TeachKidsArt

a resource for teachers & families

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Artist Birthdays
  • SHOP TPT
  • About
  • Contact
  • TIP Vault

Tangle Drawings

By Cheryl Trowbridge 9 Comments

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print
Tangle drawing by Krista, grade 4Tangle drawings are like sophisticated “doodles”, with an endless variety of possibilities!

Visit Zentangle.com (and its companion Flickr site) to be inspired and see how one couple has turned these simple, yet sophisticated drawings into a world-wide craze!


Vocabulary:

  • Tangle – a confused mass of something that is twisted together
  • Elements of Art & Principles of Design – the building blocks from which a piece of art is made (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, space) and the way they are organized or arranged (balance, movement, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, pattern, unity).


Materials:

  • white paper, 9×12 or smaller
  • Black Sharpies, F & UF, or Sakura Pen
  • Colored pencils (optional)

Directions:
1. Using a black UF Sharpie (or an equivalent type of pen), draw a continuous, or semi-continuous, line that weaves in and out across your paper, creating separate sections with interesting shapes. This is the time to include a border if you want one.

2. Now fill those sections with patterns of lines, shapes, or both!

3. Continue adding more detail with lines and shapes. Each section should be filled with a unique pattern. Consider how you are using the elements of art and principles of design to achieve a successful composition.

4. Add color if you wish!

A teacher workshop “tangle-in-progress” by Cindy

 

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

You may also like...

Default ThumbnailGrade 3 Portfolios – The Shapes and Colors of Joy Default ThumbnailEasy Mondrian Default ThumbnailGrade 4 Portfolios – “Ish” Drawings Default ThumbnailAlphabet Soup Art – The Verdict is In!

Filed Under: Abstract (Non-representational), Abstract Design, Drawing, Elements of Art, Lessons, Markers / Pen and Ink Tagged With: drawing, elements of art, pattern, tangles, Zentangles

Comments

  1. Denise (mrspicasso) says

    at

    Cool! Kinda reminds me of Bridget Riley. Love your blog- keep up the good work!

    Reply
  2. Kathy says

    at

    I have visited the site about the zentangles before, and have been wondering about using those ideas to review and practice the elements and principles of art with my students in grades 3 – 6. Thank you for highlighting this topic!

    Reply
  3. Janie B says

    at

    I love this idea. I have taught something similar, but I'm glad to have backup ideas and samples to show the kids. I just ordered the book from Zentangles. Thanks for the link.

    Reply
  4. Char says

    at

    I did these end of the year with my 5th graders. Kept them occupied!

    Reply
  5. Kathy says

    at

    I did this with some of my classes during the year and they turned out really nice when mounted and placed on the wall. It took the students longer than I though to finish them.

    Reply
  6. Lori says

    at

    We did our version of this project and loved it!! Thanks for sharing. :)

    Reply
  7. tishalou says

    at

    Ahh this must be where I saw the zentangles… All I know is that I bought a book and now I'm hooked. Thanks for your great blog!!
    -tisha

    Reply
  8. Niesha says

    at

    Thanks! This was super fun to do with my daughters.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge | TeachKidsArt says:
    at

    […] Draw some Zentan­gles. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post - Follow by Email

Find a ** FREE ** Lesson (Below):

  • Lessons Inspired by Famous Artists
    • Britto, Romero
    • Burch, Laurel
    • Calder, Alexander
    • Carle, Eric
    • Cezanne, Paul
    • Chagall, Marc
    • Chihuly, Dale
    • Dali, Salvadore
    • Da Vinci, Leonardo
    • Delaunay, Robert & Sonia
    • Escher, M.C.
    • Goldsworthy, Andy
    • Haring, Keith
    • Johns, Jasper
    • Kahlo, Frida
    • Kandinsky, Wassily
    • Klee, Paul
    • Klimt, Gustave
    • Matisse, Henri
    • Miro, Joan
    • Mondrian, Piet
    • Monet, Claude
    • O’Keeffe, Georgia
    • Old Masters
    • Picasso, Pablo
    • Pollock, Jackson
    • Pompon, Francois
    • Posada, Jose
    • Remington, Frederick
    • Renoir, Auguste
    • Seurat, Georges
    • Seuss, Dr.
    • Van Gogh, Vincent
    • Van Honthorst, Gerard
    • Wood, Grant
  • Lessons by Holiday
    • 100th Day of School
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • International Dot Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Years
    • Other
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Lessons by Culture
    • Africa
    • America
    • Chile
    • China
    • Europe
    • Haiti
    • Japan
    • Mexico
    • Middle East
  • Lessons by Process
    • 3D / Sculpture
    • Bookmaking
    • Calligraphy
    • Collage
    • Drawing
    • Embossing
    • Folding
    • Lettering
    • Micrography
    • Mosaic
    • Origami
    • Painting
    • Paper Cutting
    • Paper Folding
    • Printmaking
    • Quilling
    • Recycling with Art
    • Sketching
    • Stitching / Embroidery
    • Weaving
  • Lessons by Medium
    • Acrylic
    • Clay
    • Colored Pencil
    • Crayon
    • Digital / Computer
    • Fabric / Fiber
    • Markers / Pen and Ink
    • Mixed Media
    • Oil Pastel
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Tempera
    • Watercolor
  • Lessons by Style
    • Abstract (Non-representational)
    • Abstract (Representational)
    • Cartoon
    • Cubism
    • Expressionism
    • Fantasy
    • Impressionism
    • Op Art
    • Orphism
    • Pointillism
    • Pop Art
    • Post Impressionism
    • Realism
    • Surrealism
  • Lessons by Subject
    • Abstract Design
    • Animals
    • Birds
    • Buildings
    • Butterflies
    • Cityscape
    • Color / Color Mixing
    • Creatures / Monsters
    • Cross
    • Faith
    • Elements of Art
    • Fish / Marine Life
    • Flowers
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hearts
    • Imagination
    • Landscape
    • Mandalas
    • Masks
    • Math with Art
    • Misc. Subjects
    • Names
    • Nature
    • Ocean / Seascapes
    • People
    • Portraits / Self-Portraits
    • Religion
    • Quilts
    • Scripture
    • Seasons
    • Sky
    • snow
    • Stars
    • Still Life
    • Trees
    • Words / Letters
  • … and More!
    • Bulletin Boards & Displays
    • Classroom Management
    • Elements of Art
    • Imagination
    • Inspiration
    • Middle School Art
    • News & Announcements
    • Philosophy
    • Portfolios
    • Product Reviews
    • Quotes & Stories
    • Supplies / Products
    • Teacher Workshops
    • Tips for Teaching Art

Follow me on
Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Teach Kids Art When you shop Amazon.com

TEACH KIDS ART IS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE. I earn a small commission when you visit Amazon.com by clicking through my site and make a purchase of any kind. This supports Teach Kids Art at no extra cost to you.

Click here to shop Amazon.com!

Related Posts

  • Review the Elements of Art with a Beachball Scavenger Hunt
  • Make a Crazy Crown Craft
  • Use Art Postcards to Teach or Review
  • How to Have an Elements of Art Scavenger Hunt in a Painting
  • Colorful Paper Flowers for Cinco De Mayo

Copyright © 2022 Cheryl Trowbridge / Teach Kids Art · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Design by Laugh Eat Learn



We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT