For the first year of tangling, I did not shade my work because I couldn’t do it “right” and it conflicted with my inner perfectionist. When I took my Zentangle® Certification Teaching class, I learned how to shade properly, and now I never do a black-and-white tangle without it. It now looks naked. The trick with shading is to understand that it takes the area shaded into the background. It gives your work dimension. So if you want a particular spot to stand out, don’t shade it—shade around it. That said, there really is no right or wrong way to shade your tangles. Each of us takes a different approach, and that’s part of the beauty of this art form—everything you do is OK and part of what makes your work unique. Don’t use your eraser; just go with your instinct and see what happens. You will not be disappointed! (1) STATIC Sakura Pigma Micron pen, graphite pencil I’ve used a basic tangle, called Static, in the example (1). I’ve left the first example (1) blank so you can see the difference shading creates.
What do You think about Zentangle Untangled (2012)?
