Tangle Drawings

Tangle drawing by Krista, grade 4

Tangle drawings are like sophisticated “doodles”, with an endless variety of possibilities! Visit Zentangle.com (and its companion Flickr site) to be inspired and see how one couple has turned these simple, yet sophisticated drawings into a world-wide craze!

Vocabulary:

• Tangle - a confused mass of something that is twisted together
• Elements of Art & Principles of Design - the building blocks from which a piece of art is made (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, space) and the way they are organized or arranged (balance, movement, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, pattern, unity).

Materials:

• white paper, 9x12 or smaller
• Black Sharpies, F & UF, or Sakura Pen
• Colored pencils (optional)

Directions:
1. Using a black UF Sharpie (or an equivalent type of pen), draw a continuous, or semi-continuous, line that weaves in and out across your paper, creating separate sections with interesting shapes. This is the time to include a border if you want one.

2. Now fill those sections with patterns of lines, shapes, or both!

3. Continue adding more detail with lines and shapes. Each section should be filled with a unique pattern. Consider how you are using the elements of art and principles of design to achieve a successful composition.

4. Add color if you wish!

A teacher workshop "tangle-in-progress" by Cindy