Our midweek tangle, Veerap, is from London-born, Norway-based CZT Debbie Raaen and it’s her fifth tangle on the site. Do not let the simplicity of my example lead you astray, there’s more! Much more! Read on … (PS: You can learn more about Debbie with her first tangle on the site, Skelter.)
Debbie tells us about her tangle concept,
Veerap was born out of a pattern I had cut out of something ages ago. I was clearing out as I have a tendency to do at this time of year and I found a piece of paper with the pattern on. I don’t remember keeping it. It looked like the pattern on the middle tile of my stepout. Once I started to play around with it, I realised that there are loads of possibilities and could perhaps be thought of more as a concept than a single tangle pattern. See my explorations for ideas:
On Tuesdays I look forward to meeting up with a bunch of tanglers from Scotland, the Netherlands, the US and Ireland, most of which are CZT’s. Great friends I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for Zentangle®. We sit and tangle together and chatter away at the same time. We show each other what we are doing and one day I showed them this tangle. We had fun brainstorming a name and came up with Veerap as it starts with long and narrow “V” shapes which look like they are wrapped around. The connecting lines between the ends of the v’s can be changed according to your mood.
Debbie illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Veerap below where she explores it in a range of wonderful ZIAs and Zentangle tiles to get your imagination going …
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 debbier for more of Debbie’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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Great job, nice work!
Thanks so much Ria. ?
Veerap. WOW!
What a wonderfully versatile tangle – thank you for sharing.
You’re most welcome. Glad you can see the possibilities. ?
Looks fun!
Wow, just love the versatility of Veerap, Debbie! Can’t wait to start tangling with it in sooooo many creative ways. Thank you for sharing it:)
Thank you Mary. Hope to see what you tangle. ?
Your tangle is so beautiful and also vercitile. I know I will have fun with this one. Thank you
Thank you my namesake ? Enjoy!
What a pretty tangle, Debbie! I appreciate your exporations page as well as the beautiful tiles included with your stepout! Can’t wait to draw it. 🙂
Many thanks Jan for your lovely comment. ?
What a beautiful pattern! I can see endless possibilities with this one 🙂
Beautifully done! Can’t wait to play with it and teach it! Thank you!!
So great. Hope you and your students have fun. ?
So glad you like it Joyce. ?
This is beautiful! Thanks!
Pleased you like it ?
Debbie I absolutely love how you brainstorm and then show off your patterns. This is so beautiful. Glad to get the sneak preview 🙂
Thanks for commenting Jody and for hjelping me brainstorm a name. ???
Thanks for posting your tangle. I have enjoyed drawing it for Inktober 2024. I am appreciative of all the work you do.
Elizabeth