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 !!

Diva Challenge #225: Guest Blogger Jen Crutchfield, CZT - Using color

The Diva is having guest bloggers over the summer as she is taking some time off this summer to spend more time with her family. This is the first week of a guest blogger and it is a fellow Indiana CZT. There are, I think, double the number of CZTs in the state from when I got my certification. I think the only area that does not have at least one is the northeast part of the state. But I digress.

The basic Zentangle® format is using black pen and a graphite pencil for shading. that is probably how most start but then they do venture out a little to try something with color. Usually, myself included, if the person does not have much (read any) art background using color is one of those things that causes a little increase in their anxiety. After 4 years of tangling I am more comfortable using color but it is still not something I am totally comfortable with doing. For this challenge I went back and visited one the techniques I first used to add color. This is Maria Browning's embossing technique that she included in her book, Time to Tangle with Color,  and also taught at  Tangle U.  I was not able to attend Tangle U but did talk with some people who did and I also found the brief explanation in her book. before when I used it I used a black tile. I have wanted to try it on other tiles to see how it worked but just have not done it. It seemed to fit well for this challenge. Enough rambling, here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used : Opsess, Shattuck, Bales

The color is done with Irojiten pencils. The colors are Lettuce Green, Lilac, & Sunset Orange.There is about three layers of each color.

The tangles are done using a Signo Uni-ball 207 Micro pen. I use these at work and when they have run out of ink, I have saved some to use for this purpose. It gives a finer line than the typical embossing tool. 

I have not seen a lot of other things posted yet for this challenge. I plan on going to I am the Diva to see the other pieces submitted. Would strongly encourage you to visit the site also and give the challenge a try, even if you do not decide to post what you do.

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

Go Tangle !!

If It Doesn't Move, Tangle It: River Rocks

Had seen a number of posts of people doing this. One was Annette Carlo at Call it What You Quill. She used a stylus and ink to do hers. I have seen some that I think that were done with paint and a paint brush. It is a special brush as what I have read it is made to do small dots of paint. Not using a lot of other mediums, am not sure what they are called. Looked interesting and thought I would give it a try. Learned a couple of things. The stylus is not easy to use. You also have to be patient and let things dry. If you don't, you smudge or wipe off what you just did. Rocks are not easy to hang on to. I'll add a little more after the picture. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy them.

Materials used: The ink is an acrylic artist's ink that I got at Hobby Lobby. The colors are done with paint pens. Most are extra fine DecoColor paint pens. 

Not sure how many more of them I will do. Will have to wait and see. There are a few other projects that I want to work on. This was an interesting endeavor. 

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

Go Tangle !! 

Diva Challenge #224: "Monotangle - Tipple"

This week's Diva Challenge is an interesting one. It is interesting not only because it is a monotangle but also because of the tangle that is used. She chose Tipple. Normally, will use this tangle to fill or augment a tile or other tangles. Trying to do a whole tile with it reminds me of the stippling challenge that was done a while back. You are creating something else with this tangle. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of really unique and interesting things that people have done.

There was something else that was unique about this challenge. I have no other art training other than Zentangle®. Before that it was only the mandatory classes that I took through elementary school. I have known people that who can form an image in their mind and they translate it to paper. That does not describe me. Over the almost 4 years I have been tangling there have been times when I was doing a challenge or just working on a tile that before I started, I would have some of idea of what I hoped/wanted it to look like. Was not really pre-planned, just a concept of what I wanted at the end. I know that seems a little contrary to the whole Zentangle process but not really. I learned to enjoy what the result was. I also learned to not make any judgments about a tile until it was done. It was not always what I envisioned but it did not mean I did not like it. Sometimes, I liked it better than what I had envisioned before I started. Well, this tile was the only one that I can remember that the end result really was like what I envisioned.  I will say more about it after the picture.  Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Shading is always a challenge for me even when I like the result. It is particularly a challenge when I am trying to shade any color or in this case the brown micron. I have tried a number of things but never was all that pleased with the result. This was done with a layering of Prismacolor pencils. I probably tried about 15 different combinations before I came up with this. This is probably the best one that I have come up with. It is first a layer of Goldenrod, then White and lastly Burnt Ochre. I then used the blending pencil to smooth and burnish it. As I said, I was pleased with the result. 

I have only seen things that have shown up on my blog reader and that is not many. Looking forward to seeing a number of great tiles. If you have not done so, go to I am the Diva and check them out. Try it your self even if you do not post it.

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

Go Tangle !!                                               

Square One Focus Tangle: Meer

This week's focus tangle on Square One is Meer. I have not used it a lot but it does have some interesting possibilities. I have to admit, I was not feeling particularly creative when doing this. I decided to keep it simple. I have seen some really creative uses of this tangle posted in the FB page. That being said, I am not disappointed with the way that this turned out. Probably one  of the biggest challenges was trying to decide what orientation I would use to photograph it. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Cubine, Meer, Jonqal 

Shading done with #2 pencil.

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

Go Tangle !!

Pea-nuckle Tangleation

Came up with this when exploring different things to do with the "S" stroke. Was a conscious effort to see what it would look like using the same finish as Pea-nuckle. The concept of tangleations is one that is still somewhat unclear to me. This time it was a little clearer as I was deliberately trying to change the look of the tangle. However, does that mean that all ways of finishing this are also tangleations? When do they become different tangles?  If you use the same basic structure but the finished tangle is entirely different is it still a tangleation. If you are looking for an answer, sorry but will not get it here.

I think I have stated in an earlier post about now there are many tangles that start from the same basic structure. A lot are squares or combination of squares and lines. Bales is a good example as well as Dex and Florz.  These are the ones that come to mind quickly. Is it a separate tangle because it looks different? Or is it a different tangle because it was not an intentional attempt to change the tangle? Is it a tangleation because it starts with the same basic structure no matter what it looks like at the end? Again, wish I had some answers. Here is the definition of tangleation from the Zentangle® website.  

A variation of a tangle by itself or in combination with one or more tangles. Basic tangles are like paint out of a tube. Tangleations are the result of altering a tangle, or mixing one or more basic tangles together in different proportions. 

Not sure that helps a lot. Oh well. Just more grist for the discussions on the FB pages. Here is the step out. 

Here is a picture of something from my journal and a bookmark. Are these tangleations or new tangles.  Would be interested in your thoughts.

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

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #223:"Official Tangle - UMBLE"

This week's Diva Challenge uses  one of the tangles that is in the Zenthology, Umble. It was also the focus recently in the Zentangle® newsletter. I have not used it a lot. I think I first saw it in Sandy Steen Bartholomew's Alpha Tangle book. It is interesting as it uses the hollibaugh effect but the rest is pretty basic. This being the case I did want to change it up a little. Also did it on a Renaissance tile. Have been using mostly the original tiles as most of what I have been doing and posting has been on the Square One FB page and that is all you can use. I did remind me though that each tile takes pencils differently. The Renaissance tiles are a little thinner and do not necessarily do layering of colored pencils that well. Had some difficulties with the paper flaking. Did not cause major problems, but just had to be careful. This is what I ended up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Intwine, Umble, 

Inside are Dew Drops. The shading/highlighting is done with lays of Irojiten colored pencils. The bottom layer is Lightning Yellow, the next is Bamboo, and the last is Maple Sugar. If I felt the paper would take another layer I would have tried a red tint to get closer to the brown micron but did not want to chance it. 

Have not looked at many of the other posts, only seen those that showed up on my blog reader. I had all ready started mine when I saw them so was all ready set on what I was going to do. If you have not all ready been to I am the Diva, would strongly recommend you do so and look at the great art submitted by all the other participants. Try it yourself and take a real plunge and post your own.

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

Go Tangle !!