Beyond the Basics class: Layered water color background

Do not post much about things that I do in a class but this was an interesting class.  I had introduced using a water color wash before but did not spend much time on adding layers.  Wanted to have them take their time putting down the water color before they tangled on the piece.  Am waiting to see the finished pieces as they were all so different.  One used a lot of small sections of color and used a lot of organic tangles, which is what she enjoys. With her permission may post a picture of it later.  I am showing the piece that I did.  I used larger sections of color and layered the same color on top. Did not try to layer different colors for muted or different effects.  Will post a series of pictures showing the piece as it progressed.  Really did not have a plan when I started. Picked a tangle and just let it develop.  Here is the results.

Thought I had a picture of just the water color but I guess that I did not .  I first did  what I am calling "Semi-crazy" Huggins.  Is not a regular grid but not too much "wonkiness".  I then put in Finery and then Puf.  

Next I added Inapod and then put Paradox around the outside.

I then added Zander in both sections. The next was the Flora variation and then added the Phicops and Zingers to finish it off.

I then added Mooka, Flux, and Tipple.  The Tipple was added and randomly.  Was looking at different orientations when I took this picture.

And here is the finished piece with the last section finished.   The paper is water color paper and is 6"x 8". 

The last tangle is Opsess, one that I did the step out for.

I have a couple of other projects I want to get to but want to do something like this again.  I would like to use smaller areas of color and try more blending like when doing the gems.  That is a time consuming process so not sure when I will get to it.

Thanks for visiting.  As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! 

New Project: Tangled Letter - Step II, Cut out

Was not sure that I was going to post each step but got this done and decided to go ahead. I completed the areas that I am cutting out. May have to go back and clean up a few of the cuts. Still not sure what I will put it on. To give an idea of where the cuts were made I took a picture with two different backgrounds. Not sure what I will end up using. Will probably be something neutral so very likely that it will be black. Not sure what I will do for a frame.

Tangles ( from the bottom): Mooka, Rixty(variation), Tripoli, Flora, Nymph, Cubine, Keeko, Poke Root, Poke Leaf.

This is a time consuming process. Not sure how if I will do this as a class and not sure how to structure it. Concerned that it did it in two or more classes not sure how would charge for it. Also not sure if many  would be willing to put that much time into it. I cannot do longer classes. 

Did notice that in doing the cutting, What I did on Tripoli, it really changed the way that the tangle looks. Probably better to use more organic or linear tangles when you do this. Have a couple of different size stencils. Do not have a 2" which would probably be better if doing more than one letter. May try making my own stencils by picking fonts on the computer, enlarging them and then tracing those. Will wait and see.  Nest will probably do with a little more traditional block letter.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

New Project: Tangled Letter

I really do not remember who the CZT was that originally posted this. The first time I saw it I thought it was great and wanted to try it. That was some time ago. I never gave up on it, I just did not work on it a lot. Part of that at first was that I did not know if I wanted to do the letter free hand or to use a stencil. I ultimately decided to use the stencils that I won in Genevieve Crabbe's give away. They are a 5" stencil. I used the letter for my first name, a D. I am not done with it yet as I have only completed tangling and coloring. I hope to complete the cutting out of sections soon but wanted to post what I had so far. Here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Mooka, Rixty(variation),Tripoli, Flora, Nymph, Cubine, Keeko, Poke Root and Poke Leaf.

Colors where done with Prismacolor pencils. Some are layered and others are single colors. I used a blender on all of them.

Two things that I have to decide. One is what color matte I will use as a background and also what to cut out and what to leave. Will post when I have it completed. 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Two class lessons accomplished with one project: "Tangle play and There are no mistakes"

Really did not plan on posting this but things have a way of just happening sometimes. I have been busy getting things ready for a class on Saturday August 22. We are doing the 3D ZIA balls. Figured it would be a good project this early in case people wanted to use it for Christmas. Well in the process of making an example for them to look at, I ended up addressing two Zentangle® principles. They both occurred  because of the same thing.  I will show you the picture of what I was doing so I can refer to it.

I was working on the middle stripe and decided to use Sandra Strait's tangle Fohbraid. I checked her blog for the step out. I knew I was going to have to do some playing with it because of the shape of the tangle and the space that I was putting it in. Kind of putting a round peg in a square hole. Felt that for this, I needed to have minimal negative space. Well before I could really decide what to do after I had the main part of the tangle done, I changed one of the lines. The arc coming from the corner of the triangle is suppose to come down to the arc underneath it. OOPS!!

Now what to do. I really did not want to start over. I was not doing any of the embellishment inside the sections so I just continued what I started, not really being sure what I was going to do. I am not sure when I I decided what I was going to do. I looked at the spaces and just let it happen. I was pleased with the way that it turned out.

I made a copy of this so I can use it in some upcoming classes, as well as the one tomorrow. Figured one of the best ways to illustrate those two principles was my own examples.

In case you are interested, here is what the finished project looks like. Think it turned out well. Looking forward to class tomorrow.

Tangles used , from the top down: Flora, by Sandy Steen Bartholomew, sorry but I do not remember the name of the leaf-like tangle down the middle. Next is Tierso with the Fohbraid variation. Last is Japonica, also by Sandra Strait, with Shattuck (with highlights). 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!  

Square One Focus Tangle : Munchin

The focus tangle in the Square One, Purely Zentangle® FB page is Munchin. I have used this tangle before, but I have to admit that I have not used it a lot. Not sure why. Probably because there are a couple of other tangles that I use in triangular areas. I also am not sure about using this in a definitive area. I know that strings are suppose to be guidelines but I am more likely to follow them. This is one that I think works better as a free form tangle. Enough said. Here is what I came up with. I hope hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used : Munchin, Flora, Henna Drum

Shading done with 4B pencil.

Have to work on not making my triangles so similar in size. Have seen a number of creative tiles with this tangle. Looking forward to seeing more. 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated. 

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #92

This zendala turned out way different than I first imagined. Erin at The Bright Owl, posted how she usually approaches the zendala templates and how she did it differently this time. I rarely change the overall character of a template. Like a lot of  people, when I look at it, I think of tangles that might be able to be used in a particular space. I did start out this way but it quickly went in another direction. The "gifted tangle" this week is paradox. I knew that I wanted to use that. Began to look at how I could use it in a less traditional way. Then I decided to do something around the outer edge. I like Quib for this and it worked well. This really resulted in my having to look at some other ways to finish this. Overall I am comfortable with the end product. The process of creating this, even though not completely smooth, was still enjoyable. As typical for me the hardest part is the shading. Wanted to get some perspective/dimension created with this. Not sure how successful I was in doing that. I must admit though that since there has been some time between my completing this and posting, the more I look at it the better I like it. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Flora, Zander, Paradox, Quib

If you have not all ready, would encourage you to visit The Bright Owl and see the other pieces posted. I hope I can spend some time doing this. I have not decided yet whether this will serve a dual purpose this week. The Diva Challenge is using white space. Will have to see what time allows from me.

Thanks for visiting,  As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! 

Zendala Dare #89

Erin at The Bright Owl has been providing some unique and interesting templates the last few weeks. This week's template is another one. I am not one that typically changes a template a lot. I enjoy looking at the things that people who do this come up with. My mind just does not work that way. I also do not look at templates and see other images, at least very often. I think I have at times. Usually I look at the template and think of different tangles that I can use in the template. This is not always easy, but it seems to be the way my mind works. There is some thinking about composition, but generally it just develops. This is what happened with this template. I was not really sure about it until it was finished, or at least until I added the last tangle(Scrawlz). Until then I looked at it and it looked incomplete but I was not sure what to do with it. Overall I am pleased with the result. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Auraknot, Cubine, Diva Dance, Knot Rick's, Flora, and Scrawlz

I have not had a lot of time to look at many of the Zendala's posted at The Bright Owl, but since I finished earlier this week I hope to have more time to look at them. If you have not gone there would encourage to do so and take some time to comment on the different posts.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!