Typhlotic Foundation

Another week, another weekly Zentangle challenge (which Laura Harms hosts on her blog here. I'd recommend hopping around to all the other blogs that participate and seeing the diversity that abounds!). This time she challenged us to draw a string with our eyes closed. Here are the results of the eyes-shut strings:

That's my little brother modeling the Zentangles! He was
 coloring with an orange marker...either that or eating Cheetos!

I did two because the first one (on the left) was my warm-up string. It felt like I was drawing huge loops and whorls, but it ended up being really tight and compact. Taking that into account, I did a second string, which turned out more like I expected.

Here's how they look now, all tangled up:

Tangles in their natural environment.

For the first tile I used some Xyp, Jonqal, Paradox, 'Nzeppel, and Hollibaugh. Very loose and minimal.

For the second tile I used some Fife, and, again, Hollibaugh and Paradox. Very dense and full.

I really enjoy how both of these turned out, and so different from one another! You can really see how the strings hold up the tangles, but they aren't an absolute guideline. I ignore them about as much as I abide within them. I used to follow them more exactly, but as I've grown in tangling I've started ignoring the string more.

Every once in a while I get stuck on strings and draw the same one over and over. I think blind strings are a great way to get out of a string rut!

Oh, and a word on the post title: Typhlotic means blind, and Foundation refers to strings, the foundation of Zentangles.

It's so much fun to participate in these weekly challenges! Thank you, Laura, for bringing us your creativity week in and week out!