How to draw CALYX

Greetings tangle fans, so good to see you again for our midweek Zentangle® “fix” 😉

Calyx is another fine tangle contribution from Spanish CZT Tomàs Padrós.

Most recently we explored his Nudora tangle and the addition of Calyx is Tomàs’s 40th tangle on the site!

Tomàs writes,

Calyx is an organic and symmetrical pattern where an orb is partially enclosed by leaf-like forms that embrace and contain it. These shapes resemble a small floral calyx or bud casing, which gives the pattern its name. I like the contrast between the delicacy of the calyx, which protects the flower before it opens, and the boldness of the orb—often a symbol of power, centrality, and completeness. This tension between nature and symbol, between fragility and strength, gives the pattern an appealing contrast.

The step-by-step instructions offer two ways to draw Calyx as a standalone motif: a more elaborate version and a simplified one, with clean, easy-to-repeat lines. A helpful tip is included, showing how the curved lines added in the final step tend to aim—without fully closing—towards the outer contours of the central leaf. Each person can find their own way to draw Calyx. Between the most complex and the simplest versions, there’s a whole range of possible variations. Playing with the proportions and curvature of the leaves can be fun.

ZIA tile using Calyx as a square fragment.

Additionally, the design lends itself to various grid structures: a square grid (above) or an ogee grid (below). This makes it very versatile. Turning Calyx into a fragment gives it strong decorative potential for both floral and geometric compositions. It is also easy to modulate using translations, reflections, symmetries, or rotations.

Calyx in an ogee grid surrounded by Ginili.

As with all my patterns, this one emerged spontaneously while playing in my sketchbook. But that doesn’t mean it’s free from the influence of culturally absorbed artistic references. Similar shapes and rhythms can be found in everything from Art Nouveau to Islamic art, as well as in the broader tradition of floral ornamentation throughout the history of art.

Why am I imagining the sweet scent of orange blossoms? For my example of Calyx, after exploring a grid version which I liked very much I decided to be more adventurous and try his ogee grid version using his simplified version for the interior. How Tomàs got such consistently gorgeous orbs is beyond me but it’s worth the effort to try, rounding certainly helps to a degree 🙂

Tomàs illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Calyx below, “The ZIA 3Z tile features several Calyx elements nested within a structure formed by another of my tangles, called Nudora.” As always, masterful shading by Tomàs.

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. “Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable.” ~ Franz Kafka

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Check out the tag tomasp for more of Tomàs’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

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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.
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7. How to submit your pattern deconstruction to TanglePatterns
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