Altenew Academy Zentangle Lesson 1

Hi Everyone! Today I’m sharing a card I created as homework for Altenew Academy class, Zentangle For Cardmakers, taught by the fabulous Amber Davis. After only one class, I have to tell you that I already am obsessed with this new-to-me technique!

Technique: This first lesson showed us the technique called aura in which you add drawn lines into your stamped images.

altzen16 — I used the newly released Frilled Petals stamps, dies, and mask stencil for this project.

Tips – Here are some of my practice images, and some tips I discovered in tangling today:

Add interest by making some lines further apart, closer together, lines created from a single point, draw two lines closer together, etc.
It would be beautiful on some stamps to leave some petals with no tangling and select petals with drawn lines.
Try various size pens to draw wider or narrower lines.
Stamp or color your images before or after tangling for dramatic effect. Here I used my Altenew Artist Markers to color my flowers.
Add movement to your lines to mimic the organic lines in nature.
Use a stamping ink that doesn’t smudge or smear with coloring mediums. For instance, I used the Altenew Permanent Black ink for my work here.

altzen15 — I used the new frilled petals mask stencil to softly add leaves in Wisteria Crisp Ink with Silver Stone blended overtop with splatters of black paint and Lavender Fields Spray Ink to the background cardstock.

Tricks:

I found that I preferred not to use the shaded stamp layer to guide my tangling. I liked free-handing it better. I think my shading experience with markers and coloring helped guide the placement and movement of the lines.
Using a relaxed hand, and thus a very light touch, created a better line.
White space adds interest! Whether it’s in your coloring or in tangling, don’t forget that light and dark create dramatic effects.

I will have many more tips and tangling techniques as I work through the class over the next few days. You can still join in the fun with this class at Altenew Academy! What do you think? Are you ready to tangle with me? Thanks for joining me in the craftroom today! Love and artsy hugs!

Erin

PS – No affiliate links were used in this blog post. I just like to share some of my favorite crafty products in case you are interested in them as well. All ideas and opinions are my own.