How to draw FLUTTER NET

Flutter Net is a fun new grid-based tangle from Pittsburgh PA CZT Sue Schneider, and it’s her first on the site.

Sue introduces herself …

An experienced artist, teaching and exhibiting in Pittsburgh, PA, and western Pennsylvania for many years, I have taught in public and private schools, universities, plus many formal and informal community settings.

My artwork has evolved over the decades to include watercolor painting, calligraphy, fiber arts and handmade books, but there has always been a delight in LINE. Elements of the Zentangle style were apparent in my work long before I discovered Zentangle. I became a CZT in 2013, because I really love to teach—and the Zentangle Method is so delightfully accessible to students with a wide range of skills, backgrounds, and confidence levels. Although I still make books and occasionally paint, most of my energies are now devoted to doing and teaching Zentangle.

I get up in the morning and tangle while having my morning coffee at the kitchen table. A tile, a cup of coffee, another tile, another cup of coffee—pretty soon the pot of coffee is gone and so is the morning…

I love developing teaching plans and materials, often organizing around themes or larger concepts (e.g., the “Breaking Boundaries” that was the genesis for Flutter Net).

In addition to teaching formal classes and workshops, I host tea parties, picnics and other Zentangle gatherings at my Pittsburgh home/studio, as well as teach private lessons, lead programs and workshops for community, arts-interest and church groups. It has become an increasingly busy life—barely leaving room in the day for planting and weeding in my very shady garden (which is a delightful place in which to tangle…). My scientist husband and black-and-white (what else?) cat are wonderfully supportive.

And now her Flutter Net tangle …

Flutter Net is a grid-based pattern, but sometimes it refuses to be contained. It grew out of a class on “breaking boundaries” that I developed for my Zentangle meet-up groups (see MeetUp.com, ‘Zentanglers in Pittsburgh‘ —with more than 550 members, it’s the largest Zentangle-related meet-up in the country, thus probably the world!).

All you need is a grid, two opposing curved lines, an X, and one more straight line. I often work it in one direction (vertically or horizontally), but the direction can alternate so that there is no up or down. It can also be done with reversed black/white (i.e., white “butterflies”), and with alternating blank squares on the grid (example 4). But what I really like is when they escape through an open edge (example 5).

Sue shares so many different ways to play with this tangle that I was overwhelmed with choices as for my example. I went with the “airier” version above for my main example, where I added a tiny orb to the end of the middle stroke – couldn’t leave it alone! 🙂 But as you’ll see, and as Sue described above, lots of ways to Flutter Net.

Sue illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Flutter Net below and demonstrates a wide variety of lovely ways to vary her tangle. Lots of inspiration!

All images copyright the artist and used with permission, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please feel free to refer to the steps images to recreate this tangle in your personal Zentangles and ZIAs, or to link back to this page. However the artist and TanglePatterns.com reserve all rights to these images and they should not be publicly pinned, reproduced or republished. Thank you for respecting these rights. Click the image for an article explaining copyright in plain English.

Flutter Net – Example 2

Example 3  – Flutter Net with some Zentangle-original tangles.

Example 4 – Four versions of Flutter Net together with some Zentangle-originals and an interesting version of Arrowheads.

Five variations of Sue’s Flutter Net in a monotangle – Example 5

As you enjoy any of the tangles on the site, please do leave a comment of thanks and encouragement to show the artists you appreciate them for sharing their creativity to inspire yours.

Check out the tag sues for more of Sue’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

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