Zentangle

How To Do It

1. 1

   Prepare your tile

   Cut or fold a piece of paper into a 3.5-inch square (or use any small square). Place a light pencil dot in each corner, about a pen's width from the edges. Connect these dots with light pencil lines to create your border.

2. 2

   Draw your string

   Inside your border, draw a light pencil line or curves to divide your tile into sections. This is called a string—it creates areas where you'll draw different patterns. Keep it simple: one or two lines crossing the tile works well for beginners.

3. 3

   Learn basic tangles

   A tangle is a pattern made from simple strokes. Start with Crescent Moon (curved lines in rows) or Hollibaugh (overlapping straight lines). Watch one beginner tutorial and practice drawing the pattern slowly.

   ▶Zentangle for Beginners - Step by Step (Mr. New's Art Class)(30 min)▶15 Easy Zentangle Patterns (Marjan Zentangle)(18 min)
4. 4

   Fill your sections

   Using your pen, slowly draw tangles in each section of your tile. Focus on one stroke at a time. Rotate your paper to whatever angle feels most comfortable—there's no right-side-up in Zentangle.

5. 5

   Add shading

   Once your tangles are complete, use a pencil to add soft shading along one side of your patterns. This creates depth and dimension. Use your finger or a blending stump to smooth the graphite for softer shadows.

6. 6

   Initial and appreciate

   Sign your tile with your initials on the front and add the date on the back. Hold your tile at arm's length and rotate it to view from all angles—appreciate what you've created without judgment.