Zentangle: A Creative Approach to Stress Relief

Somjai Jaithieng - stock.adobe.com

Zentangle is an increasingly popular form of meditative drawing that has been gaining popularity for years. It’s easy to learn and the basic steps can be done in just a few minutes. But is Zentangle something where you can truly relax and achieve a state of mindfulness, or is it just a messy mess? Let’s take a closer look.

Relaxing Effect

The Zentangle method is said to have a relaxing effect. The repetitive strokes and concentration required can help calm and focus the mind. This can be especially beneficial for people who suffer from anxiety or stress.

Mindfulness and meditation have many benefits: they reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase concentration. If you’re looking for a way to relax and relieve stress, Zentangle may be worth a try.

However, it’s important to remember that not everyone can achieve the same results with the Zentangle method. So if you don’t feel relaxed when drawing a Zentangle, it’s not because you’ve done something wrong.

If you are looking for a very basic framework on how to draw a Zentangle, here are some steps you can follow:

1. Draw a dot in each corner.
2. Connect the dots so that a rectangle is formed.
3. Draw two curved lines, but they must not cross each other. However, one line can touch the other or end up touching.
4. Draw a pattern of your choice per section and fill it with it.

These steps are a bit different from what Kelli does in her video, but as you can see there are no strict rules for drawing a Zentangle.

5 Elements for Beginners

As a beginner, you can create your Zentangle using five simple elements. Advanced artists add much more complex elements to their Zentangles, such as eyes, flowers, feathers, etc.

• Dots
• Straight Lines
• Curved Lines
• Circles
• Half Circles

Zentangle Patterns

A single pattern in Zentangle is called a tangle, and this is where the method becomes genuinely absorbing. Each tangle is built from a short, repeatable sequence of strokes — once your hand knows the sequence, you stop thinking about it, which is the whole point.

Below are eight tangles that work well for beginners. Draw each one a few times in a small box before you put it into a tile, and resist the urge to plan: a tangle that wanders off slightly usually looks better than a tidy one.

Crescent Moon

1. Draw a row of half circles along one edge, flat side against the edge.
2. Go around each half circle with a second line, a little way out, following its shape.
3. Add another line around that one, and another, until the space is filled.
4. Between the half circles, draw small pointed leaf shapes along the edge.

Tipple

1. Draw a circle.
2. Draw more circles of different sizes around it, letting them touch but not overlap.
3. Keep filling the gaps with progressively smaller circles until no white space is left.
4. Fill some of them in solid black, scattered rather than evenly.

Tipple is the tangle to reach for when a section of your tile looks empty and you have no idea what to put there.

Hollibaugh

1. Draw two long parallel lines across the section, at any angle.
2. Draw a second pair crossing them, but stop each line when it reaches the first pair and pick it up on the other side.
3. Keep adding pairs, always passing behind what is already there.
4. Fill the background spaces solid black.

This is the tangle that teaches overlap, and it is the fastest way to make a flat tile look three-dimensional.

Printemps

1. Draw a small spiral, winding inwards.
2. Draw another spiral next to it, touching the first.
3. Continue until the section is full, varying the sizes.
4. Optionally add a small shadow on one side of each spiral.

Bales

1. Draw a grid of squares.
2. In each square, draw a curve bulging inwards from each of the four sides, so the square becomes a rounded diamond.
3. Fill either the diamonds or the shapes between them in black.

Static

1. Draw a zigzag line down the section, like a lightning bolt.
2. Draw another zigzag parallel to it, matching the peaks.
3. Repeat across the whole section, keeping the spacing tight.
4. Fill alternating bands in black.

Florz

1. Draw a grid of diagonal lines in one direction.
2. Draw a second set crossing them, forming diamonds.
3. Fill in scattered diamonds solid black, leaving the rest empty.

Paradox

1. Draw a triangle.
2. From a point on one side, draw a straight line to a point on the next side.
3. Keep drawing straight lines, each one starting where the last ended, always working inwards around the triangle.
4. The straight lines will produce a curved spiral — which is exactly where the name comes from.

Paradox looks the most complex of the eight and is the easiest to draw. It is worth learning for that reason alone.

Putting Tangles Together

Once you know a handful of tangles, a tile is just a matter of dividing the square with a string — the light pencil line that splits the tile into sections — and filling each section with a different tangle.

Two things make a tile look finished:

• Vary the density. Put a dense tangle like Static next to an open one like Printemps. If every section is equally busy, the eye has nowhere to rest.
• Shade the edges. A soft graphite shadow where two sections meet lifts one above the other. This is the same principle as in drawing light and shadow, just applied to abstract shapes.

The Vocabulary

Zentangle has its own small set of terms, which is worth knowing if you read other people’s instructions:

• Tile — the square piece of paper, traditionally 3.5 by 3.5 inches.
• Tangle — one repeatable pattern.
• String — the light pencil line dividing the tile into sections.
• Tangling — the act of drawing the patterns.
• CZT — a Certified Zentangle Teacher, trained by the method’s founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.

What Supplies Do You Need?

As mentioned earlier, I would recommend starting with what you currently have at home. However, if you’ve found long-term joy in drawing Zentangle, there are sets available for purchase online that will provide you with everything you need.

Is Zentangle a Way to Relax or Not?

You can find out if Zentangle works for you as a method of relaxation by simply trying it out. In my self-experiment, I found out that Zentangle did not help me to relax. Interestingly, I even thought more about difficult situations in my main job and didn’t focus on the lines, circles, and dots. Maybe I should give Zentangle another chance and try to concentrate more on drawing.

How is it for you? Does Zentangle have a relaxing effect on you? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.