colette Carlson. So with thanks to Colette for the memory jog …
In her post, Anneke explains she was inspired to deconstruct BrixBox when she came across this stunning example of a type of origami by Daniel Piker on flickr. “I looked at them with Zentangle eyes of course!! Wow, could they be deconstructed to make a nice tangle pattern?”
The main tip Anneke gives, and I assure you it makes BrixBox easy as pie to tangle, is to start from the center with the large square box, then add the quarter-size box at the lower right corner of the the large one (unless you’re left-handed, then you’ll want to go for the lower left side). Then TURN TURN TURN your tile as you repeat adding the small boxes in that same position. Turning your tile is the key to this tangle. You’ll easily see where the large boxes fit in as you turn the tile and add the smaller boxes.
Once you have your BrixBox in place, then you can decide whether to simply leave it as-is as a texture, or embellish it in any one of the limitless ways possible, as Anneke notes:
Use your own imagination and don’t forget to play with the tangle patterns we normally do in the basic “square” grid: Beelight, Yincut, Emingle, Warble, Stoic/Twile…. You’ll be surprised about how BrixBox as your grid makes a difference, it offers many new opportunities!
Anneke illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing BrixBox here on her blog where in her addendum to the post she includes a great ZIA example of it used randomly as pieces of a grid and filled with a variety of tangles.
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! And please share a link to your favorite tangles on social media. Thanks!
Check out the tag annekevd for more of Anneke’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.
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Share your tangle on TanglePatterns
Everyone is invited to share patterns on TanglePatterns.com, you do NOT need to be a CZT. In order for patterns to be considered for publication they must be submitted to me by email. In other words you have to let me know about them.
For a submission to qualify as a tangle it must be a genuine pattern (“a repeated decorative design”) and not “a thing to draw”.
From The Book of Zentangle:
“Keep it Non-representational. Zentangle artwork is intended to be non-representational. Zentangle’s elemental strokes are also non-representational.
We don’t teach complex elements such as hearts, stars or flowers. Tangles are also non-representational.”
Remember that tangles never start with pencil planning.
"A tangle has no pre-planning with pencil guidelines, grids or dots, no erased lines."
If you need a refresher on what makes a tangle, read the A PATTERN IS NOT ALWAYS A TANGLE page on the ZENTANGLES menu bar at the top of any page.
For details on how to submit your pattern for consideration visit the SUBMIT YOUR PATTERN page on the top menu bar of any page on the site. On that menu you will find these two pages:
The first page includes instructions on how to prepare and send your JPGs. (Please save me time and do not send PDFs). It also includes a link to this PDF submission form.
When your examples include additional tangles from the site, please list them in your email. (This saves me time and my memory some wear and tear.)
If your pattern is posted on your blog, attach your steps and tile JPGs to your email and be sure your email includes the direct URL so I can link to it.
And remember, to quote Zentangle's co-founders Rick and Maria: tangles should be "magical, simple and easy to create", non-objective patterns of repetitive strokes that are easy to teach and offer a high degree of success to tanglers of all ages.
"Keep the tangles as little like 'drawing something' as possible."
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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." 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?
- 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.
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December 14, 2022 | 
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Very interesting tangle. It does make a great reticulum! I like the example that she showed on her tangle. I don’t think that I have ever seen it before. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Anneke!