Pattern Explorations

Purk, Day 16 of #FYIC2022

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Purk is a Zentangle pattern, and today it appears, to begin with, in a leaf shape.

I managed to fill in half my sketchbook page with variations. I’m sure there are other variations to be discovered, but just not yet. My mind is ticking over slowly with ideas today. I’m really brain-foggy at the moment and I don’t know why. Perimenopause, not sleeping well, something else? I dunno. But I’ll return to this fragment later today.

In today’s video I start by taking a look back on the past week of the Fragments of Your Imagination Challenge, #FYIC2022, along with some of my recently completed artworks. Then, I share how I worked on variations of Purk.

Zentangle Fragment C24, Day 14 #FYIC2022. Coddiwomple with me!

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Link to today’s video on YouTube.

Coddiwomple (v.) – to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination

That word sums up my method for the Fragments of Your Imagination Challenge quite well. I know where I start, I know I want to end up with a page of variations, deviations even, of the original fragment. However, I have no idea what the direction of this journey will take.

Dead ends, weird discoveries, gems and treasure, ideas to ponder about. All with experiences that can be learned from and used in other ways.

So, I’m coddiwompling through each day, enjoying the journey and not invested in exactly what the destination will be. I’m not travelling on a motorway (highway, autobahn etc), but on the interesting country roads where there is so much more to see!

You can join my on today’s coddiwomple if you like, by taking a look at the video on YouTube. In fact, it would be lovely to have you join me!

This particular fragment threw up many surprises as I worked with it, some expected, some unexpected for sure

#FYIC Day 13 Chantara by Debbie New

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Another lovely tangle pattern that I’m unfamiliar with – Chantara by Debbie New CZT.

It did take me quite a few attempts to understand this particular fragment and it’s construction. Then things fell into place. I did alter, slightly, the original shape so it was more symmetrical, but that helped me to come up with a few interesting variations.

Here is the link to today’s video on YouTube

Fragment B21, Day 10 #FYIC2022 #7F5RChallenge

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I seem to say this everyday, but when I saw this fragment I did wonder what I could do with it. A fair amount it seems. Putting it together as a tangle pattern reminds me so much of agate.

I did record a video showing drawing some ideas on the smaller piece of paper, as well as adding shadow/colour to the main sheet.

It is definitely a fragment that deserves more of an exploration for sure.

“Kaas” by Emiko Kaneko CZT for Day 9 of the #FYIC2022 Challenge

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Link to today’s short video, just talking about these fragments.

Kaas, by Emiko Kaneko CZT, is not a tangle pattern I’m familiar with. So, first I had to wrangle with it to understand it’s construction. It’s a lovely pattern, but for some reason these kinds of patterns just don’t compute too well in my head.

Eventually, I kind of worked it out, and pencil lines are definitely needed for me to draw it well! So, go me!

At first look, I really wasn’t sure how I could vary this fragment. But as I started making small changes the ‘what would happen if I …’ thoughts started to come.

I like many of these variations, some not quite so much. There’s a fair few I’d like to see arranged in a grid pattern. Perhaps I’ll spend some of this afternoon/evening trying that out.

Fragments of Your Imagination Challenge 2022 | Day 7 ‘DreamDex” by Debbie New CZT

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Click on this link to view today’s video on YouTube

Oh, DreamDex turned out to be a bit of a dream fragment for me. So many variations ended up reminding me of La Tene / Early Celtic / Anglo-Saxon designs, which are probably my most favourite of all.

Again, I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of the variations that are possible. But it’s a start!

Fragments of Your Imagination Challenge Day 6 – Fragment D23

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Click on this link to see today’s video on YouTube.

D23 has turned out to be a rather interesting fragment with some really fun and pleasing avenues to wander down. Yet again, I’ve only scratched the surface of variations of this one. No doubt it’ll be something I’ll return to.

The most important thing I’m learning through this challenge is about the ways to vary tangles, and also which ways will best suit different fragments. And, of course, that will translate to my other arty stuff too.

Day 2 of the Fragments of Your Imagination Challenge “Pokeleaf”

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Click this link to today’s video on YouTube

What a lovely way it’s been to spend a few hours today! Trying out variations of the Pokeleaf Zentangle fragment.

I didn’t think I’d run out of space on this page, but I did. And there’s a couple of new fragment shapes there as well!

I used iridescent gold pigment as a watercolour on some areas, sometimes with a little colour added with a chalk pastel. On other leaves, I used chalk pastels, sometimes with some embossed patterns too.

Again, the possibilities are endless – shape of fragment, shape of leaf, number of leaves, arrangement of leaves, background or filler patterns … and so much more! All that’s needed is a pen, some paper and some time and imagination.

Today’s video shows the drawing of many of these variations, but not quite all of them. Nor does it include much i the way of adding colour.

I hope that these variations will fire up your creativity and have you reaching for pen and paper to have a go yourselves.

Exploring a flower motif, part 2 | Draw with me | Zentangle inspired

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Well, I have been a bit busy with variations on the simple flower motif in the bottom left corner of the image!

I’ve said (typed?) it before; I really, really enjoy taking a simple motif and seeing how I can vary, alter and create patterns with it. There is something fascinating in doing this. Some explorations don’t work out and need amending, others lead my thoughts to unexpected versions.

Here’s the link to today’s video, where I show what I’ve done and draw some more variations to fill up the sketchbook page.

Exploring a Flower Motif | Draw With Me Video

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Today, I felt the need to play around with a simple flower motif. I had planned on doing a page showing how to draw my current favourite patterns/motifs. Instead, as I started to draw this flower, I wanted to explore variations and patterns I could create with it.

There’s only about one third of an A5 page filled with such line drawings, and that took about an hour or so to do. But there’s so much in there already!

If you’d like to watch me draw these variations, then click on this link to today’s video!

Being able to just lose myself, guilt free, in drawing over the past couple of days or so, has been a pleasure. ‘Adorable Dogs’ is almost done, just three templates to add colour to remain. I have a break before I start work on the next colouring book for Creative Haven from Dover Publications Inc.

That doesn’t mean I won’t be working on another project or two. But for the next few days I’m just going to indulge myself in drawing for the sheer pleasure of drawing! And that includes a New Year template for the facebook group Angela Porter’s Coloring Books Fans.