My take on Zentangles

When I first heard of Zentangles on the arttechniques email list, I wasn't very interested. After hearing about it for awhile, though, I decided to give it a try.....with a twist. Zentangles are normally done in black ink on white paper. So first I tried it in colored pencil on white paper. It turned out quite well. I liked the visual impact of the rich colors. Next, I decided to try colored pencil on black paper. I was very happy with how it turned out. One reason I like this (beyond the coolness factors of abstract design and fun creative process) is that it is a good way to hone my drawing skills. Since I just started a med that makes my hands stop shaking, I hope I will make major progress in this area over time (both with the Zentangles and with my fantasy drawings.) I also taught some of my sixth graders to make Zentangles, and they too are having fun coming up with their own patterns and variations.