Free Zentangle Untangled by Kass Hall

Introduction
ZENTANGLE®.
    It’s a made-up word that many people have never heard, and those who have will tell you their thoughts on what it is.
    “It’s doodling.” I’ve heard that a lot.
    “I used to draw like that in high school.” I hear that a lot, too.
    “That is not real art.” Not my favorite response.
    I’m not going to sit here and tell anyone that they are wrong in their assumptions about what Zentangle is and why it’s not what most people think. I believe that the best way to make my point is by showing you why it’s different from anything you’ve seen or done before.
    That said, for the uninitiated, Zentangle is
not
what you think. It’s so much more.
    And after I have convinced you of that, I’m going to show you new ways of creating Zentangle-inspired art.
BE READY TO BE INSPIRED.

    INTRODUCTION
    watercolor, Sakura Pigma Micron pen
ZENTANGLE IS THE USE OF REPETITIVE, BASIC PATTERN DRAWING.
    It is simple. It is achievable. And you don’t even have to be able to draw. Why not, you ask? Because, actually, you can draw. Anyone can. You just need the tools and the know-how, and that’s where this book comes in.
    Zentangle is about being thoughtful. Deliberate. Focused. You cannot rush Zentangle. It won’t let you, because it forces you to stop, think about and feel what you’re doing.
    Zentangle can also be fast—it’s realistic to find ten minutes in your day in which to complete a Zentangle artwork.
    I often meet people who see my Zentangle-inspired artwork and tell me they can’t draw, they aren’t patient enough or they don’t have the time to devote to creative activity. One of the great joys in being a Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT) is that I can prove them wrong and introduce them to a whole new world. A world of creativity. Confidence. Calm.
    Zentangle is about embracing beauty—our own and that all around us. It is also about embracing the imperfections of life—in ourselves, in our world and, most important here, in our art. Like life, Zentangle is less than perfect. When my students worry that their lines are not straight, I ask them why they have to be straight. I ask them to find the beauty in the wonky lines they’ve drawn. It’s initially difficult for many, but they all eventually find their way to acceptance of their art. Joyfully, this often leads to acceptance of themselves.

    BROWN HAZE
    Sakura Pigma Micron pen, watercolor pencil

Zentangle and Me
I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY I WAS A CRAFTY KID.
    I took craft classes on Saturday mornings, I made my own recycled paper and I made my own gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Was I artistically talented? Fair to say, not very! But I loved it, and that was all that mattered to me.
    In 2009, I was completing both my Bachelor of Visual Art and Design degree and Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education university programs (things were busy!). Toward the end of the school year, I saw an article in
Cloth Paper Scissors
about Zentangle. Full of interesting drawings and color, it immediately caught my attention, and I soon discovered the online world of Zentangle.
    Little did I know how my life was about to change!
    Soon after, on a preplanned trip to New York, I contacted a local CZT, Robin Kraut, and we met in a coffee shop near New York University. Within minutes, I was a convert and proud owner of a Zentangle® kit. Our two-hour meeting became significantly longer!

    IHEART
    Sakura Pigma Micron pen, graphite pencil
    My kit became especially important to me in 2010 when I went through a very difficult situation with my work and health; Zentangle® became my escape from the stress and anxiety I felt. I literally spent weeks at a time working on pages in a journal I had with preprinted photos of blank walls. It was the only thing I could do to stay focused and calm. I took my book and pen to restaurants, parties, doctor’s appointments­—anywhere. When I became stressed, I threw myself into my tangles and withdrew from