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What is Zentangle?
Linda Farmer, Certified Zentangle Teacher

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All contents of this website are Copyright © 2010 - 2023 Linda Farmer, TanglePatterns.com, and artists where named. Copying content in any form other than for your own personal offline reference and inspiration is expressly prohibited. No content may be reproduced, pinned or republished without express written permission. This work is not allowed to be used in training AI systems. Commercial use of any content is prohibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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RANDOM SELECTOR

Use this Random Tangle Selector with your TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE to help you select tangles. See Pages 7 and 9 of the Guide for instructions. You can also use this to select random Strings: simply pop in any number in the range of 1 to 250.

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Zentangle® and Gelli™ printing with foam stamps

Tips, Tools, Techniques

Here’s another way to create wonderful Zentangle-inspired art! This video tutorial demonstrates how to print greeting cards and matching envelopes using simple foam sheets to create stamps to use with a Gelli printing plate.

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Tangle Refresher 97 – Exploring the creative possibilities of Auras

Auras in nature

Buried Treasure! And exploring the creative possibilities of the tangle-enhancing technique of the aura.

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How to draw HEART BOX

Links to online instructions for drawing Helen Williams’s Zentangle® pattern: Heart Box. Includes a video tutorial by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer on how to make an “Explosion” Valentine’s Day card using the Turkish Map Fold.

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Tangle Refresher 95

Tangle Refresher!

Buried Treasure! Today we’re seeking your input for a fellow tangler asking for advice about what to do if you get stuck completing a Zentangle®. Includes tips from Rick and Maria.

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How to give TanglePatterns eBooks as gifts

How to give eBook gifts from TanglePatterns.com

Wondering how to give TanglePatterns.com eBooks as gifts? It’s a very thoughtful idea, and one that keeps on giving! In order to make your eBook gift-giving easy, I’ve added a new page on the STORE menu – HOW TO GIVE TANGLEPATTERNS EBOOKS AS GIFTS – specifically for this type of eBook order.

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Tangle Refresher 92

Tangle Refresher!

Buried Treasure! And a treasure-trove of links for making inexpensive DIY Zentangle-inspired paper Christmas ornaments, snowflakes, stars, ornament tags and gift boxes.

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How to tangle on glass Christmas ornaments, a tutorial by CZT Anna Houston

Tangled Ornaments Tutorial by CZT Anna Houston

As the calendar edges relentlessly closer to the holidays, it’s time to start thinking about getting a few of those seasonal crafts underway. In this tutorial CZT Anna Houston shares her beautiful tangled ornaments and gives us tips on what works, and what doesn’t.

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Tangle Refresher 88

Tangle Refresher!

Buried Treasure! AND: Frugal Friday! Great tips on getting more out of your Sakura Micron pens, and how to make your own tortillions (blending stumps).

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Tangle Refresher 87

Tangle Refresher!

Buried Treasure! Bonus! Strathmore Artist Studio’s 2014 FREE workshops on drawing basics, visual journals, and watercolor sketching and journaling.

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Sharpen your line drawing skills with six easy lessons from Simone Bischoff

Many of us are fascinated by the wonderful, larger-than-life line art of Justine Ashbee. … Since it’s Friday and we have the weekend to play and practice, I thought this would be a good time to share German artist and art teacher Simone Bischoff’s line drawing lessons which are reminiscent of Justine’s art, but on a Zentangle®-inspired scale.

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Tangle Refresher 83

Tangle Refresher!

Buried Treasure! Here’s what was new in the Zentangle® world a year ago – five tangle pattern gems for your tangling pleasure. Also, “must read” tips about using the site for tanglers who are new to Zentangle® and TanglePatterns.com.

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How to draw VERCUT

Zentangle pattern: Vercut

Links to online instructions for drawing JJ LaBarbera’s Zentangle® pattern: Vercut. Also JJ’s tutorial on making Zentangle-inspired Shrinky Dink pendants.

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An easy and elegant technique for creating hand-made greeting cards

Zenspirations Greeting Card

Just in time for Mother’s Day! Many of us love the Zenspirations dangle designs and patterning techniques of calligrapher and artist Joanne Fink and her earlier videos are very popular viewing. In this video Joanne demonstrates how to use her Zenspirations dangle designs and Sakura pens to create a lovely hand made greeting card.

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Ideas for tangling and decorating plastic Easter eggs

Angie Vangelis decorates plastic eggs

In this video, CZT Angie Vangelis demonstrates three easy ways to decorate plastic Easter eggs with tangles and flowers using Sakura Micron, Moonlight, Glaze and Watercolor Brush Pens.

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Going Dotty – Exploring a Stippled Zentangle

Stippled Zentangle - Linda Farmer, CZT. Image © Linda Farmer and TanglePatterns.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may use this image for your personal non-commercial reference only. The unauthorized pinning, reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

Exploring the technique of Stippling to create an interesting and unconventional Zentangle “one dot at a time”.

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Tips for using white ink on Black Zentangle® and Zendala Tiles

Rosé Zentangle tile before shading

With the new Black Zendala Sets now available along with the regular black Zentangle® tiles, you might be wondering what pens to use on them. How to draw strings? How to shade with white on black? Here are a few tips to get you started and you are invited to add your own suggestions in the comments …

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How to draw MAELSTROM

Zentangle pattern: Maelstrom. Image © Linda Farmer and TanglePatterns.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may use this image for your personal non-commercial reference only. The unauthorized pinning, reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

Online instructions for drawing Linda Dawson’s Zentangle® pattern: Maelstrom. And a recipe for creating grid tangles using “seeds”, from the founders of Zentangle.

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Tangler tips for using the “TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE”

Tangler Tips

Here are a couple of innovative ways tanglers are using my “TanglePatterns TANGLE GUIDE” to select their tangles for their Zentangles and Zentangle-inspired creations. Do you have any tips to offer about how you use the TANGLE GUIDE?

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How to draw three types of grids for your Zentangles

Tangler Tips

A new entry for our “Tutorials” tab on the alphabetic menu bar for ease of future reference. Read on for the simple steps for drawing three different types of grids from which many tangle patterns grow. Includes a free PDF to download with all the instructions for you to print out.

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Guidelines for creating Zentangle-inspired Art and Products

Tangler Tips

I’ve been getting email inquiries about what is involved in creating Zentangle®-inspired cards and other products for sale. I thought it would be helpful to review Zentangle’s current guidelines and make them available on TanglePatterns.

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A tutorial on expanding your range of options with the Sakura Micron 01 Pen

Sakura Micron 01 Pen

Today we’re going to take a look at tangling with the Micron pen because there are Zentangle® newbies who’ve joined us and the rest of us could probably use a good brush-up too. First we’ll take a quick look at the instrument itself, and then we’ll look at the art of being deliberate and controlling your pen to expand the range of options that you might not realize are available to you in using this tool.

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TanglePatterns Shading Mini-Clinic – Part 2

Sandy Bartholomew, CZT

Here’s the second and final part of the TanglePatterns Shading Mini-Clinic series, everything you want to know about shading your Zentangle art. In Part 2, guest contributor CZT® Sandy Steen Bartholomew (author of “Totally Tangled” and more) answers your shading questions with her personal suggestions and illustrates using tiles submitted to TanglePatterns for this series. In Part 1 posted earlier this week, CZT® Marizaan van Beek reviews shading tools, gives her personal guidelines, and demonstrates her method of shading Zentangles, step-by-step. Read on! …

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TanglePatterns Shading Mini-Clinic – Part 1

Marizaan van Beek, CZT®

Here’s another great resource, everything you want to know about shading your Zentangle art. In Part 1 of this two-part series, guest contributor CZT® Marizaan van Beek reviews shading tools, gives her personal guidelines, and demonstrates her method of shading Zentangles, step-by-step. In Part 2 coming up on Friday, CZT® Sandy Steen Bartholomew (author of “Totally Tangled” and more) answers your shading questions with her personal suggestions and illustrates using tiles submitted to TanglePatterns for this series. Read on! …

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Embossing metal with tangle patterns

This post contains a video

In this video, CZT® Suzanne McNeill demonstrates how easy it is to emboss metal with Zentangle® patterns.

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Creating colorful Zentangle-inspired mini canvases

Here’s a fun new video from Sakura’s Leslie Crumpler, also a CZT®, on creating bold, easy Zentangle-inspired mini canvases with colorful neon pens and markers. This could be a great summer project to share with kids. Young and old!

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Exploring the elegance of Zentangle in a larger format

Secret Garden by CZT Michele Beauchamp

CZT® Michele Beauchamp answers frequently asked questions about how she creates her beautiful Zentangle-inspired art.

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The importance of Strings

TanglePatterns.com STRINGS

… and another useful resource on TanglePatterns.com.

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New free eBook – Copyright for crafters and artists

INTERWEAVE'S "Know Your Rights" free copyright ebook

Most of you are familiar with Interweave through their many magazines and electronic publications. On Thursday (April 26th), Interweave released a free e-book “Know Your Rights: Copyright 101 for Artists and Crafters” in recognition of World Intellectual Property Day. Here is what they have to say about the e-Book, with a link to their free download.

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Advice for using Sakura Micron pens on other surfaces

Tangler Tips

Recently a reader emailed asking for advice about using Sakura micron pens on a painted surface so I contacted Sakura for their guidelines. Their response was very helpful to ensure the best outcome with our art processes.

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It’s Spiralicious! A Zentangle Spiral Guide

Michele Beauchamp's Zentangle Spiral Guide

Today I have an inspirational creative treat for you. I’m naming my Guest Contributor “Queen of the Spirals”, if you’ve seen any of her art you’ll agree with me. She’s Tasmania, Australia’s CZT Michele Beauchamp (aka Shelly Beauch), artist and creator of the beautiful cover on my TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE. Michele has put together an excellent tutorial on how to draw spiral strings for your Zentangles and Zentangle-inspired art …

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