Zentangle is a fascinating activity for anyone who enjoys being creative. But Zentangle is not just a nice hobby. The creative method is extremely helpful for project managers, consultants or coaches - in short, for anyone who deals with visual forms of expression in their job. Anyone who regularly works with mind maps or flow charts can use this relaxing technique to train their visual ability to express themselves. The Zentangle method is also an excellent warm-up for further creative work.

What is Zentangle? The Art of Meditative Doodling

Zentangle - the name alone is a small work of art. It is reminiscent of the meditative calm of Zen. The English noun tangle means tangle, jumble or ball. At the same time, Zentangle is similar to the word rectangle. This is also an appropriate association, because a Zentangle is created in a rectangular frame. What is behind it? A wonderfully creative method that allows everyone to express themselves visually and artistically.

Zero Experience Needed! Easy Steps to Get Started with Zentangle

The inventors of Zentangle are the artist Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, who has many years of experience in meditation and spiritual techniques. By chance, both realized that spontaneously drawing simple patterns is relaxing and leads to exceptionally beautiful results.

The Zentangle method is very simple: a frame is drawn on a square piece of paper or cardboard and filled with simple patterns. This creates a Zentangle tile. Classic Zentangle patterns are abstract and do not represent anything pictorially. A black felt-tip pen for drawing and a pencil for gray shading are sufficient.

Zentangle is just as suitable for beginners as it is for advanced and professional users. Those who have discovered the creative activity for themselves can name many advantages of the method. On the one hand, these are relaxation, stress relief and the joy of effortlessly creating something beautiful. On the other hand, the method trains the ability to express oneself through drawing without much effort.

Essential Zentangle Patterns: Learn the Basics & Create Beautiful Art

For a Zentangle tile, you can use the official materials or just a pen and paper. The important thing is that you have enough peace and quiet to relax while drawing.

Step 1 - Draw the boundary

Draw four dots on your piece of paper and connect them with lines to form a rectangular or square frame. Alternatively, you can experiment with circular shapes.

Step 2 - Draw the strings

Draw some curved lines, circles or semicircles - the so-called strings - in your frame. This creates sections that give structure to your Zentangle.

Step 3 - Draw the tangles

Draw simple, small patterns along the lines and within the sections. These can be circles, straight and curved lines, dots or square shapes. Complete the patterns with other patterns until your Zentangle is full.

Step 4 - Draw shading

If you want, you can add shading with a pencil. Coloring is not one of the classic Zentangle techniques, but it is possible as a final step.

Pens used:

Black Sharpie Schwarz @amazon »

Faber Castell Pencil @amazon »

Find Your Artistic Flow: Relaxing Techniques for Zentangle

Learning Zentangle doesn't take much time. You can start your first attempt after a short tutorial. You can find Zentangle patterns for inspiration online on official Zentangle sites. Of course, you can also book a Zentangle course and have an experienced trainer introduce you to the method.

Just try it! You decide what your work of art will look like in the end. With clear Zentangle instructions, the first steps are easy. The great thing is that you can't make any mistakes. Every idea, every inspiration and every line is right. Choose the patterns and ornaments that you like to create a unique Zentangle tile.

Bonus: Tips & Tricks to Take Your Zentangle Art Further

Zentangle is a wonderful way to retreat and relax. It is also a nice group activity, for example at workshops or seminars. For artists, a Zentangle is an ideal warm-up technique for the subsequent creative process. Relaxed drawing achieves a creative flow that has a positive effect on artistic work.

Drawing a Zentangle, for example, can also be a wonderful warm-up exercise if you want to learn to draw sketchnotes. Because it is so much fun and so effective, the Zen Doodle is part of our Sketchnotes Journal. Do it like the pros and use this pleasant time out to improve your drawing skills in a playful and creative way. And soon you too will be able to draw Zen Doodles like these:

An excerpt from our Sketchnote Journal ».