How to draw CUTZAG

Hi there and welcome back, lovely to see you 🙂

Today’s ribbon-style Cutzag tangle is from Texas tangler Alexandra Wright and it’s her first on the site.

Alexandra introduces herself and tells us about her tangle:

I have been tangling since the pandemic. I am a math teacher, and, before my introduction to Zentangle®, my hobby of choice was always crocheting. I was delighted and surprised to find that tangling can be as relaxing and rejuvenating as crocheting.

I have always been creative, and Zentangle® has been no exception. Since I started, I have come up with many tangles of my own. Given my background, most have been inspired by either mathematics or crochet.

Cutzag is named because it looks like a thick zigzag that has had its points cut off. Unlike most of my tangles, I cannot remember where I got my inspiration. I use it so often that I feel as if it has simply always been. It is easy to master and has innumerable variations.

It’s a simple, clever deconstruction. In her second illustration below Alexandra shows ways to vary Cutzag, one of which is to add “points” to the zigzag. When I was playing around with it I added Crescent Moon ladybug tops (like muffin tops?) and that has an interesting look too, so “points” aren’t the only way to go for that particular variation. You might even like to add  “weeds“.

Alexandra illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Cutzag below where she fills the surrounding spaces with the Zentangle-originals Printemps and Tipple.

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. (Small side note: if you look at the legalese in Pinterest, you are legally responsible for obtaining permission to post every photo that gets ‘Pinned’. Giving credit or sharing the source link doesn’t count.) Thank you for respecting these rights. “We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” ~ Albus Dumbledore

Alexandra demonstrates some Cutzag variations to explore and includes tips on how to go around corners if you want to use it as a frame on your tile.

Looking at number 4 on my variation page, I have presented the two best ways to construct corners with Cutzag. The top version flows the best, but the bottom version can look nice too. If you ever don’t like the way a corner turns out, just fill in a solid square where the two strands of Cutzag meet. Remember, there are no mistakes in Zentangle!

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 alexandraw for more of Alexandra’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

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Not every pattern will be selected for publication, but I sincerely appreciate everyone who takes the time to share their creativity and contribute to TanglePatterns.

When you're ready, simply send your pattern by email following the instructions on the submission page.

I look forward to seeing what you've created.

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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. What Makes a Zentangle tangle? 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. Patterns that are drawings of a recognizable naturalistic or actual object, figure, or scene, are not tangles, and tangles never start with pencil planning.
   • A pattern is not always a tangle.
   • 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
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