Zentangle patterns › What is Zentangle?
What Is Zentangle®? A Beginner’s Guide
The Zentangle® Method is a way of drawing structured patterns, called tangles, one stroke at a time on a small square of paper. You do not plan a picture in advance, you cannot make a mistake that needs an eraser, and each tile takes about fifteen minutes.
Where it comes from
The method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, and “Zentangle” is a registered trademark of their company, Zentangle, Inc. They teach it through Certified Zentangle Teachers™ (CZTs). This site is independent: the drawings and explanations here are our own beginner-friendly versions, not official instructions.
What you need
- A tile: traditionally a 3.5″ × 3.5″ square of good paper. Any paper will do to start.
- A fine black pen for the lines and fills.
- A pencil for the corner dots, border and string, and later for shading.
There is no eraser on purpose: an unexpected line becomes part of the drawing.
The eight steps of a tile
A Zentangle tile is usually made in the same eight steps:
- Gratitude and appreciation. Take a breath and settle in before you start.
- Corner dots. With the pencil, put a light dot near each corner.
- Border. Join the dots with a loose pencil line.
- String. Draw a pencil line or two across the tile to split it into sections.
- Tangle. With the pen, fill each section with a tangle, one stroke at a time.
- Shade. Add pencil shading to give the tangles depth.
- Initial and sign. Put your initials on the front and sign the back.
- Appreciate. Hold the tile at arm’s length and look at what you made.
Zentangle, zendoodle and doodling
| Zentangle® Method | Zendoodle | Doodling | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A specific method with a set sequence | Informal word for doodles in a similar repetitive style | Any unplanned drawing |
| Subject | Abstract; no planned picture | Often inside a recognisable shape (an animal, a letter) | Anything |
| Format | Small square tile, black ink, pencil shading | Any size, often coloured | Any |
| Eraser | None | Up to you | Up to you |
Where to start
Learn one tangle at a time and repeat it a few times before moving on. These four use only the basic strokes and are good first tangles:
Crescent Moon curves and auras along an edge
Knightsbridge a simple grid with a bold black fill
Tipple orbs and a black background
Printemps spirals that fill any space
Then print the free practice workbook and fill a tile with three or four different tangles.
Questions
Do I need to be good at drawing?
No. Every tangle is built from five simple strokes (dots, lines, C-curves, S-curves and orbs), drawn one at a time, so no drawing experience is needed.
Is Zentangle a form of art therapy?
Many people find it relaxing and use it to unwind, and some teachers use it in wellbeing programmes, but on its own it is a drawing method, not a therapy. If you are looking for support with your health, talk to a qualified professional.
How long does one tile take?
Usually about fifteen minutes, which is part of the appeal: a whole piece fits into a short break.