Zenart - free drawing with the effect of meditativeness. This simple style can be mastered by anyone. In fact, any graphics that consists of interweaving of fairly simple patterns, lines, and shapes can be considered a zenart. The zenart technique develops an eye, fantasy, teaches you to harmoniously build a composition, trains the emotional sphere, and is an excellent way of self-regulation.
Usually some contour is chosen for zenart, which the . Any geometric figure that can be drawn by hand, a drawing with unshaded areas, even children's coloring, is suitable as an outline.
Of course, you will need a drawing tool, which can be gel pen, liner or marker. Someone even draws a simple ballpoint pen, but the line from such a rod is still not so spectacular and smooth.
So it's better to take a liner, disconnect from the outside world for a while, and start filling the selected contour with all sorts of squiggles, lines, figures, dots, etc. That's all you need - nothing supernatural!
Possible difficulties
And here in front of you is a sheet with a prepared outline, in your hand is a nice brand new liner (or a stylish gel pen), it would seem - take it and draw! So no - the hand does not even dare to touch the sheet, not to draw a line: “What if it’s not like that? Suddenly it won't work? Wrong draw, ugly? And where do I get so much imagination to come up with such intricate patterns, and even depict them ?! Nooo! If you don't know how, don't take it!"
Or, another option: perhaps you have already begun to create, but instead of the promised peace, meditativeness, you feel some tension that grows and even turns into irritation. How so? Maybe the zenart technique is not your forte at all? And let others do it, and you will do something more useful or familiar?
Don't give up so soon! This is how our inner critic, which sometimes saves our lives and health, and at times simply stifles us with its care and criticism, does not allow us to take off, feel the happiness of life and freedom of creativity.
Remember that you just decided to try, allow yourself to draw incorrectly, give yourself the right to make a mistake! Let the Critic rest, and you try to do something new for yourself, unexpected, unusual - this is what develops and inspires.
Where to begin?
There are no specific objects in zenart - this is intuitive drawing(although very specific objects may be present in doodling, but this is a slightly different story), therefore, the patterns are composed, woven, connected from the simplest motifs. But all this beauty needs to be somehow harmoniously placed, arranged inside the contour. How to be?
To not get stuck on early stages, you can practice drawing templates and frames for zenart. At the preparatory stage, it is even better to completely consciously draw a template, so that later you can start unconsciously filling it with a drawing.
The simplest thing is to start with geometric shapes. To prepare such a base frame, you need to draw on the sheet by hand, for example, a triangle, circles different sizes, polygons. They can overlap, but there shouldn't be too many of them.
If you want to end up with an abstract picture that can look expressive from any angle (for example, they don’t have a top or bottom - they can be viewed from any angle), then try to imagine that these figures seem to “fall” from above onto a sheet, that is, they themselves sheet of paper is the bottom.
All resulting geometric figures will be, as it were, internal borders on the sheet, which will need to be gradually filled with patterns. As you fill, some parts will stand out, others will fade into the background, the drawing will become voluminous.
Zenart drawings can also be in color: either one shade is used or patterns are painted in different colors - everything is at the request and taste of the author.
In zenart, although there are no rules and regulations, the main value in creating an expressive drawing is a clear line. By drawing many different patterns, you can train your hand over time, and the lines will turn out easily and clearly. On separate leaves, you can compose your own patterns to paint the contours of the zenart. Some fans of this style eventually have entire albums of such sketches.
If you want to improve your skills, then the zenart technique is very suitable and you can sign up for special courses that are easy to find on the Internet.
The main thing - do not limit yourself, try, create, be inspired!
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On April 16, an unusual website will be launched on the Portal creative competition. We are holding it together with the Center for Creativity and Psychology Middleway, the organizer of the festival of psychology and business "Soul and Deed". For our members of the forum there will be a free workshop on Zen graphics on 16.04.15 at 19.00.
Registration for the seminar by phone. 89501044258 . P duration 2 hours. For everyone. Venue address: (Baikalskaya 1888\3, 10th floor, intercom 61)
Read more about the competition and prizes for participants in the topic
What is Zen Graphics:
“Zen graphics are a kind of yoga for the mind. It is especially useful for adults who, due to circumstances, use a laptop more often than a pen and paper. We do not hesitate to scribble when we talk on the phone, quickly write something in the diary, and all these actions are completely automatic.
But when we draw NOT familiar, NOT standard or simply NOT familiar symbols and lines, the brain works as actively as possible, because it receives and processes a new skill, the automaticity of actions goes away and the brain receives the necessary unloading for effective functioning.
It is the zen graphics that will fully let you feel what real meditation is. Rhythmic drawing of repetitive elements pacifies chaotic thoughts, disciplines the work of the brain and introduces a person into a state of deep calm. As you draw, the “mental noise” completely stops and a “state of no-mind” sets in, which, in fact, is the goal of any meditation.
Zen Graphics allows you to quickly and easily create stunningly beautiful images, even for those people who are absolutely far from drawing! Due to a very simple technique, an understandable methodology and a whole arsenal of already existing basic techniques, you will be able to create incredibly beautiful compositions from the very first lesson.
Materials and tools: as an additional technique, watercolor, art markers, colored pencils, pastels, collage are well suited. Moreover, pencils, markers and pastels can be used on top of the finished work. Also suitable as a base colored paper for pastel or craft. The optimal size is A3.
Gel and capillary pens (black, colored) are suitable for drawing graphics. Capillaries have an advantage: they come in different thicknesses. For filling large black "pieces" a permanent marker is good.
Approximate sequence:
Decide on the direction of work, with the idea. What and what will become.
After that, mark the contours of future work with a pencil. The basis can be plot or abstract. The only requirement for the base is mosaic, that is, the presence of "pieces" of different shapes, which will be filled with graphics and other techniques. There is also a "bionic" approach, when the work begins to "grow" from any part of the sheet and the author does not suspect what the work will turn into in the final. The most interesting, "Zen", but also the most "scary")
Start filling in graphics. The graphic techniques themselves can be peeped (it will still turn out to be yours, author's) or compose. Excessive complexity is not needed, sometimes simple tricks are the most effective.
Process: This work is generally very process-oriented. The result will happen by itself, side by side. The main task is to catch the pleasure of the process. If you do not focus on "finish", then along the way you will find a lot of interesting discoveries and bonuses.
Everyone creative discoveries and success!
Zen drawing.
Best of all draws patience, calmness and water.
Water leaves a mark. Just help the water with a brush. Water is a simple and natural substance in Nature. Guided by the laws of the latter, you need to act. In this case, you will be realizing what is called non-doing. You do nothing, you just follow the laws of Nature. Nature does everything by itself, do not interfere with it. Study It, observe It. You are a tool and nothing more. Become aware of yourself as an instrument. Feel the flow of Nature.
The tenderness of an orchid...
durability of bamboo
water change...
What to do if you "do not feel"? Just think it up. Much is the fruit of our thoughts, our imagination. We ourselves revive our thoughts. Revive yourself, guided by the laws of Nature.
How to understand its laws? You need to listen to the breath of the wind, learn calmness from the mountains, look at the world like the moon.
We cannot portray what we do not feel, what we are not.
Drawing is one of the ways of studying Nature. Whatever your first drawings look like, remember that drawing drawings is not a goal, but a path that must be carefully followed. The ability to draw is the ability to observe and see.
Let me remind you of the means that you have in your arsenal: patience, inner peace, joy, deep breathing, a relaxed body, contemplative admiration *. Make sure you have them. Probably, there may be other tools, come up with them yourself.
Some tools may appear on their own during the practice of Zen drawing. Start gradually. First, listen to the body by starting yoga, for example, or qigong, or any other body-energy practice. Such practices are designed to restore the natural rhythms in the body and coordination.
Then add light poetry or reading other refined and spiritual literature. Start admiring the works of the greats recognized masters.
Do not under any circumstances be aesthetic! Therein lies the great danger! Strive for simplicity and freedom like children!
Then feel the joy of physical labor.
And then, you can start picking up a brush.
I can't teach you how to draw, only you can do it yourself. My task is to help you remove the obvious blocks and stereotypes, clamps and restrictions that prevent you from learning on your own.
Limitations are written in behavioral habits and muscles.
In the classroom, I correct your movements, help you understand the spontaneously manifesting character. Everything else just sort of happens by itself.
Good luck!
Contemplative admiration* - emotionless contemplation that brings peace.
Even in ancient times, people, creating drawings, used this method, drawing amazingly beautiful patterns on papyrus. Later, when the textile industry began to develop, people learned how to apply repeating elements to fabrics, making it unique, and only in the 21st century did this style of drawing get its name.
Currently, there are several directions:
1. Dudling is unconscious mechanical drawing when a person is busy with some business, for example, talking on the phone.
2 Zentangle is a black and white pattern created from repeating patterns, consisting of simple elements intertwining in an interesting way on a 9x9cm tile.
3. Zengraphics- combines these two areas with each other, harmoniously combining familiar images and abstract elements. By studying this direction in drawing, you can create your own unique paintings.
Drawing in the style of Zengraphics, you will feel relaxation, pleasure, calmness, purity of thoughts. This is meditation, the state of "here and now", this is what yogis are trying to achieve with the help of breathing practices - concentration of attention, freeing the head from thoughts.
It is quite difficult to achieve a state of concentration for a person who does not practice this, and if a person is in a state of stress, in a state of excitement, overload at work or in business, in a state of grief or resentment, then it is not possible to achieve silence in the head at all. Many have probably been in a state when, trying to fall asleep, thoughts are swarming so much that they cannot rest even in a dream. Zengraphics is an art therapy tool that will help you unleash your creativity. This is a simple affordable way to relieve stress, learn concentration, eliminate fear white sheet, enjoy the process of drawing and relax.
School of Creativity Tatyana Sham "Create Yourself" has developed a UNIQUE COURSE on ZENGRAPHICS especially for you.
You want:
- try yourself in a new creative process,
- learn how to create beautiful patterns,
- Relax and de-stress
- learn to relieve stress in any moment of life,
- acquire confidence, harmony,
- increase your efficiency and concentration,
stop evaluating and comparing
- to know yourself from a new side,
- develop intuition
- get great pleasure from the process of drawing!
I shared my thoughts on creating a base for a zentangle, how to draw wireframes for zenart patterns.
In this, the sixth lesson, I continue the theme of geometric abstract wireframes, and also consider patterns for drawing zenart with objects.
Intuitive, meditative drawing is based on an "unconscious" process. Therefore, the hallmark of meditative drawing is a small number of specific objects. Plant forms - leaves, flowers, may be present, but in a schematic form. In fact, it is not necessary to focus on reproducing the objects of the surrounding world, the whole meaning of what is happening is lost. Doodling is another matter.
That is why I want to dwell once again on geometric "frameworks". Zentangle tiles with their line and small size are, of course, simpler, but what to do with large drawings, with zentangle pictures? The zenart technique is not only about drawing different patterns, but also about how to place them, arrange them, do it easily and not get stuck on the simplest moments. And then some see a simple zenart feather, admire and say: “No, I can’t ...” You can definitely, if you want! The main thing is to know where to start =)
I decided in this course to collect zenart lessons for beginners for free in order to understand the basic things. And if you feel that drawing in this style is yours, then it makes sense to continue to improve, equip yourself with good tools and gain deeper knowledge in courses and studios.
So let's go. Zentangle tiles, in classic version, you can rotate it any way you like. The pattern has no bottom and top, patterns can be directed in different sides and are not subject to the laws of gravity. So it is with other abstract Zen drawings. Such a picture can be hung on the wall and periodically rotated, it will always look interesting and harmonious.
However, according to my observations in the classroom, many cannot get off the ground and try to root the drawing. Yes, it happens to me too. There is an excellent exercise for the development of "weightlessness". In addition, novice draftsmen have an ambush with composition (the arrangement of elements in a drawing). This is a situation where a person begins to draw elements, and gets confused, or puts all the shapes into an inexpressive “heap”. This exercise helps answer these questions.
Exercise 1
We need to draw geometric shapes by hand, and fill the resulting sectors with different patterns. In order for there to be no “bottom and top” in the drawing, imagine that you are putting figures on paper. That is, the "earth" is the paper itself.
- I have a drawing on half an A4 sheet. I drew the border wavy line, with indents from the edge of the sheet by about 2 centimeters. How smaller size limited area, the fewer shapes you need to draw, otherwise the sectors will turn out to be too small.
- To make it easier to scatter the figures on the sheet, you need to push off from something. At the heart of my composition is the placement of the basic three shapes in a triangle. In Figure 1, you see the basic triangle that I mentally drew, for you I show it with a red dotted line.
Do not draw a dotted line, this is just a guideline for the composition, but you can mark three points with a pencil - the vertices of the triangle. In the area of the left corner I placed a circle, and further in the area of the other two corners I placed a quadrilateral and a triangle. You can draw other shapes. Use this principle for zendoodle compositions, it is especially suitable for flower "bouquets".
So, I had three reference figures marked in red
Then I added three more circles. As you can see, they are also arranged in a triangle. I add parts of large figures with corners from the border, also “scattering” them in different directions. Thus, a frame with a certain composition is obtained. How it will look in the end with patterns is still unknown, since filling the form with patterns is completely meditative drawing.
- From some figure, start drawing any pattern and then move intuitively. By filling the compartments with different patterns, you optically break the pattern into segments.
- As a result, you will emerge and even, perhaps, come to the fore, not the figures that you drew at the beginning, but those that were formed by superimposing the previous ones.
In my version, some patterns in neighboring sectors have the same element at the base or the same base, but different development, and it creates a feeling of transition from one space to another.
So, having quite consciously built a frame, you can then plunge into the unconscious flow of bizarre patterns. Over time, building such frames becomes easier, and they no longer get stuck on it.
And now let's move on to the second part of the "framework" topic.
Templates for drawing zenart with objects.
Drawing in the style of zenart is not necessarily and not only meditative drawing. This is also a style in art that does not limit us to any special rules.
Contours of houses, trees, feathers, living creatures, household items, etc. are an excellent basis for filling with patterns.
Tangle-painted cats, feathers, etc. are very popular, so let's take a look at how to draw these drawing patterns.
The difficulty in drawing such a wireframe can be the very shape of the object. If you have the skill of drawing objects of the world around you, great. If not, then you can draw an outline from children's coloring pages. For young children, low-detailed coloring pages are made, and they are often great for zen art.
For the exercise, I decided to take a form more complicated than a feather, a leaf or a fish.
Exercise 2. Zenart butterfly.
We draw the outline of the butterfly.
Sometimes it can be difficult to draw symmetrical butterfly wings. Is it possible to draw symmetrically? Great, draw a symmetrical butterfly. If it doesn’t work out, then the choice is simple: we draw non-symmetrical living creatures, or we train to draw symmetrically, or we download the finished contour from me to or from another place.
Choose the option that suits you and let's go.
I will show a drawing option for the non-symmetrical butterfly pattern itself.
You can start with the calf, but I start with the wing, because the wing covers the body a little, and is located on foreground.
We draw the borders of the wings, and then the body.
After drawing the outer borders, draw the inner borders - a tangle to fill with patterns.
In this version, I drew patterns with simple liners, but in color it will look even better.
If you download somewhere, then look at the detail of the wings. Usually the wings already have some kind of drawing for coloring, but it’s better not to have this. Then you can draw your patterns the way you want. My zenart tutorials for beginners are provided with applications for download for free. You can take my butterfly templates for coloring or view them as examples in the Coloring Pages section.
I gave you just a few options for creating the basis for tangles. There are many of them, of course. Imagine, create!