Churchtime Tangles

I know a lot of y'all are here because of all the Zentangle things I've posted in the past. I haven't done a lot of tangling recently, but I haven't abandoned it altogether, either. I keep a sketchbook that I take with me to church and tangle in. Whenever I look back at a drawing in this sketchbook I can remember the sermon that was preached at the time!

Here are two of my churchtime tangles:

Monotangle with some aura-ing. Simple yet effective, both visually and for the purpose of
 keeping your mind on the speaker and not everything else it could be thinking about!

This one started out as an experiment with the new tangle, Rixty,
as released in the Zentangle newsletter a while back. I like it!

I decided not to shade these - partially because shading is a little too loud for church and partially because I just wanted to leave these as they are.

I hope this gives you some inspiration! What are some unusual places you've chosen to tangle in?

Tangling With Phicops

The wonderful Diva over at the I Am the Diva blog has challenged us, the Zentangle community, to our first challenge of the new year! Woot!

This time the goal of the challenge was to use a new tangle that the Diva's husband, B-rad, invented. It's called Phicops, and it's a really cool one. Here's what I came up with:

Tangles used: Phicops, Crescent Moon, Beeline, Auraknot, and Tipple.

Phiclops is really a great tangle. Simple, quick, but you still end up with that "how did I do that?" effect. Shading adds a ton to this tangle - and I mean a TON! I thought my tile was a flop until I shaded it - wow!

I tried something a little different with the photography this time. Instead of using my DSLR camera, I used my new iPhone's camera and the various apps for photo editing. Not quite as high quality as the "real" camera, but it did work pretty well! 

In case some of you coming over here from the Diva's blog haven't seen it yet, I want to invite you to watch my recently released video, Zentangle in Motion 2. Enjoy!

Also, I'm just about to begin my adventure in becoming a Walt Disney World cast member, so forgive me if the blog posts are more infrequent. 

Blessings!

-Zach

The Book of Zentangle

I had an interesting experience a few months ago. I received a book in the mail, and I mentioned it to some co-workers. They were intrigued, so I showed it to them. I didn't think they would give it back! The book was passed around, everyone savoring the beauty found in it, gingerly turning the pages as if afraid of damaging the delicately delightful contents. The Book of Zentangle is an extraordinary book, one that can be appreciated by both Zentangle "muggles" (non-tanglers) and Zentangle enthusiasts alike.

Before I proceed, I must disclose that Rick and Maria sent me my copy of The Book of Zentangle for free to review, but my views on the book remain solely my own. 

Let me start with what the book isn't. It's not at all like any other Zentangle book on the market. It doesn't include a bunch of tangle step-outs, so don't expect that. What it does include is much more spectacular. Nearly every page features a beautifully rendered example of Zentangle, direct from the founders. Not simply the pen-and-ink drawings, but also paintings that interact with the pen-and-ink portions. You'll find tangled insects, seashells, shirt sleeves, windows, and China, just to name a few. Each picture includes a story, so you can see how the inspiration came about, what the meaning is. The written portion of the book is just as inspiring. Rick and Maria cover the basics of Zentangle, explaining the method and tools, and then diving into exercises and projects. Although you may be a veteran tangler, re-learning the basics can be a great way to grow. There may even be a thing or two you didn't know about the basics that you'll pick up. I know I did. My favorite part, and perhaps the most interesting, is the section on the origins of Zentangle. More detailed than anything else out there, it is fascinating to see how the paths of two people crossed, in the process crossing their individual experiences. The result is what we know today as Zentangle. Having this knowledge has deepened my appreciation for what we have today! Rounding out the book are stories from tanglers about how they use Zentangle and other interesting anecdotes, an index of tangle terms, and an excellent list of resources.

In short, I love this book. I've been tangling for two years and still got a lot out of it. Zentangle has become a community, and you can get lost to the true purpose of it all in the commotion of voices sometimes. This book will bring you back to why you started tangling in the first place. Reinspire you. Excite you. Focus you.

As they write in the book:

"Words are fun to play with, and we'll utilize them to bring what we love into focus."

Rick and Maria clearly had fun playing with words to bring us this book, and it does what they intended: bring what they love into focus.

Zentangle in Motion 2

That's right, faithful readers, newcomers, and everyone in between: Zentangle in Motion 2 is here! I've promised here and there that it was coming, that if I had time I would do it, and I have! I absolutely love how it turned out, and I hope you enjoy it too. So without further ado, I bring to you, Zentangle in Motion 2!

If you remember the original Zentangle in Motion, you'll remember how choppy it was, especially in comparison with part 2. I sped things up to 12 frames per second, which means each second of the video is comprised of 12 individual photographs. Basically I did a lot more snapping this time around - in fact, a bit too much! On some portions (like the entire "presenting" scene, the cursive "Zentangle", and adding all the lines in Meer), I wanted it to go faster and ended up taking out some pictures to achieve that result. 

Another change between part 1 and part 2 is that I did the Zentangle in part 2 on a 5.5" x 5.5" piece of paper, rather than the standard 3.5" x 3.5" tile. I did make sure to use the same paper as the regular tiles, though. Love that paper!

I think my favorite parts of the video are when sections fill up with ink, like Beeline and Jonqal. Those sections are also among the most mind boggling to produce, since I have to fill in a small section of each shape, snap a picture, fill in a space, snap a picture. But if I wasn't paying attention I'd lose track of which sections I'd already filled in for the current frame, forcing me to look back at the camera screen. But it was worth it!

Actual frame of the finished Zentangle from the video.

Another interesting difference between 1 and 2 is how I produced it. In part 1 I started with a blank piece of paper and let whatever happened happen, true to Zentangle form. However, pausing to take a picture after every single penstroke allows way too much time to analyze and think about what to do next. It's hard to be sporadic and true to the Zentangle method. I knew something had to change for part 2, so instead of starting from scratch I decided to copy a tangle created specifically for the video. Below you can see the video version and the version I started out with:

The video version is on the left, and the one I started out with is on the right.

You can see similarities and differences. I find this very interesting: two Zentangles, utilizing the same string, tangles, even the same hand to draw them, and yet they turn out so different.

I think this method really worked. It allowed me to illustrate a spontaneously derived Zentangle but also gave the advantage of being able to plan it out a bit.

In upping the quality of the video from number 1 to number 2, I had to make a few more expenditures than I did the first time around. Paper, pens, digital storage devices, and music licenses don't cost much individually, but they do add up. So if you enjoyed the video, would you consider donating to keep things like this coming? I'd truly appreciate it! You'll find the donate button in the left hand sidebar. Also, sharing the video with friends, family, neighbors, and the occasional stranger helps bunches too! Youtube makes it really easy: if you just go to the video on Youtube, you can click the "share" button for a cornucopia of sharing options. Tweet/share/email away!

As a special thank you for reading, I'm going to throw a contest! Do you throw contests, or is throwing only for parties? I'm just in a throwing mood, so I'll throw the contest whether or not contest throwing is allowed. In any case, here's the contest:


a Rafflecopter giveaway


You'll be entering to win the ZIA that I created to base the Zentangle in Motion 2 tangle off of (the one on the right in the picture above)!


And here are the offical rules:

No purchase necessary. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older and be US residents (sorry, folks from elsewhere, but it gets problematic when dealing with other country's sweepstakes laws.) Starts on 12/31/12 12:00 AM Central Time, ends on 1/9/12 at 12:00 AM Central Time. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your thoughts about Zentangle in Motion 2, then complete the entry form above. The prize: the original Zentangle Inspired Artwork seen above (the one on the right). The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners will be selected by random drawing after contest period is over. Void where prohibited by law.

And there you have it. Zentangle in Motion 2. Once again, thanks for reading, and keep on tangling!

Dance, Dance, Yeah!

Laura Harms, the Diva over at the I am the Diva blog, is celebrating this week! It marks the two year anniversary of the Zentangle challenges she brings us every week, and the 100th such challenge. Congratulations, Laura!

As an extra special treat, Rick and Maria created a special tangle for the occasion, called Diva Dance. It comes in several variations, including Waltz, Foxtrot, and Rock N' Roll. I love the analogy to dancing! You start with lines, and on the downbeat you add a weight. Weight two three, weight two three. Just like a dance.

Here is my tile:

Tangles used: W2, Jonqal, Hollibaugh, and Diva Dance.

I really enjoyed watching the Waltz unfold as paper danced with pen. With Christmas lights all around, I couldn't resist the opportunity to make a bokeh background. Dancing lights and dancing lines.

Thank you, Diva, for presenting a new challenge each week! I have enjoyed being a part of this community, and am blessed by the welcome I have received. Thanks to everyone who has commented with such lovely words of encouragement. 

Proverbs 25:11

Like apples of gold in settings of silver

Is a word spoken in right circumstances.

Final Finals

Well my dear readers, I'm back! It's been too long - I apologize for the blog break, but it was necessary for me to focus on school. I've finally finalized my final final! At least until next semester...

To prove to you that I'm not just making excuses, I now present two of my finals. One of the truly wonderful things about being a graphic design major is that you often have final projects instead of final tests. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be up 'til midnight trimming out my final project than studying 'til midnight for a final test! A blessed thing indeed.

The first final was for my Digital Publishing class. Assigning us to present a portfolio of our work over the semester, the teacher set the class free to package the digital submissions (stored on a CD, USB drive, or SD card) in an interesting way. I decided right away to use a USB drive, and initially I ordered a key shaped drive. Unfortunately that drive didn't arrive in time, so I ended up with a smaller one. Multiple ideas floated around my mind - hollowing out a book with a flash-drive shaped hole, presenting it with a fancy certificate like it was a royal proclamation, etc. Then the light bulb lit up - literally! Since all of the designs I needed to present were the product of their own initial idea, why not package them inside a light bulb? That's how I came up with this:

I took one of these light bulb jars from Hobby Lobby, and wired my flash drive to look like the light bulb filament. I also designed a package for it to sit in, just like one you'd see in a store. Continue on for a full 360 degree view.

I've chosen to blur out my last name. You know, for security.

Bright ideas. Very happy with how this turned out.

The next project was for Computer Illustration class. The challenge here was to come up with a concept on our own, figure out how to create it, and then implement our design. We'd done several greeting cards with interactive "swinging" elements in the class, and I wanted to try my hand at a Christmas card. These are difficult because almost everything has already been done. Plus I wanted something that looked kind of hip and trendy while still pointing to the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ. I conquered the first challenge by designing the card as a tri-fold brochure with angled panels - something I've never seen in a Christmas card. To incorporate a modern feel I used flat colors and bold patterns, plus a contemporary color scheme to boot. Here is my solution:

This panel photographed really poorly for some reason. It looks much crisper in person!

That's our family photo and name I've obscured - you get the idea, though, right?

Here's a snapshot of what my digital files look like:

Front.

Back.

You can certainly see some Zentangle influence in the front panel, huh? If you spot Beeline and Jonqal, you're thinking right up my alley. Knowing Zentangle has helped me pass a majority of my college classes, including drawing classes and computer design classes. Yay for Rick, Maria, and all the folks who help bring us Zentangle!

I have to warn you that I may be taking another leave of absence from blogging soon. If you've been following for a while, you know that I got on the Disney College Program and will be moving to Florida and working in Walt Disney World starting in January. I'm playing blogging by "mouse" ear. One of the things on my list of to-dos while I'm there is to complete a Zentangle while casually sitting on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom (Yes, I am a Disney geek!), so at the very least I will post that here. And just think of all the opportunities for fun backgrounds to the Diva Challenges in Disney World! I've also started a blog specifically for my Disney adventures, which can be found at www.collegecasted.tumblr.com - come by and visit, and if you have the inclination subscribe to receive email updates. It should be fun!

Also, Zentangle in Motion part 2 is now officially in the works! Whether or not it will be ready before my Disney departure is still uncertain, however. I'm really excited about it, and I hope to get it made and uploaded ASAP!

Keep Moving Forward

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

-Walt Disney

I was delighted when I saw the I Am the Diva blog post this week with a challenge from guest poster Courtney Frantz! Courtney (A fellow Texan!) challenged us to create a Zentangle to pay tribute to Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, or Walt Disney. This is very appropriate, for I am not only a big Disney fan (my family has a bathroom that is entirely Disney themed! I brush my teeth every morning under the constant supervision of many Mickeys...), but I'm also gearing up to participate in the Disney College Program (which I wrote about near the end of this post). I'm getting very excited as the day draws nearer!

Ever the oddball, I wanted to do something different and unique with my tile. First off, I pulled up a Disneyland map and a Magic Kingdom map to look for string inspiration. The parade routes really caught my attention, red dotted lines twisting and turning across their respective parks. I wound up tracing those parade routes onto my tile for a string, incorporating the Disney parks that inspire me so much into the Zentangle.

Next I started tangling, but I didn't use just any tangles. I chose patterns that would correspond to the name "Walt" - W2, Auraknot, Laced, and Tipple. I had to use a few more to fill in, but you get the idea. I didn't think about it at the time, but Tipple is perfect for this tile because you can often find hidden Mickeys in it. See if you can spot one (or a bunch!):

Of course, as an added tribute to Disney, I had to play some Disney music while I was tangling. My all-time favorite Disney song is "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins. Love it!

Posing my tile with our Mickey photo frame wasn't actually my idea - I have to thank my wonderfully creative mom for coming up with this one!.

As Walt said, "...keep moving forward..."!

Trying On a New Socc

Socc. A tangle born of an "ah-ha" moment. Wonderfully light and puffy. And the tangle chosen to be the Diva's weekly challenge this week.

You may have noticed that when I try a new tangle, I always exclaim over how much I enjoyed it. When I say that, I mean it! It's one of my quirks - I really like to try new things. Tangles, food, music, experiences, hobbies, etc. As long as it isn't directly harmful to my health or out of line with my convictions, I'm game. Last weekend I tried fried alligator and calamari. That was fun! This weekend I'm going to try studying, for my first time. Okay, not really. It will be something along the lines of my four-millionth time. But hey, I've never studied four-million times before, so I guess it really is something new to try!

Now you know that when I say I had a blast tangling Erin Olson's tangle Socc, I am absolutely sincere. I didn't fill in the middles of the sections like Erin does, and I think next time I use Socc I'll do that. I tried to get a fading out effect, where the lines that form Socc become lighter at the edges. Cubine got in on the fading action too. Not sure how successfully I pulled it off, but it is what it is. Take a look:

Tangles used: Cubine, Ix, Auraknot, Crescent Moon, Hollibaugh, Paradox, and, of course, Socc.

I got some funny stares from passersby as I took this photograph. I just tried to look like I knew what I was doing, and that it was perfectly normal for someone to crouch on the ground with an optical light-recording device pressed to one's face. Yup. Normal as seeing Bigfoot in pink and purple polka dot footy pajamas (I love the fact that spell check made me capitalize Bigfoot!).

At least I was able to find a manhole-type cover that wasn't in the middle of a street! That would have been interesting...

Hey, before I sign off, I just wanted to give a quick little reminder that if you'd like to support me in my blogging efforts, there are multiple ways to do it. You can read posts, like you're doing right now! Thanks, by the way. You can comment on posts - it encourages me to keep going! You can tell your friends about the blog. You can even support financially by buying an original piece of art from the Designed to Create Store or by utilizing the Donate button on the left column. I appreciate you, my readers. Y'all are the best!

Snake String

Rick and Maria have done it again! The founders of Zentangle released a new tangle last week. It is called Bunzo, and I absolutely love it!

The Diva's challenge this week was to tangle a tile utilizing Bunzo. I'm always up for trying a new tangle, and since Bunzo consists of only one shape, how hard could it be?

Here the writer would normally state how difficult the seemingly easy task he just mentioned was, but in this case it actually was that simple, and I'm no normal writer! So if you haven't tried out Bunzo already, go do it! Now!

Last weekend I was watching my little 3-year-old brother, and he sweetly drew me a picture of our pet snake (the one featured in this post). It reminded me of a Zentangle string, especially since he drew it on a square piece of paper. So I adapted it into a string for my tile:

Thank you for the string, Seth!

I think my enthusiasm for this new tangle is evident in my final tile:

Tangles used: Bunzo, Paradox, Knightsbridge, and Bales.

I mentioned recently on Designed to Create's Facebook page that I wanted to do some night photography with my Zentangle tiles. Halloween offered the perfect opportunity! Of course, you need some light when you take photographs in the dark, or else you wouldn't be able to see anything. Desiring an unusual light source, I ended up using a candle's flame as my illumination. The long exposures required for the darkness allowed me to play around with the candle, moving it around while the shutter was open. Here is the result:

Falling Stripes

Another fun challenge from Laura of the I am the Diva blog this week - stripes, part two! 

I started with a simple striped string, and added one cross-stripe. That cross point was just crying to have an "X" drawn on it, so what better tangle to use than Xyp? I love Xyp - it's one of my comfort tangles. 

I expanded from there with Coaster, another fun one to tangle. Then some Btl Joos-esque things. And finally good old 'Nzeppel. They all combine into this tangle that I love! Is that boastful, to say you love your own work? 

Fall has definitely arrived here in Texas - some trees have already lost all their leaves, when only yesterday (literally, not figuratively!) they were full of beautiful brown/yellow/red leaves. We have lots of wind here - I don't know the voracity of the statement, but I have heard it said we're the second windiest city in the U.S. aside from Chicago - and when it decides to blow, it has its way! My leaf picture almost didn't happen. I admired the giant leaf piles (a.k.a. Zentangle backdrops) I passed on my college campus all week, and the day I finally brought my camera to shoot the Zentangle we had a nice-but-inconveniently-timed "moisting" (translation: moist misting) and strong winds. All of the lovely leaf piles were gone! But wait, in that corner over there, could it be? YES! A leaf pile! Perfect...except for the direct sunlight. Now what? If only I had my reflector I could diffuse some of the light. Staring down at the pile in despair, I noticed my shadow falling across the pile...maybe, If I stand just right, I can get my shadow to block the direct light and get some nicely diffused light. Bingo! Voila! Auld lang syne! It worked! And that's the story.

Thinking Outside the Comfort Zone

Do you like challenges? Or do you shy away from them? I think my answer would be a little of both, depending on the situation. Challenges take you out of your comfort zone, throw you off balance, make you think. They also cause you to grow, improve, and truly live. I can't think of a challenge I haven't come away from without feeling it was worth it and improvement was made.

This week's Zentangle challenge truly challenged me. The Diva asked us to take inspiration from a charity called Beads of Courage. I think it's an awesome organization, but how do you boil something like that down to black and white, ink and paper? I could have gone the way others were going, and while I loved what I was seeing, it wasn't speaking to me saying "this is what you should do too."

The essence of the Beads of Courage program is the beads, and the essence of a Zentangle is a string (at the least it's what you build the rest of the tangle on). So I decided to make my string with ball chain to serve as a string of beads. Spontaneously arranging the string and tracing it onto a tile, I was off and running!

That's It (not!)

Well, kind viewer, that's my tile for this week. That's it. Have a good one!

Just kidding. This wouldn't be much of a blog if that's all that I said about my pictures, now would it? Although pictures speak a thousand words, here are a few more to explain the story behind this Zentangle.

Thread

Tangles used: Sankegg, Ixorus, Ix, Paradox, and Hollibaugh.

Do I have your attention now? In case you missed it, that is a Zentangle on a snake. Bet that's the first time you've seen that, huh? I'll explain why there's a snake in the picture later...

Unintended Destinations

What is that?

Is it a Zentangle tile?

Peaceful

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 

John 14:27

The Zentangle challenge this week is to tangle a pinwheel for peace, tying in with an organization that encourages the making of these pinwheels for the International Day of Peace, which is today. I decided to follow the template provided in the post, and do a mandala-type design.

My pinwheel. Crescent Moons, Cubine, and Paradox.

The Rhythm of Tangles: Weekly Challenge #85

This week was a tangly week! For one thing, we had Labor Day on Monday, which threw the whole week into a tangle (it feels like it should be Saturday when it's actually Friday!). For another thing I've tangled nearly every day this week - and only completed one tile!

I started on Tuesday working on the Diva's Zentangle Challenge. You can see the tile below beginning to form in my post from Wednesday. On Wednesday I tangled a bit at work as a study break. Thursday night I took my Zentangle kit with me to my haircut and tangled while I was waiting. Finally, I finished the shading on the tile today, just in time to post it. It's definitely a here, there, and everywhere tile!

I see a spot where I forgot to shade a section - do you see it?

Tangles: Crescent Moon, Shattuck, Hurry, and Copada.

Tangling Here, There, and Everywhere: WOYWW 170

 Are you here from the Stamping Ground for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? Thanks for visiting! Even if you're not, scroll down to find out what is on my workdesk this week!

Intentional Sketching

 I have yet another project to unveil today. With so many projects in various stages of completion, it's quite crazy! But if I get bored or uninspired with one project, I can always move on to another that is more compatible with my current state of creativity. Last week I started in on my sketchbook for the Art House Co-op's Sketchbook Project. In this project the Brooklyn Art Library sends each participating artist a sketchbook - plain-jane, simple and blank. Each artist fills his/her sketchbook with art and sends it back, at which point all the sketchbooks tour the country for folks to enjoy.

I've wanted to participate since I heard about the project a few years ago, but this is the first year I've committed the time and money to fill a sketchbook. I had to choose a theme, which was difficult considering the many enticing themes to choose from. I ended up with "Mysteries".

I thought profusely about which route I would take with my theme. I had to scrap several grand ideas before I ended up with what I have now. My first take on the theme was to create an entire mystery story surrounding the sketchbook, which would transform into the journal of someone who witnessed some type of crime. As the journalist strove to find out the identity of the criminal, the mystery would be revealed. That's about as far as that idea went.

My second idea was to illustrate mysterious truths about God in the style I began to work in in my post Process Paradox. I really liked this idea, but I realized that with the school year starting I wouldn't have the time to sit down, get out all the materials, and create this type of work. I needed something simpler, something more portable.

I decided to simplify and go with pen and pencil to begin. Here's the first page:

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!

A Quartet, Jiving

Woot woot! I finished my Zentangle ensemble (see the other posts about the ensemble here and here)!

Here's the final corner:

My favorite part is the curvy Cubine. Oh, and Xyp!
 That used to be my favorite, most-used tangle.
 I don't use borders as much anymore, but I still love
 to use Xyp every once in a while!