Although I didn’t tackle all of the triangular fragments in today’s video, I enjoyed sharing some explorations, along with the little bit of an overall pattern that came about almost accidentally!
I’d almost forgotten how much fun it is to use a basic shape and see how it can be turned into a fragment of a larger pattern. Then, create variations on this theme. Some of the fragments are from the Zentangle Primer Vol. 1, others are variations that resulted.
I held a poll in the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group, and a template of four small drawings was at the top. So here’s the finished and partly coloured template.
I thought I’d go with some more abstract, pattern-based templates. The last one I drew, at the top right, just ended up having some seed pods.
Abstract designs like these are great fun to add colour to as there are no pre-conceptions about what the colours should be. Also, they’re great for trying out new techniques, media and colour combinations. And, of course, they’re relatively quick to finish, which is great if you’re short on time.
Video to go with the variations on the right.
Video to go with the flowers and variation on the left.
It’s blessedly cooler this morning as I write this blog. There’s been a little rain, but not enough to help out nature. We have the potential of thunderstorms and torrential rain at some point today. I do hope we get some thunderstorms – I love nature’s fireworks and drama! Rain is fine, but torrential rain can cause huge problems.
Anyhoo, to arty things. There are two drawings in the photo. I completed the one on the right on Sunday and filmed a video tutorial. It explores a new fragment shared on day one of Zentangle Project Pack 18. It’s always fun to explore patterns; I get to understand the pattern more and discover variations.
One of those variations came out in my sketchbook on Sunday evening. I used the ideas of the fragment as a way of filling space. What resulted looked a lot like the tangle pattern Diva Dance. you can see this in the drawing to the right in the image above.
It never ceases to amaze me how patterns can segue one into another as variations are explored. Everything, even tangle patterns, is interconnected and related by not that many degrees of variation!
Of course, I filmed the drawing of the flower and tangle pattern tile as a video tutorial. Hopefully, slowly and clearly enough that it’s easy to draw along with me. I hope you give it a go!
Click on this link to watch the #DrawWithMe video that accompanies this design.
Phew! It’s really hot again today here in the Valleys of South Wales, UK. And in many other places too. I’ve slowly been wilting through the morning. However, I was determined to get a video done and uploaded before I find somewhere cooler in my home for the rest of the day.
I had a really poor night’s sleep, and so I’m also struggling to keep awake. But keep awake I must. Delivery is due in the next three hours or so, and then I have errands to run.
So, my frazzled emotions, sleep-deprived brain and overly hot body really wanted to do some art that was soothing, comforting and simple. I knew I had this circular piece of paper already coloured with Distress Ink, so all I needed was a tangle pattern or two to add some pattern to it.
A very quick look on Tanglepatterns.com, and I saw Calibree by Nancy Domnauer CZT and thought it perfect. It’s got an uneven grid pattern, so it will deliberately turn out all lovely and wonky. I actually feel rather wonky myself today, so that fit perfectly!
I decided to stick to a monochrome colour scheme, again keeping it simple. You can see the whole process and materials I used in the video.
Although I may not have made the best choices with some of the colours, I’m fairly pleased with how it turned out. I’m also really pleased with how it picked up my mood as well.
Link to the accompanying #DrawWithMe YouTube video.
Phew! It’s another scorcher already! I feel so drained, and it’s not even 11am. Mind you, I have been awake since around 5am, again.
Waking early has it’s benefits in this seriously hot weather; it’s cool enough to get some things done early on. Such as today’s video where I draw some more of this mandala.
I’m quite happy with how this mandala is taking shape. I know that shadow/highlights, and/or colour will really bring some dimension to this design. But first, I need to finish drawing it. And work out how to set my scanner up so the background colours don’t get washed out…
Today is not the day for that. It’s way too warm, and I need to retire very soon to a cooler part of the house.
Just enough time before the heat has become uncomfortable to layout a mandala grid and complete the central motif. This was a lovely way to spend a wee bit of time this morning.
The video takes you through, one step at a time, how I got this far.
Now, it’s just about time for me to move myself to a cooler part of my home for the rest of this heat-scorched day.
Please click the ‘Watch on YouTube” button, if you’d be so kind. Cheers!
In this video, I draw a mandala (or zendala) step by step so you can join in with me.
I enjoyed creating yesterday’s mandala so much, that I thought I’d repeat the experience! I finished drawing the mandala in this video, but I’ve yet to add shadow, highlight and/or colour. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to do that, yet; but there’s no rush to get it done either.
And here’s a photo of the mandala as it is at the moment, with some of my handlettering practice in the background!
Link to today’s YouTube video tutorial
In today’s YouTube video, I show how, step by step, I draw a mandala, or zendala, with traditional media. And the help of the Markus Operandus for Mandalas from Zentangle.com! A nifty printable that helps set out a mandala!
I’ve used two tangle patterns in this design – tripoli and between. I’ve taken inspiration from each to complete the outer ring.
To start with, I pre-cut a piece of ClaireFontaine Paint On mixed-media paper using an 11cm circle die, and a Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine. In fact, I cut four at 11cm and four at 9cm in size, so I have a few that are good to go.
Next, I coloured one large and one small circle with Distress Inks. Then, I set about using the Markus Operandus to lay out the basic bones of the mandala.
Only then could I start to draw the design, though I had no idea what I was going to do.
The photo above is the final mandala. I used Arteza Everblend markers to add shadows to the zendala. A white gel pen was used to add dots of white for highlights. A silver Gelly Roll pen was used to add silver to the fine ring borders, to the circles and to the darker areas in the tripoli pattern pieces.
I’m quite happy with the outcome. More so, as it’s been a very long time since I drew a mandala without using digital tools.
Today’s video is rather long – well over an hour. It’s kind of a celebration that I’ve reached 900 subscribers on my YouTube channel! I never thought I’d get even one subscriber. So, a huge thank you to you if you’re one of my subscribers.
The past couple of days have seen me creating videos that go in a slightly different direction to my usual.
Yesterday’s YouTube video was a look at using and blending coloured pencils – not a skill I’m great at, especially when it comes to choosing colours.
I carried on experimenting with my drawing and trying out various media either alone or in various combinations – coloured pencils, Inktense, and/or graphite. I quite like the way graphite dirties up the colours and creates an almost metallic feeling. Not a shiny metallic, but a dull kind of one.
Today’s video was a response to a comment left for me on YouTube about fineliners smearing with alcohol markers. So, I thought I’d do a look at some of the various fineliners I have, the tricks I use to avoid this, and a bit more about achieving contrast, volume and blending markers.
Click on this link to watch the accompanying video on YouTube.
One of my YouTube subscribers (Chen Keith) requested I draw some simple flowers and show how I’d use coloured pencils to colour and add contrast.
Drawing, not a problem! Colouring? Yeuch colour choices! But I do show different approaches I use to adding colour with coloured pencils, or rather what I’ve done in the past. I rarely ever used coloured pencils now. Digital coloring or marker pens are my mediums of choice, with Inktense and the Karin Brush Markers close behind.
While the video was uploading and processing, I did try out other ways of adding colour and/or contrast. It’s way too hot here in the Valleys of South Wales for me to think clearly and explain things at the moment. The heat is making me feel very, very tired.
Art is the Adventure 