One Zentangle a Day

something different.
    In this tile example, one of the patterns Angie calls Paizel is her version of the original Zentangle Opus. It reminds Angie of a paisley-patterned dress she was so fond of in the second grade. Paizel is particularly useful as a border pattern and uses the contrast of shapes to create interest. Each Paizel shape is separated by a series of hatch marks, which are also reminiscent of the official Zentangle Nekton.
    “Always start the Flux pattern from the edge and alternate the Paizel [the pattern shown page 93 , left] shapes in a yin-yang fashion; you will create harmony and interest,” says Angie.
    Angie adds “nervous” broken lines with spirals and dots to finish off her Zentangles. “It’s a lot like dotting an
i
or crossing a
t
or adding a period at the end of a sentence for me; it’s the icing on the cake,” she says.
    For today’s meditative Zentangle tile, incorporate Paizel and some flair of your own to your tile. Flair is another tool that gives an artist personal expression. Be fearless with your strokes and express your style today.

ZIA: Illuminated Letters with Tangles
    Angie calls these
Illumitangles
because they are, in essence, modern-day illuminations. Illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages have always fascinated Angie and are the inspiration for these tangles. An illumination is when gold or silver metal leaf is incorporated onto the page of a manuscript. So, for this ZIA, I printed out the outlines of the letters
M
and
B
, using my laser printer and Pacon Multi-Media paper (for the white background) and Daler-Rowney Canford paper (for the black background).
    The gold used behind the letter
M
is done with a Sakura gold Gelly Roll pen.

    The gold used on the letter
B
is done with Finetec gold gouache. This gives a different appearance while entertaining the essence of gold-leaf metal. Applying gold leaf to a surface is a technique called
gilding
. Traditional gilding requires the application of several layers of a specific type of gesso and bole and a lot of patience. “I feel like a true scribe when I gild on vellum,” Angie says. “The gold used on the letter
M
is actual gold leaf on deerskin vellum.”
    She uses a layer of acrylic matte medium to build up the letter. Once it’s dried completely, she gives the acrylic a “huff” of air (as if you were cleaning eyeglasses). The gold leaf metal is carefully applied to the acrylic. A piece of glassine is placed over the letter and burnished with an agate gold leaf burnisher and then the excess is brushed away, leaving a smooth, raised, gold letter. The first step is to lay out the string. The gilding must be done in the second step of this type of illumination; otherwise, the genuine or imitation gold leaf will adhere to other areas of the artwork.
    Try your hand at illumination on today’s ZIA. Use a tile or a sheet of art paper of your choice, in the size you would like to work.

DAY 32 NEAT LINES, BROKEN BOUNDARIES, BORDERS, AND FRAMES
    MATERIALS
    •
Micron 01 pen
    •
pencil
    •
blending stub
    •
pre-strung tiles
    •
white tile or Artistico paper cut to desired size
    NEAT LINES, BROKEN BOUNDARIES, borders, and frames are tools an artist uses to add flair, sparkle, or weight.
    Neat lines tend to tidy up areas of pattern. For centuries, neat lines have appeared on beautiful handmade maps as the edge definition or trim, commonly as double lines with marking in between.
    Borders and frames are also a form of neat lines because they act as boundaries for the focal point or design.

Two Tiles from Same Pre-Strung Tile Pattern
    Zentangle tiles are available pre-strung. Judy keeps these on hand and will reach in blindly and grab one periodically. She finds it can jump-start her creative process on days when she does not feel particularly creative. Turn over the tile, examine it at arm’s length, and then begin the tangles.
    Though both of her tiles are borders, one is sparsely drawn with lots of negative space while the second one’s composition is denser. The twisted ribbon concept really kept to the outline of the original strings.
    Even though both frames are created on the same string, they have very different looks. The first has a simple contemporary feel that is open and airy. The second is intriguing; the density creates weight and attention.
    JUDY’S STYLE COMES THROUGH in these tiles. She is known as someone who tends to the details. She is careful to compensate for the patterns correctly around