Zentangle or Doodling Part Two

My previous post on Doodling brings me to discuss the following art form known as Zentangle. Upon seeing a Zentangle pack of Micron pens and a pencil in an art supply store, which I bought, I’ve been drawn back to this form of art which I practiced to some degree too many years ago.

Zentangle is an interesting phenomenon. In some ways it is doodling. In other ways it is art somewhat reminiscient of M.C. Escher in its optical illusional nature.

In true entrepreneurial fashion the creators of Zentangle, Rick and Maria, have copyrighted and/or trademarked the Zentangle idea, aligned themselves with Sakura of America providing materials Micron archival ink pens, Zentangle cards, books, and training to individuals wishing to be certified Zentangle instructors.

A distinct difference between Rick and Maria’s “tangles” exists. Rick’s “tangles” (see an example of Rick's below) consist of more straight lines and right angles as opposed to Maria’s (see an example of Maria's to the left) which are more fluid, rounded, etc. Perhaps that’s the difference between male and female? Perhaps it’s a visual, artistic representation of the Yin and Yang of life as expressed by this couple? Perhaps I'm making too much of this difference as sometimes I see a blend of the two.

Rick and Maria's blog and various YouTube videos that exist about this art form shows support and a community of practicioners. One thing that is certain is this art form is fun and engrossing! It is also being utilized in schools.

Try it yourself and see if you don't get hooked. A person doesn't need to buy the Micron pens and Zentangle cards to try the technique as pencils and paper will work just as easily. (The Micron pens come in a variety of sizes which are helpful for creating different line thicknesses. Zentangle cards are approximately 3 x 3 inches in size.) If it looks confusing or too complex, view the YouTube video on the Mooka, a tangle based upon Art Nouveau's Alphonse Mucha style below. This is just one of many videos on creating Zentangles that can be found on YouTube and artist blogs on the internet.