Zentangle to ease the troubled mind?

Having too many thoughts tangled in your head that you can’t seem to get rid?

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What is Zentangle?

Have a try at Zentangle, a repetitive art using simple patterns and is known for healing, relaxing, increasing awareness and focus.

Other than the benefit of relaxing, distress and increase awareness, it is also frequently used to encourage hyperactive children to calm down and focus.

How i came to know about Zentangle?

Joined a workshop on Zentangle (wondering what was Zentangle all about) and in the workshop we were told to just follow our own imagination and creativity. No comparison is required just draw as our heart desire.

There is no right or wrong and beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. As the paper we draw on is a round shaped, there is no exact head or tail nor beginning or ending. Just be bold, be creative and draw.

What was fun?

The colouring part was fun, we did it by colouring on a glass table and spray it with water. Thereafter we place the paper on top and turn/twist it whichever way we want, creating a non-planned designed colour background for our art. Even if we planned the colour/design and all, the end product turn out to be different from what we planned but each is beautiful in its own way. Just like in life, it doesn’t always goes according to our plans.

Was it that easy?

It does look simple with just repeating the same shape over and over again but the process wasn’t really that easy as it required your full attention, focus and lots of patience. The pen used was a thin (0.25mm) pen that trains you to be focused as well as strength control, any sudden force used, will damage the ball of the pen and render the pen unusable.

In order to make some line thicker, we need to carefully go over the line again and again. To colour the background black, we need to carefully and patiently colour it with the 0.25mm pen (it seems like taking forever, really!!) (😅 that is how it induce people to slow down on life, focus on current activity and relax) Though I somehow feel stress because in workshop we do have time to finish our piece of art work, but I guess if you are doing it at your own pace and time it would be much more relaxing and a kind of meditation too.

After done with the drawing, come the highlighting/shading part. This process is done by using a short pencil and a smudge stick (a paper cone shaped like thingy) to shade it. There is a reason why Zentangle pencil and the smudge stick is make to be short, it is intended to be hold slight slanted to create a soft shade instead of a harsh one and also to avoid tearing the paper. Though i feel it look fine without but guess with shading and highlighting it gives a 3D perspective to it.

My Zentangle:

Here is my end product from the workshop >>
Not too bad for 1st timer right 😆

Give it a try and have fun!

Cheers,
Vangie