When you concentrate on every stroke of your pen, not worrying about what your tile will look like, and not hurrying through a tile because you have something else on your mind, you can focus on the different types of lines your pen can make. As you pay attention to these different lines, you may realize you have more "control" than you thought.
. . . let's explore what we can discover through control of our pens. I'm talking about good control, not obsessive control
Did you know that Rick and I spent countless hours trying out different pens on all types of wonderful papers? We unanimously agreed on the Sakura® Pigma® Micron 01 pen and Fabriano's Tiepolo paper. We love the subtle things you can do with this combination of pen and paper.
As an exercise, experiment with different pressures:
#1 - just tickle the tile
#2 - average pressure
#3 - pressing firmly (but not so heavy as to damage your pen)
Getting the look you want often involves slooooooowing down. Try making your strokes very slowly and see if it makes a difference in your deliberate lines . . .
Check out what bubbles look like the next time you are doing dishes or washing your hands . . . how beautiful!
Using this same deliberate approach . . .
. . . as compared with:
In this exercise with purk (one of my favorite tangles) by making your lines a bit lighter and your orbs a bit darker and slightly larger than what fits between your lines, it gives an illusion that this tangle is almost alive and moving. These orbs are busting out, creating perspective, contrast, depth and interest.
This tiny tutorial is not meant to get you to do something in some sort of so-called "correct" manner. It is also not meant to imply that there is a preferred outcome for your Zentangle creations. Our intention is to expand your range of choices and options. Sometimes, in looking for another pen or another color or another tangle, we overlook unexplored options that we already have. In this tiny tutorial, we're exploring the options of speed (of stroke) and pressure (of stroke) . . . an opportunity for a new focus, seeing things with new eyes.
Next time you open your Zentangle Kit and begin to tangle, you may discover more tools and options than you thought were in your kit (or in yourself)!
Click images for larger view.
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23 comments:
A great tutorial, much appreciated, and a concept we often forget...different effects, different outcomes. Thank you.
love this.
This is great! Will be a perfect exercise for our zentangle group next week!
Love this tutorial!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
Heather
Lovely. Thanks for the reminder. This would be a terrific way to begin an introduction class to help students become familiar with the pen (and paper).
--Margaret
Energy Flows Where Attention Goes ~ Thanks for the expanded awareness
I had a great "aha!' moment when Maria was drawing Purk in certification class, drawing the circles to overlap the lines so that when you're done, the lines disappear. Love that!
This might seem like a tiny tutorial, but it says a LOT! The range of choices IS always larger than we tend to think, and seeing things with 'new eyes' is for me, the joy of this lovely art form! Thank you!
Hey Rose, missed seeing your face! Glad to have you back. Maria (and Rick)
Ohhh, such an informal but powerful tutorial. Thank you.
I discovered this aha moment several weeks ago by accident (ofcourse)when my wrists were too painful to let me tangle at my usual bull at a gate speed. Well maybe not quite that fast lol. I was able to complete a pattern I usually have trouble with.
I think this maybe making the simple things extrordinary! Thank you.
Thank you so much. I have one kid in my class whose work just isn't what either of us expected. Now I know why. I will start next week's class with this reminder. Hugs, Cris
Fun post!
So much information in such a small space..and so cleverly done! I like your TT's!
I would love to see more of these tiny tutorials! Never thought to actually slow down when making my strokes.
LOVE. THIS. Opens up sooooooo many more options! Thank you so much!!
It's always encouraging to be able to explain why something may seem more right than the other. (Can't make a wrong stroke!) Not all of us are artists with training or education. This helps us express ourselves better. Thank you for the tutorial and all your hard work. I'd love to see more of these too.
Great tutorial. It helps so much to see the examples and get the explainations. And I appreciate the reminder that it's OK to slow down...
I have a benign tremor in my hands, and I sometimes remember to slow down my strokes for control. it works wonderfully well! However, it is so interesting to consider all the other benefits of slowing down. Looking forward to some new effects. Thanks so much for this.
This has been incredibly helpful! I am brand new to Zentangle and just discovered this website last night. Your illustration of the orbs between the lines was a HUGE ah ha moment for me! Even though new at this, I've been obsessively practicing and not being any type of artist at all could not figure out why my tiles didn't look the way I wanted them to! My heartfelt thanks to you and Rick for opening up this wondrous door towards peace and meditation through creativity. Heartfelt thanks to Linda Farmer for having such a wonderful website. This discovery could not have come at a better time in my life. God bless you all.
I agree with Judy in the above comment. As a Zentangle newbie I'm enjoying delving into this website and finding interesting articles and tangles I've not yet tried. Thank you so much....I also discovered this wonderful art form when I needed it most.
I REALLY needed this tutorial. I was wrecking my pens not getting enough ink flow. I now realize I wasn't relaxing and taking my time . I love these exercises. As a newbie they really help. Thank you so much.
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