1. Project:
Zentangle
Vocabulary (elements of art/principles of design are noted in bold):
Pattern, repetition, line, artistic intention, appropriation (or “appropriate”)
What we are learning (project description):
Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured
patterns.
Why we are learning this:
It looks cool.
Also because it helps us get better at line control, it increases our focus and creativity and it provides
us with artistic satisfaction.
How will I know I’ve learned it (my goals):
My paper will have a border drawn to define the space of the Zentangle.
My paper will be divided up into smaller areas, and each area will contain a different pattern.
If I am having trouble thinking of a pattern I can look at examples or I can appropriate patterns I see
others using.
My paper will be about equal parts black and white.
Lines will be drawn with artistic intention, so no lines will look “sketched”
Media:
Pen & Ink
Materials/Supplies:
White Paper
Tools/Equipment:
Sharpie marker or fine point felt-tip pen
Instructions:
1. Get a piece of paper and a pen/marker
2. Draw a border about ½” inside the edges of the paper. It doesn’t have to be rectangular; it can have curves
and angles.
3. Start divining up the space inside the border by drawing lines across the page (staying inside the borders).
The lines can be straight, angled, or curved, whatever you choose. The goal is to divide the space up into
smaller spaces, because repeating the same pattern over the entire page would get boring, but you don’t
want the spaces so small that you can’t fit a pattern inside of them.
4. Now you’re ready for the patterns. Here are some guidelines:
Patterns are drawn with intention, which means you think about what you want to draw before you
draw it. It also means you are not “sketching” in the space.
No two areas should have the same pattern.
If you can’t think of a pattern to draw you can look at the examples, or you can appropriate patterns
you see others using.When an artist appropriates, it means he or she is inspired by somebody else’s
work and they use somebody else’s idea to make something of their own based on that idea.
5. Continue filling in each space until all spaces are filled. Your paper should be about ½ black, ½ white. If you
finish and your paper still looks mostly white see if you can add details to some of your patterns.