Zen art drawing forms. Zen graphics - meditative drawing

There are many trends in the fine arts of the new century. Recently, those that arose at the intersection of graphics, psychology and trends of the popular school of Zen, the famous religious and philosophical eastern teaching - Buddhism, have been gaining popularity. Zenart (or zenart)- one of these directions.

If we briefly outline the meaning of this concept, we can say that, in essence, this is meditative drawing. “Zen” is meditativeness, a special state of contemplation, peace of mind, which you need to enter. This state can be healing for a person; it helps the consciousness to “switch channels,” retune, “reboot,” which, in turn, can help resolve many problems that previously may have seemed completely insoluble.

In general, this altered state of human consciousness has many useful consequences, which relatively recently began to be studied by science. There are different ways to achieve this state. By and large and very generally, zenart can be called one of these methods.

Zenart, as a meditative drawing of patterns, is quite simple, accessible and variable. This can be a clear patented drawing of zentangles, or endless doodling, or the creation of circular mandala patterns. The main feature is that there are no strict rules, frameworks or requirements: everything is possible.

Any graphic image with patterns can be considered zenart. And in this sense, even a 5-year-old child will be able to create masterpieces, since no special artistic training or education is required. If you approach zenart from a practical point of view, you can note its originality and usefulness:

• accessible to everyone, from young to old (you can start even in kindergarten, even in retirement - the main thing is to like the process itself);
• does not require special costs and bulky devices;
• helps to relax, calm down, put thoughts and emotions in order, remove psychological barriers, calm down self-criticism and perfectionism;
• you can draw for just 20 minutes a day and get a finished drawing as a result, feel the effect of this meditative drawing;
• if you systematically draw zenart, you can learn to cope with your inner Critic, which, of course, protects us from many dangers, but also often makes it very difficult to live happily;
• Such intuitive drawing creation is very relaxing; concentrating on the drawing process helps to disconnect from external problems, turn on creativity, creativity, and let your imagination take flight.

Zenart teaches courage.

If you wanted to start drawing, but were afraid that it would not work, then through Zenart it will be much simpler and easier, since here it is impossible to draw incorrectly. This is another way to get to know yourself better. There are no expectations here (which means there will be no grievances or disappointments): any line can change, and no one ever knows what pattern will turn out in the end.

This is a great opportunity for children to develop fine motor skills.

For children, this is an excellent opportunity to develop fine motor skills, which, as you know, are very closely related to mental activity. In general, there are many advantages to such a fascinating hobby, and perhaps if you start doing zenart yourself, new horizons will open up for you, and there will be some reasons and interests that will encourage you to engage in this method of free drawing.

Pitfalls at the beginning of the journey

It happens that people who decide to try to create using the zenart technique are very worried that they won’t have enough imagination, it won’t work, it won’t be beautiful. It is worth noting: any zenart drawings consist of simple patterns that are repeated in different versions. Take a closer look at any masterpiece, for example, posted on the Internet: the entire space of the drawing, the entire outline is filled with fairly simple lines, curls, dots, squares, etc.

All schemes and algorithms for drawing these patterns are very simple and accessible. You can get your hands on drawing these simple patterns and tangles, and then come up with your own unique combinations and weaves. Allow yourself to draw the way it turns out, the way you want, incorrectly, allow yourself to make mistakes - very interesting patterns can come out of the so-called “mistakes”.

What if you, inspired by the masterpieces you saw enough of on the Internet, seduced by the simplicity and accessibility of a new style of drawing, its effects, decided to start, and... Instead of the promised calm and meditativeness, you feel some kind of irritation and tension, thoughts begin to swarm in your head: “Bullshit.” some kind! Why do I need all this?! It would be better to do something useful!..” What is this?

Who can draw in the Zenart style?

Maybe Zenart is not for you? Don't rush to conclusions! Our brain works in such a way that something new is always perceived with caution and, first of all, the inner “Critic” is released for protection. Who whispers all these thoughts, grumbles, advises you to quit and “not suffer with bullshit,” but it’s better, for example, to clean your apartment or knit something, they say, and it’s more useful, and you knit perfectly.

What to do? Well, you can, of course, once again, give in to such pressure from the Critic and deprive yourself of new opportunities, new ways of development (after all, such a fate can await not only zenart in your life). Or you can come to an agreement with the Critic. How?

A good way is gratitude and a “we can try” attitude. It’s worth answering the Critic something like this: “Thank you for being so attentive to me and what I do. Yes, I see that my drawings are far from perfect yet, but I’ll try to draw more.” By the way, it would be nice to get to know your Critic better by observing him in the process of drawing: how does he appear, what does he say, how does he behave, what does he react to?

Maybe it turns out that he is tired of constantly standing on guard like this, protecting you from any rash steps. Which, by the way, can be very dangerous to health or life, so bow and respect to our Criticism! and have you been dreaming about a vacation for a long time? So let's let him relax for at least 20 minutes, because drawing is a safe activity, here he can be completely calm! Let him go for a walk somewhere and finally sleep.

We invite you to watch a video of how to draw pictures in the zenart style:

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Zen graphics is a meditative art that focuses primarily on the process rather than the result. It includes doodling And zentangle, - techniques available to absolutely everyone!

Zen graphics. Doodling

Doodling has existed since ancient times, and has been actively used by people at all times. Just remember the famous manuscripts of A.S. Pushkin, dotted with numerous drawings, in the margins and right on top of the text.

But the great poet might not have created so many brilliant masterpieces if he had not allowed himself this fun during the creative process. After all, as scientists found out, doodling has a very effective effect on a person’s mental potential. It allows you to concentrate, improves memory, gives the psyche rest and relaxation, makes the brain work more productively, turns on the imagination and opens the ability to think creatively.

In a study by British scientists, students who listened to a lecture while doodling learned information a whopping 29% better than those who were not distracted by doodling!

It turned out that doodling “includes” active work and trains the right hemisphere of the brain, the same one that is responsible for creativity, fantasy, creativity, and the ability to think alternatively. Typically, a person uses predominantly the left, “rational” hemisphere, which is responsible for logic and follows rules and patterns, even when drawing something specific.

It turns out that by writing squiggles and dashes in the margins, you improve the functioning of your brain.

In addition, the result of such unconscious creativity can be used by psychotherapists to analyze a person’s mood, his state of mind, desires, aspirations, and fears.

What’s remarkable is that you don’t have to wait for doodling to appear on its own. It can be caused purposefully by turning on your favorite music or audiobook, taking a pen and paper and simply trying to abstract yourself from everything in the world...

Zen graphics. Zentangle

If doodling is an almost uncontrollable creative process, then zentangle can be called both and a full-fledged drawing technique. This technique of Zen graphics has its own rules and standards. The images must be monochrome and consist of certain patterns (tangles), the diagrams of which should be learned before starting to draw, inscribed in squares measuring 9x9 cm.

Each tangle has its own name and its own “behavior” within the picture. The more patterns you master, the more interesting and whimsical your work will be.

There are no rules about what to draw and how to combine tangles. In Zentangle, you can give free rein to your imagination and create a complex image of amazing beauty, even without knowing how to draw.

The idea behind Zentangle (shading artist Maria Thomas and monk Rick Roberts) was to combine art with meditation. And, I must say, they succeeded. Zentangle captivates and focuses, forces the mind to focus on the moment “here and now” (as in monastic meditation), enjoying the process of creativity.

In the modern pace of life, such entertainment is simply necessary. Zentangle can be called a kind of “conscious doodling”. It relieves stress, helps you relax and express your creativity, corrects hand-eye coordination, and helps you gain self-confidence.

And, although zentangle is based on standard pattern patterns, it is important to remember that the main condition for this technique is your imagination and creativity. The more you bring your own to the drawing, the more you modify and complement existing tangles, the more impressive results you can achieve (both in the drawing itself and within yourself).

Meditative drawing

The beauty of Zen graphics is that it is never possible to put an end to its masterpieces. Zentangle can never be considered complete, and at any moment, on any day, being in a new mood, at a new stage of life, you can return to a drawing from the past in order to leave new strokes, new patterns, new images on it. Zen graphics is a flexible art and capable of endless changes, like life itself.

This drawing technique arose not so long ago, and its authors are artist Maria Thomas and monk Rick Roberts. It was they who discovered the meditative effect of drawing patterns and decided to develop a system that would help everyone who wanted to get the same experience and achieve relaxation while creating images.

What is Zentangle?

Zentangle is a special collection of repeating patterns that form an abstract image that does not carry a semantic load.

The name “zentangle” itself consists of two words: “zen” and “tangle” (“plexus, tangle”). The image shape is limited to a square, and there are a huge number of pattern options. The process of creating zentangles is called zentangling.

Zentangle Method Rules

This drawing technique is patented and implies compliance with certain rules:

• Zentangle patterns should be abstract, non-objective;
• Zentangle does not have one direction, it can be viewed from any side;
• zentangle is done in black and white colors;
• each zentangle pattern should consist of no more than six strokes;
• When drawing zentangle, it is not allowed to use a ruler or stencil;
• You cannot use an eraser.

Before drawing, be sure to take a comfortable position, stretch, and try to relax. When you draw a zentangle, every stroke, every movement should be conscious. This can be compared to writing Chinese characters. All your thoughts should be focused on the process of creating your drawing, and only on it.

Although you will first have to learn how to make certain Zentangle patterns, the final look of your Zentangle should not be known to you. Start drawing without any picture in your head, rely only on your imagination - who knows where it can take you. It is simply impossible to draw a zentangle “wrong” because there are no rules that determine how it should look in the end.

Zentangles are drawn on paper squares measuring 9x9 cm, which are called tiles. However, these frameworks do not interfere, but only contribute to the development of your creativity. Zentangle is designed in a small size so that the design can be completed in one go, spending no more than thirty minutes on it. This way, you can carry the tiles with you and relax by drawing at any time convenient for you.

The benefits of creating zentangles

According to research results, it has been proven that this drawing technique has an extremely positive effect on those who draw:

• creates a pronounced therapeutic effect;
• promotes relaxation;
• brings inspiration;
• promotes the development of creative abilities;
• relieves stress and negative emotions;
• saves from insomnia;
• improves hand-eye coordination and concentration.

For some artists, drawing zentangles even causes a “rapid sleep” effect, adding strength and clarity. The Zentangle method is one of many art therapy techniques.

Zentangling, zendoodle and doodling: what's the difference?

Zentangling is very often confused with such concepts as doodling and zendudling, although all these drawing techniques have differences.

Doodling represents a mechanical, unconscious drawing of spontaneous ornaments that come to mind on their own and do not carry a semantic load. This is what distinguishes doodling from zendudling, in which drawing occurs consciously and with concentration. In addition, doodling is not tied to any framework: doodles can be drawn anywhere and however you want. You've probably already done doodling without knowing it - for example, when you drew abstract patterns in your school notebook.

Zendoodling combines elements of both doodling and zentangling. Zendudling, like zentangling, is a deliberate process in which the artist concentrates and pays attention to every stroke. But, like doodling, zendoodles are not contained within tile boundaries and can take up as much space as you like. Also, zendoodles are not patented and are created from any ornaments and strokes.

Often the word used to describe zendudling is zenart . But in reality, zenart rather means all drawing techniques that are inspired by zentangling. Works in the zenart style can be of any form (not an abstract work, but, for example, an animal, a concrete object, or even a person), but they also consist of abstract patterns instead of shading.

There is also a meditative drawing technique called zendala , which is created from zentangle patterns, but is drawn in the shape of a circle. Zendala requires special concentration from the artist, since symmetry must be maintained within this circle.

Many of those who start drawing zentangle or zenart leave zendala for later as a higher level of skill.

What you need to draw zentangle

The original zentangle is created on special paper with a density of 260 g/m2. Cards for zentangles can be ordered online, but you can also make them yourself by cutting any thick paper into 9x9 cm squares. For example, drawing paper or watercolor paper are suitable for these purposes. You can draw zentangles not only on white, but also on black paper.

When you're just starting to learn how to draw Zentangle, don't rush to use up the cards. Buy a separate album where you can practice creating your first zentangles and developing patterns, and leave the paper cards for creating full-fledged works.

Since zentangle is done in black and white, you will have to purchase black pens, or white if you are drawing on black paper. Original zentangles are drawn with the highest quality pens. The best markers are special liner markers that produce rich black lines and are suitable for almost any surface. However, you can use black gel pens.

A ballpoint pen may not be suitable, since sometimes it leaves insufficiently bright, not very beautiful and abrupt lines, and zentangle strokes need to be drawn with one even line. Ordinary markers or felt-tip pens can also be a replacement option for the liner, but they draw thicker lines than may be necessary.

If you want to subsequently master not only Zentangle, but also Zendoodle or Zenart, you can stock up on colored pencils, pens, pastels, crayons or felt-tip pens with which you can decorate your creation.

How to draw zentangle

To learn how to draw a Zentangle, you need to learn and practice a variety of Zentangle patterns. At the moment, there are already a lot of them: some of them are patented patterns created by Maria Thomas, and the other part were invented by other artists and her followers.

Over time, you yourself will be able to come up with an original ornament suitable for Zentangling. But until then, you will have to purchase books with official patterns or find zentangle patterns for free on the Internet, in particular, on Maria's blog or on Pinterest and Tumblr.

As an example, we will look at several patterns that you can practice and use in the future to draw a zentangle.

• Take a card or draw an even square measuring 9x9 cm in your practice book.
• Within the square, mark another square with four dots. This frame does not have to be a strictly straight square shape; some of the sides may be slightly curved.
• The principle of any pattern is that you divide the frame with various curves, and then begin to fill each of the resulting parts with the pattern. In this case, within the frame, draw several horizontal wavy lines, with two rises, reminiscent of a camel's hump (see the picture below). Draw the first line with “humps” up, the line below with “humps” down, and alternate them in this way.
• Start filling the lowest segment with vertical arches that will seem to encircle it. You will end up with something that looks like a cocoon. Do the same with the remaining segments. Draw the boundaries between them thicker in black.
• As a final touch, shade each of the segments at the bottom using light shading. You can learn how to do shading from pencil drawing lessons.

It is necessary to work through each pattern, holding a visual step-by-step diagram before your eyes. Without clarity, it will be more difficult to understand how this or that pattern is created. See below for diagrams of several other patterns and ready-made zentangles using them.

Drawing someone else's ready-made zentangles contradicts the principle of meditative drawing, when you think through every segment and every stroke yourself, taking only ready-made zentangle patterns as a basis. However, you can watch, for example, the following video, where they draw a zentangle for beginners, to first try to repeat the same pattern:

I shared my thoughts on creating the basis for zentangle, how to draw frames for zenart patterns.

In this sixth lesson, I continue the theme of geometric abstract frames, and also look at templates for drawing zenart with objects.

Intuitive, meditative drawing is based on an “unconscious” process. Therefore, a distinctive feature of meditative drawing is a small number of specific objects. Plant forms - leaves, flowers - may be present, but in a schematic form. In fact, there is no need to focus on reproducing objects in the surrounding world; the whole meaning of what is happening is lost. Doodling is another matter.

That's why I want to dwell once again on geometric "frames." Zentangle tiles with their line and small size are, of course, simpler, but what to do with large drawings, with zendoodle 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. Otherwise, some people see a simple zenart feather, admire it and say: “No, I can’t…” You definitely can if you want! The main thing is to know where to start =)

In this course, I decided to collect Zenart lessons for beginners for free so that the basic things are clear. And if you feel that drawing in this style is for you, 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 the classic version, can be rotated any way you like. The pattern has no bottom or top; the patterns can be directed in different directions and are not subject to the laws of gravity. The same goes for other abstract Zen drawings. Such a picture can be hung on the wall and rotated periodically, it will always look interesting and harmonious.

However, according to my observations in classes, many cannot get off the ground and try to root the drawing. Yes, this happens to me too. There is an excellent exercise for developing “weightlessness”. In addition, beginning draftsmen have problems with composition (the arrangement of elements in a drawing). This is a situation when a person begins to draw elements and gets confused, or puts all the figures in an inexpressive “heap”. This exercise helps you understand these questions.

Exercise 1. Frame with geometric shapes

We need to draw geometric shapes by hand, and fill the resulting sectors with different patterns. In order to avoid “bottom and top” in the drawing, imagine that you are putting figures on paper. That is, the “ground” is the paper itself.

1. I have a drawing on half of an A4 sheet. I drew a border with a wavy line, with approximately 2 centimeters indented from the edge of the sheet. The smaller the size of the limited area, the fewer figures need to be drawn, otherwise the sectors will turn out to be too small.
2. To make it easier to scatter the shapes across the sheet, you need to push off from something. My composition is based on the placement of the basic three shapes in a triangle. In picture 1 you see the basic triangle that I mentally drew, I show it for you with a red dotted line.

Do not draw a dotted line, this is just a guide 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 then in the area of ​​the other two corners I placed a quadrangle 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 supporting figures, marked in red

Next I added three more circles. As you can see, they are also arranged in a triangle. I add parts of large shapes with corners from the border, also “scattering” them in different directions. This way a frame with a certain composition is obtained. How it will look in the end with patterns is still unknown, since filling a form with patterns is a completely meditative drawing.

• Start drawing any pattern with some figure and then move intuitively. By filling the compartments with different patterns, you optically break the pattern into segments.
• As a result, you will see, and perhaps even 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 adjacent sectors have the same element at the base or the same base, but different development, and a feeling of transition from one space to another is created.

So, having quite consciously built the frame, you can then plunge into the unconscious flow of bizarre patterns. Over time, building such frames becomes easier, and people no longer get stuck on it.

Now let's move on to the second part of the “frame” topic.

Templates for drawing zenart with objects.

Drawing in the Zenart style 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 look at how to draw these drawing templates.

The difficulty in drawing such a frame can be the very shape of the object. If you have the skill of drawing objects in the surrounding world, great. If not, then you can copy the outline from children's coloring books. Lightly detailed coloring books are made for young children, and they are often great for Zen art.

For the exercise, I decided to take a more complex shape than a feather, a leaf or a fish.

Exercise 2. Butterfly using the zenart technique.

Draw the outline of a butterfly.

Sometimes it can be difficult to draw symmetrical wings of a butterfly. Can you draw symmetrically? Great, let's draw a symmetrical butterfly. If it doesn’t work out, then the choice is simple: draw non-symmetrical animals, or practice drawing symmetrically, or download a ready-made outline from me or from another place.

Choose the option that suits you and let's go.

I will show you an option for drawing the template of a non-symmetrical butterfly.

You can start with the body, but I start with the wing, since the wing covers the body a little and is in the foreground.

Draw the boundaries of the wings, and then the body.

After we have drawn the outer borders, we draw the inner borders - a tangle for filling with patterns.

In this version I drew the 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 design for coloring, but it is better if this is not there. Then you can draw your patterns the way you want. My zenart lessons for beginners come with free downloadable applications. You can take my butterfly templates for coloring or view them as examples in the Coloring Pages section.

I have given you just a few options for creating the basis for tangles. There are, of course, many of them. Invent, create!