Remember when you were in junior high and high school, and you filled the front of your notebook with crazy doodles while you listened to the teacher? Well, I have been playing around with those lately. I've used them in some journal pages and as borders for projects. This doodle making process has actually been marketed by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts and they call their products "Zentangle."
If you want to try it, it's easy. Find a nice black permanent pen (Faber-Castell Pitt Pens or Sakura Micron are my favorites) and some smooth white paper. Draw a circle (I use a plate or something to trace around) or a free hand square. This one is almost 5 inches arcross. Then just put a few swooping lines to start yourself off. Make them overlap, because you are creating spaces to fill in with patterns.
Then just start filling in the spaces with pattern...circles, checkerboards, flowers, stripes, whatever comes to mind. Turn your paper as needed...there's no right side up until you say so. As you go along you will probably find that you want to keep subdividing the bigger spaces and that's cool. Don't get in a hurry, make your marks deliberately, and smoothly....you will find that it's relaxing, and even meditative. You can easily do this while watching a movie, listening to music, or listening to a speaker (if you don't have to take notes). In fact, I did this often when in school and found that I was more attentive and remembered more if my hands were busy with something like this (probably a little ADD).
Keep going until you have filled it all...or your movie is over. If you want inspiration for more patterns to use look here...there are tons of great ideas.
Here I've used some on the beginning of a journal page. They are pretty addicting, but they won't hurt you or drive your friends away, so it's all good!
5 comments:
That is beautiful. I think I will try that in my journal. Thanks for showing me how.
Jennifer
Zentangling is so cool! I love the hand that you have created on the journal.I would be delighted to hear you ropinion of mine. I have some posted at http://DoodleMeanings.com
Are you going to carry on exploring the tangling? What is your next approach to it going to be?
Thanks for posting!
This is cool !
I like the little things you added in teh end to the circle (they look like pins sticking out) and the hand is neat. I remember doing that (far too often I was told) and even being told by teachers to stop, but drawing kept me focused on what I was listening to and it kept me still in my seat (again that ADD thing, ha). I also used to draw in my dads note books when I was on the phone in his office, didnt know it but he kept many of them, and one thing he used on his business card. Wish I had kept some of the pages I created while in class, would be fun to see today.
You are really good at these!! You are so right, they are so relaxing and I listen better too when my hands are engaged!! LoVe all the pretty detail on your blue hand!! Just so Cool!!
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