Welcome to The Zentangle® Untangled Workbook! I’m glad you’re here.
The Zentangle® Untangled Workbook is a complement to my first book, Zentangle® Untangled. In that, I wrote about my Zentangle® experience, explained how to get started and demonstrated many ways you could use Zentangle in other artistic pursuits.
This workbook is a little different from the last book. Here we work with the three tangle patterns I introduced in Zentangle® Untangled (Honeycomb, Starfish and Five-Oh), as well as four brand-new tangles that I have developed especially for this workbook. You’ll see many other tangles throughout the workbook, but these seven are the ones we will break down, step-by-step, and really develop ideas for.
I have taken a very stripped-back approach to this workbook compared to Zentangle® Untangled, which I hope will suit beginners on the Zentangle juggernaut, as well as provide some inspiration and guidance to those further into their exploration of the art form. This means that we will take a slow, step-by-step journey through each tangle, working through ideas and refining our skills.
I have not sought to replace the experience you receive in a class taught by a Certified Zentangle Teacher. Learning from a CZT remains the best way to begin and enjoy the Zentangle process. New CZTs all across the world are gaining certification regularly. I hope this workbook will supplement those classes and provide an alternative for those who don’t have easy access to a CZT.
The Zentangle® Untangled Workbook is a year long format to help you pace yourself while being introduced to Zentangle basics. I know that you’re likely to skip ahead often, and that’s perfectly OK. I’ve organized the book to suit a relaxed pace in keeping with the relaxed nature of Zentangle.
This workbook provides space to practice what you’re learning. I strongly encourage you to tangle straight into this book and to not be afraid of “spoiling” anything. Remember, with Zentangle there is no scope for being wrong. Mistakes do not exist here. So, go right ahead—draw directly onto the following pages in pen. For further practice, get yourself a stash of Zentangle tiles or maybe a notebook that you can experiment in.
During the first week you’ll practice some basic skills and concepts, such as drawing straight lines and circles, shading and adding color, as well as introducing Zendalas to the mix (Zentangle + mandala = Zendala). You can do these exercises to warm yourself up for the weeks ahead, or you can come back to them as you wish.
We then take each of the seven tangles and spend a week really practicing each element:
Week 1: Step-out process for the tangle
Week 2: Shading the tangle
Week 3: Using color
Week 4: Using the tangle as a page/tile border
Week 5: Creating letterforms
Week 6: Creating shape
Week 7: Zendala fun
Each week includes examples of how to use these elements and provides practice areas for you to have a go. Remember, mine are just suggestions. You are welcome and encouraged to do your own thing!
At the end of the book there are some pages with blank tiles printed onto them for general practice. You may want to use these as you go or as a place to combine your newly acquired talents when you’ve completed the workbook. That’s completely up to you.
So, grab your pen, turn the page and let’s get started!