How to draw Zentangle-Inspired Artwork

Last week I was trying to finish an artwork but messed up the lettering part. It took me a long time to finish the piece, so I was slightly disappointed. But what’s a better cure than starting another artwork? And unlike other artworks, I finished this one in record time. In this post, I will share a step-by-step tutorial on how I created this artwork and some tips that I hope will be useful. At the end of the post you will find a link to my YouTube tutorial.

My biggest takeaway from this experience was to stop overthinking. Just let the ideas flow, let your instincts drive your hands – draw what you feel is right at that moment. I didn’t look for references or think too much about the outcome. It was all about being present in the moment, drawing what felt right, and the process was truly liberating.

Tools: just my old fine liner pens – .02 and .04 . I use .04 for coloring and .02 for drawing the patterns. I usually draw in my sketchbook, but for this artwork, I used cardstock that I had kept for scrapbooking purposes. You can use any medium you like.

I started by scribbling some lines across the surface. I wanted to add different patterns in different sections. I decided to outline all the patterns so that I could determine how dense the patterns would look. I didn’t want to keep too many fine detailed patterns in one spot. I include florals and wide patterns to keep some breathing space between intricate designs.

Had to grab a tissue because in this medium the ink didn’t dry quickly and I was afraid I would start smudging all the patterns.

I filled in the space towards the end, and as you can see, the patterns have started to pop out and look prettier. Always, trust the process.

A bit of shading with black pencil color. I am very new to shading, still learning how to use it properly in zentangle patterns. I like how the final design looks after a little bit of shading.

Here’s the final design. Recently, I learned a trick to prevent theft of your designs – always take photos from an angle. I don’t know how much it is going to help, but that’s what I do now.