Tangle patterns › Crescent Moon
How to Draw Crescent Moon, Step by Step
Crescent Moon is a row of black half circles sitting on an edge, wrapped in echo lines ("auras") that ripple outward. It is one of the first tangles most people learn because it only uses curves and auras.
Step 1 of 4
Along one edge, draw a row of half circles that touch the edge at both ends.
Watch it draw stroke by stroke, pause on any step, then try it yourself on paper.
Crescent Moon step by step
Step 1Along one edge, draw a row of half circles that touch the edge at both ends.
Step 2Fill each half circle with solid black.
Step 3Draw an aura: a line that follows the outside of the half circles at an even distance.
Step 4Keep adding auras, each one following the line before it, until the section is full.
Tips for a neat Crescent Moon
- Keep the gap between auras about the same as your pen width times four; even spacing matters more than perfect circles.
- Rotate the tile as you draw so your hand always pulls the curve toward you.
- Where two auras meet between moons, let them form a small point instead of a rounded dip.
Variations to try
- Leave the half circles white and fill every other aura band instead.
- Draw the moons along a curved string line rather than a straight edge.
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