Tangle Refresher 256 – Tangles and Tips for Beginners, our random string, and how to draw Three and Three, Javik, Floria, Sprigerz, Oodles

Hello there!!

I missed you guys! It’s so good to see you again my tangling friends and a very Happy New Year to you.

A warm welcome to our first TanglePatterns Tangle Refresher of 2024 🙂

Before we get started I just want to give you a little heads up … Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on the THIRTEENTH edition of the TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE and my goal is to have it ready for you next week. I’ll announce when it’s available so if you aren’t already subscribed, be sure to sign up for the free email subscriptions so you’ll be notified the minute it’s available with all the new tangles from 2023 integrated into the collection. And Michele’s gorgeous new Zentangle-inspired artwork for you to savor, up close and personal.

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Okay, and now for our regularly scheduled programming … Tangle Refreshers are an occasional series presenting “Buried Treasure” from more than a decade of site content together with a random string and five tangle gems from the past to explore.

The contents of this article today — recommendations of tangles and some tips for newcomers to the Zentangle® art form — have become a tradition to start a new year.

The holiday gifting season always brings many new people to our worldwide Zentangle community. And then I get emails asking “which tangles should I start with?“. Which ones are good for Beginners?

While it’s true there’s a mind-boggling array of great tangles on the site, keep in mind as Rick and Maria say “Anything is possible … one stroke at a time.™” This applies to tangling and the mindful practice of deliberate stroke-making.

Getting started: free video tour to help you get the most out of this site

If you are new to TanglePatterns.com, Welcome! At first glance it can be quite overwhelming to find your way around, but Texas CZT  Barbara Langston created an excellent free site guide video to help. You can always locate her video by going to the top menu bar and clicking on the ABOUT > HOW TO USE THIS SITE menu.

Getting started: tangles and strings

My personal advice to beginners is to start with what are often referred to as “the official tangles” — these are the Zentangle-originals (originating from Zentangle HQ) that are listed and linked on the top menu bar under ZENTANGLES > LINDA’S LIST OF OFFICIAL TANGLES.

You could create Zentangles for the next year with just a handful of the Zentangle-originals with instructions available from that list, together with the 250 free TanglePatterns Strings, and never get tired of playing with them and variations you come up with yourself.

From that list of Zentangle-original tangles, here are few that are perfect to get everyone tangling:

1. Crescent Moon – with this tangle we learn the technique of the aura and it’s the classic starter tangle
2. Hollibaugh – with this tangle we learn the technique of drawing behind
3. Bales – a basic grid tangle that is almost infinitely variable and it’s a core official tangle
4. Printemps – a fun tangle that helps practice pen control and one of the tangle enhancers, sparkle
5. Cadent – with this tangle we learn the take-off-and-land technique, Cadent requires a little more focus than the first four but it’s another classic tangle that’s infinitely variable as you’ll see in CZT Margaret Bremner’s excellent tutorial linked on that page
6. Ahh – so simple and can add a bit of lightness and movement to a tile

Another tip … for best results try to use up to 3 or 4 tangles at most in a tile, more than that and your Zentangle will probably look very busy.

Monotangles are also very popular, this is where you use one tangle (with or without variations) for a Zentangle. For explanations of these unfamiliar terms, see the ZENTANGLES > ZENTANGLE TERMINOLOGY page.

My TanglePatterns BEGINNER’S GUIDE to Zentangle also contains a longer list of tangles that are good for beginners but these few are a great start.

Just jump in and tangle! Zentangle tiles are designed to be small and manageable so you’re not overwhelmed. And as you do more and more of them you’ll be delighted to see your art improve with each one. Be sure to keep all your tiles, signed and dated, so in a few months time you can go back and see the visual evidence of just how far you’ve come.

In past iterations of this post, fellow tanglers shared some of their favorites. Here they are with thanks:

• Shattuck – from Jan Brandt, CZT
• ‘Nzeppel (the “Crazy ‘Nzeppel” version) – from Kejo
• Florz and Tipple – from Jan Brandt, CZT

But wait, there’s more!

Two more can’t miss, priceless and FREE resources here on the site are the two tutorials of the TanglePatterns Shading Mini-Clinics series. Everything you need to know about adding shading to your Zentangle art (tip: we ignore the art “rules” and focus on what’s best for emphasis and drama) is in two easy step-by-step tutorials:

• Part 1 – by Marizaan van Beek, CZT
• Part 2 – by Sandy Steen Bartholomew, CZT

And last, but certainly not least

… is the FREE BASICS OF THE ZENTANGLE METHOD series of video tutorials:

Each of the video lessons cover important Zentangle concepts and principles in a way everyone can easily grasp and feel confident in their progress.

Please feel free to share your tips/advice to all our new tanglers in the comments!

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Many tanglers like to use these occasional Tangle Refreshers as their Zentangle® challenge-of-the-day.

This TanglePatterns String was selected for today – either to go with today’s Buried Treasure or just to use as a starting point for your day’s tangling. The RANDOM TANGLE SELECTOR in the left sidebar makes it simple to choose a String-of-the-Day from the 250 free strings in our resource. Or just click on the STRINGS tab in the pink alphabetic tangle menu bar and choose one at random yourself.

Think of this as your tangle Challenge, if you’re so inclined. TanglePatterns String 186 is from Barbara Morrison and was originally posted here.

Remember that in Zentangle strings are always drawn freehand in pencil so they magically disappear when you’ve finished tangling the tile.

A string is a simple device to “divide your drawing surface into sections to be filled with tangles“.

In the Zentangle PRIMER Vol 1 (now available in paperback for $23.95, or as an instant download Kindle Edition $9.99, in Spanish here, and in Japanese here) there’s an entire section devoted to Strings which in part explains:

“As you tangle, your strings disappear as if by magic. This adds to the charm and unified appearance of your completed art.

If you had used a pen to draw your string, you would still see the initial sectioning in your completed creation.“

Strings are not intended to be the focal point of your tile, Zentangles should not look like coloring book drawings.

More String advice from The Book of Zentangle (now available in paperback for $19.95):

“A string is a useful reference, but it is not an impenetrable barrier. Practice going outside your string. It will help increase your ability to think outside the box.“

To download eBooks containing all 250 TanglePatterns Strings, visit the STORE > EBOOKS page.

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The Tangle Refresher series, aka Buried Treasure, spotlights hidden tangle gems from the past. It can remind you of tangles you might not have used for a while or introduce you to some you haven’t come across yet.

Here are five more tangle pattern gems and a Tangle Refresher from the past for your tangling pleasure. Remember to check out the “More Good Stuff” links below too.

BTW as you visit these tangles please do leave a comment of thanks and encouragement to show the artists you appreciate them for sharing their creativity to inspire yours. And please share a link to your favorite tangles with your followers on all your social media. Thanks!

Zenful tangling!

Buried Treasure – Gems from the Tangling Past

	Three & Three
	Javik
	Oodles
	Floria
	Springerz
	Tangle Refresher 226

More good stuff !

• The Importance of Strings in Zentangle – and String 001
• Zentangle Primer Vol 1 – your CZT-in-a-book by the founders of Zentangle! Now available in softcover, or as an instant download KINDLE Edition.
• Everything you need to know about creating Zentangle-Inspired Art or Products
• Free Interweave eBook – Know Your Rights: Copyright 101 for crafters and artists
• Tangle Pattern Refreshers – the entire Buried Treasure series
• Find a jackpot of free tutorials on TanglePatterns by visiting the TUTORIALS tab on the pink alphabetic menu bar
• Find a CZT near you – the link to the list of Certified Zentangle Teachers is located in the left sidebar of the site under the heading SOURCE WEBSITES
• Interested in becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT®)? Here’s more information.
• Linda’s List of Zentangle-original tangles – THE tangles to learn first if you’re new to Zentangle.

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CURRENT EDITION! TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE, 2024 Edition
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"Absolutely the best Zentangle Book yet! As an accomplished artist I used to think I did not need instruction on this art form. How wrong I was! My tangling improved by leaps and bounds after reading this book. If you think you have Zentangle down then you need this book more than ever!" ~ Kris H
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