Art Supplies and Tools I Use and Recommend

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I've put together a list of the tools I use in my art. I've listed what they are and included my Amazon affiliate link. You don't have to use my link, but I'd appreciate it if you did. I get a few cents for your purchase and it costs you nothing extra. Thanks so much! :) Check out some general info on tools at the end of the list.

Pens & Pencils:

Micron Pigma black assorted size drawing pens
Micron Pigma colored pens
Generic colored drawing pens
Crayola dual tip markers
https://amzn.to/2OlOAYR
Prismacolor markers
https://amzn.to/2IkFxSv
Crayola vibrant colored pencils
https://amzn.to/2Ihs3ql
Prismacolor colored pencils
https://amzn.to/2DvuAP7
Sakura White gel pens
https://amzn.to/2Oige8M
Pentel Metallic Gel Pens - Gold & Silver
https://amzn.to/2xPyHPX
Drawing pencil set for shading
https://amzn.to/2R0oGrZ
Pencil blenders set
https://amzn.to/2OlImbr

 Markers:
Uni Posca Acrylic Paint Markers (inexpensive, opaque, long lasting but not refillable)
Uni Posca Black & White - Fine to Medium Set of 8 Pens
https://amzn.to/2QYfIeV
Uni Posca Paint Marker PC-1M White, 3 pens
https://amzn.to/2R0BH4I
Uni Posca Paint Marker PC-1M Black, 3 pens
https://amzn.to/2ImYqnO
Uni Posca Paint Marker Extra Fine set - WHITE/GOLD/SILVER/BLACK
https://amzn.to/2QZvhCZ
Uni POSCA Paint Marker Pen - Extra Fine Point - set of 12 Colors
https://amzn.to/2QZnG7n

Montana Acrylic Paint Markers (more expensive, but refillable)
Montana Acrylic Paint Marker 2mm
https://goo.gl/5ULm8A
Montana Acrylic Paint Marker 15mm
https://goo.gl/5m1fHr
Drawing Tools:
Circle templates for Quilters
Small Circle Templates
Large Circle Templates
9” diameter compass
Protractor - 4” & 6” set
https://amzn.to/2Ihs8KJ
12” clear ruler
https://amzn.to/2OkcELG

Paper:
8x8 black cardstock
https://amzn.to/2Of4Dav
Strathmore 9x12 smooth Bristol Paper pad
https://amzn.to/2Dy4kni
Canson 7x10 sketch paper pad
https://amzn.to/2IhJxCY
8x8 asst color cardstock
https://amzn.to/2Dy40oA
circle grid sketchbook
https://amzn.to/2Oa3fpR

Misc:
Ultra-thin USB powered tracing lightbox
https://amzn.to/2xEJZXN
I use a bendable arm holder for my camera (iPhone) to record my videos. This one:
https://goo.gl/Vi78eV


General thoughts on tools:
Paper
Any paper will do to sketch and practice, you can use nicer paper for final mandalas. Handmade papers are great, patterned paper, water color paper or artist cardstock. You can paint or color your paper before or after you make your mandala or leave them on plain paper. A heavier weight artist paper works well to prevent pen marks from bleeding through.

A sketchbook is a great thing to keep all of your mandalas and mandala inspired sketches. It’s not only beautiful but acts as sort of a history of your art and progress.

Pens
Any pen will work for making mandalas. Don’t let not having the “right” pen stop you from creating.

Fine point pens are a must to create detailed patterns. Pigma Micron 01 pens are great for details, they are very fine, write well, last a long time, dry fast, and are permanent. There are many fine tip pens available though.

A medium point or thicker point marker is also nice for bolder lines and filling in spaces. Micron 05 pens are great. A lot of people use sharpies, but be careful, they can bleed through paper easily.

Colored pens are great for easily adding color to your mandala. It also looks great to use white, or metallic pens on black or dark paper.

Pencils
A #2 or HB pencil is the best all around pencil for drawing out your mandala sketch. It’s a medium lead pencil and draws a lighter, fine line.

Shading Pencils
Softer lead pencils are great to have if you like to shade your mandalas. #2 or HB pencils are soft enough to use for some shading, but I’d recommend at least a 2B and a 4B if you like to have a lot of contrast in your art. The softer the lead, the darker the mark it will make and the easier it is to blend out.

Erasers
Erasers should be used minimally, if at all.Try to go with the flow of your marks, even if they’re not what you planned or you don’t think they are perfect. There’s a certain freedom in not worrying about “mistakes” and just going with the flow, sometimes you’ll be surprised at how awesome your “mistake” turns out.

Blending sticks or Tortillions
Tightly wound paper in a stick form with a pointed end. Great for blending out your pencil shading. You can just use your finger to blend though, so this is not a must have item. …just really helpful ;)

Happy Drawing -xo

Beginnings of a New Mandala : Dragonfly Mandala with an Art Nouveau flair

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Hey everyone!

I've been working on a new mandala for awhile, just trying to work out the elements I want to include. I really wanted to give it an Art Nouveau flavor without over doing it, so it took some trials to get the elements that I wanted (actually still working on the last few).

I'm finally at the layout stage! I'm sketching out a more details layout for this one because I want it to be more precise and symmetrical to balance the more organic dragonfly. Anyway, I did a quick video of the sketch just for fun. This is about 1.5 hours of sketching. I actually sketched more, but my phone ran out of battery before I was done... and I didn't notice, lol. It's good enough, you get the general idea I think! :)

I should be doing the final inking soon, I'll likely post a video of some or all of that and definitely a photo of the final work.

Hope you like it.

-xo Deb.


Tutorial : How to Evenly Divide a Circle with a Compass

9:31 AM , , , , , Leave a Comment
Hey there!

I made a quick video on how to evenly divide up a circle using a compass! ...for when you want more precise mandalas :)

Hope this helps you and if you have any questions just let me know.

I'm also thinking about doing one for dividing a circle easily into 12 sections, like for a clock, would anyone be interested in that?


Time-Lapse Drawing : Zentangle "Capped"

4:23 PM , , , , Leave a Comment
Zentangle "capped"

One of my favorite Zentangles so far. Again, I mixed geometric with organic, cause I LOVE it, lol.

I called this one "Capped" but I'm not super happy with that, anyone have a suggestion for a more interesting name?

Tangles I used are: Knightsbridge, Featherfall, Bula, and a fern shape I made up. :)

Happy Doodling! :)



More Zentangle String Examples

7:10 AM , , , Leave a Comment

Here's the second set of Zentangle Strings examples for you! (A Zentangle string is the line drawn design that you put your patterns in when making a Zentangle tile.)

Hope these help you along in your Zentangle journey. Feel free to copy them exactly or just use them as inspiration.

Enjoy and don't forget to like my Facebook Mindful Doodling page, then you can just check out what's new while you're surfing your newsfeed. :)

Happy Doodling! 
-xo, deb.




Templates to Print for Mandalas, Doodling, Drawing, and Tangling

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Mandala Templates


Simple Circles - for freeform mandalas 
(click on the image to open full size, then right click to save and print 8.5"x11")



Divided Circles - for more structured mandalas
(click on the image to open full size, then right click to save and print 8.5"x11")



Complex Circles - for detailed mandalas
(click on the image to open full size, then right click to save and print 8.5"x11")


Just let me know if you have any issues saving the templates! Happy drawing. :D ~deb


Heart Shape Template

Hey there! I was asked to put up the heart templates I used for my Valentine heart Zentangles so here they are! Should have done it a long time ago, thanks Beate for asking. :)

They are .pdf files, just click on the image or the title text to download them. They are scaled for a standard letter size page (8.5 x 11) so you should be able to print as is. If you have any issues, just let me know. 

Zentangle String Examples

12:16 PM , , , Leave a Comment

I thought I'd put up some examples of Zentangle Strings, which is the line drawn design that you put the patterns in when making a Zentangle tile.

I've found that a lot of people have trouble thinking of what to make for their string. I think it's the "blank page" syndrome thing, lol. But it's really just about making a simple scribble or a couple of lines down w/o worrying about being creative or making something "cool". Remember those scribble coloring designs we made as a kid? (well, I made them at least, lol) where you make a bunch of swirls and loops on a page with a pen and then color in all the sections with different colors? That's basically what you're doing for your Zentangle string, just much simpler, like just one or two loops. :) --although it doesn't have to be loops, it can be anything (I just thought I'd give that as an example) you can make straight lines or curved lines, abstract shapes or even a specific shape, a simple flower shape makes a good string.

Anyway, I wanted to do a series for the blog where I post a few examples of strings that I've done for your use or inspiration. Feel free to copy them exactly or just use them as inspiration.

Enjoy and don't forget to like my Facebook Mindful Doodling page, then you can just check out what's new while you're surfing your newsfeed. :)





Learn to Draw a Mandala! My New Follow-Along Tutorial for the Very Beginner.

1:40 PM , , Leave a Comment

I had this idea to make a tutorial video that you could easily follow along to.

It's so annoying when you're trying to follow a video tutorial and you keep getting behind the instructor and you have to pause and then find your place where you left off, over and over again. Then you miss half of the instruction because you're trying to do the thing instead of watching, and so you have to go back and watch again. grrrrr....

So in this video I explain what I'm doing as I do it and then pause for a bit, 5 to 30 seconds, so that you can do it too. Se each section has it's own pause at the end so you can easily watch what I'm doing fully and then have time to do it yourself during the pause. No more trying to quickly pause and then rewind to where you left off, then rewatch, etc. etc.

Please give it a try and let me know what you think. Like I said, this is a new format I tried and would love feedback. What can I do different? Is there enough time during the pauses? Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much. I hope you like it, remember to post pics of your finished mandala here or on my FB page MindfulDoodling on Facebook, I'd love to see them.


Happy Doodling!
-deb.

Who Wants to Color? - I have coloring pages in my New Etsy Shop.

10:50 AM , , , , Leave a Comment

Hooray for the adult coloring trend! We no longer have to endure the humiliation of pulling out the ol' Minnie Mouse coloring book, lol, we now have beautiful, sophisticated coloring pages made just for us.

 I also think coloring is great for practicing mindfulness. Like Zentangle, it's focused on the strokes of the crayon and the repetitive filling in of spaces rather than the creative process (although choosing which colors go where can be quite creative if you want) which lends itself to the meditative, zen-like state you can achieve while doing it.

 These would be great to print out half size and use as a greeting card. Or you can frame your finished artwork and hang it up to admire everyday! :)

 I've added a few coloring pages to my shop already and will be adding more as I am able to draw them up. I'll make more mandala, some cuter illustrations (my style of cute, lol, like cute mushrooms and such), some abstract art, and anything else I can think of.

 I'd love some requests or suggestions for coloring pages! Just let me know what you'd like me to do in the comments.

 These are the 3 pages I have in the shop so far! They are instant download PDF files so you don't have to wait to start.

 Lotus Garden : A Zentangle Inspired Abstract coloring page.


Mandalas & Leaves : A Henna Inspired design
I left the center blank on this one so you can fill it with whatever you'd like, maybe your favorite symbol or someone's name or maybe your own mandala!



Mandala : A Mehndi Inspired large mandala

I'd LOVE for you to share your colored in pages! Post photos to my FB page, Mindful Doodling

Enjoy!
-xo deb.

Time-Lapse Drawing : Zentangle

11:15 AM , , , Leave a Comment
Zentangle "Connected"

Another speed drawing Zentangle I did. I call this one "Connected" :)

Let's see, the patterns I used in this design are: Zinger, Fescue, Perlz, Pepper, Tipple, and Florz

This one was fun, I wish I'd shaded the inside of the holes a bit more to give it more dimension. I still may actually! I'll update with a comparison photo when I do.

Enjoy!


-xo deb

Tutorial : How to Draw the Zentangle Pattern Shattuck

4:08 PM , , , Leave a Comment
Zentangle Pattern Shattuck

This is an awesome tangle with a lot of options for variations! Here's a couple that I like:
Shattuck Variation 1

Shattuck Variation 2

Here's the video on how to draw the pattern with shading.


And here's the step-out just in case you aren't able to watch the video! :)

Zentangle Pattern Shattuck Step-out instructions

If you have any questions, just let me know! I'd love to see your shattuck designs! Post a photo in the comments here or on my FB page: Mindful Doodling

Happy Doodling!
~xo deb.

Tutorial : How to Clean Your Blending Stump

6:11 AM , , , Leave a Comment
Shading your drawings is like putting icing on a cake; just makes something good even better!

You can use a lot of things to blend your pencil marks for shading, including a q-tip or just your finger, but the best way, with the most control, is to use a blending stump or tortillion. Here's a great, inexpensive kit from Amazon (but any Craft store will have them). http://amzn.com/B000YQM080

And a video I made on how to clean and resharpen blending stumps... cause it's important!

New Tutorial : How to Draw the Zentangle Pattern Punch!

4:35 PM , , , Leave a Comment
Zentangle Pattern Punch - so cool.

This pattern is really cool. It's a patience stretcher with all the filling in (get a thicker pen to do the filling in) but worth it cause it looks awesome when it's finished.



Here's the step out for you to show you the steps at a glance.

Enjoy! Post a photo of your Punch art in the comments.

-xo
deb.

Speed Drawing : Quick Mandala

8:38 AM , , , , , Leave a Comment
I love to watch artists do speed drawings (they are mesmerizing to watch) so thought it'd be super fun to do one of my own. This is just a quick, spur of the moment, mandala I did this time, but I think I just may do some more elaborate drawings. Stay tuned. ;)

This is also a design that would be great as a Henna mandala!


Happy Drawing!
~Deb.

Zentangle Valentine's Heart Series Designs 2016

6:47 PM , , 4 comments
Zentangle pattern Zinger, sooo cute!


Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not a huge celebrater of Valentine's Day... well, not since my son got old enough to not care and most definitely NOT want any Valentine's goodies (well, maybe some candy as long as I don't present it to him is too cheesy of a manner, lolol. ...boys!), but I thought it'd be super fun to do a series of hearts decorated with Zentangle patterns for Valentine's Day, cause who doesn't love a good excuse to do some Zentangle! ;)

I chose some of my favorite patterns that include some easier ones and some that are a little more complicated (but still fairly easy). There are 5 in total and I made videos and step-outs of each pattern I used in the designs.

There are a couple that I think are just too adorable for words, but I wanna hear what your favorite is. Let me know if the comments! And when you give one (or more) a try, take a pic and post it here so I can see what you did. Or, you can post them on my FB Mindful Doodling page (be sure to give it a Like while you're there so you can easily see when I post new doodles!

Have fun! -xoxo







**ACK! I just realized that I forgot to edit and upload the Kitty pattern heart video. I'll do that asap and stick it in here!!! :D

Zentangle Heart Series! Patterns Betweed, Zinger, Mumsy, Knightsbridge, Ruflz, Kitty, and some spirals.

Zentangle pattern Betweed step-out

Zentangle pattern Mumsy step-out

Zentangle pattern Knightsbridge step-out

Zentangle pattern Zinger step-out

Zentangle pattern Ruflz step-out

Zentangle pattern Kitty step-out

Happy Mindful Doodling. :)

How to Draw Zentangle Pattern Cuddles Variations

5:56 AM , , Leave a Comment
Cuddles Variation
Here's the follow-up video for the Zentangle pattern cuddles. I draw 2 very different variations and shade them.

I think I'm going to experiment with a little deeper shading. Using a 4b or 6b pencil (pencils have hardness/softness ratings 6h to 6b, hard to soft, and softer pencil leads leave a darker, softer mark that blends easier) for the darkest areas and blending out. I live super contrasting shading. :) I'll let you know how it goes.

Again, let me know if you have any questions and post your drawings in the comments or on the FB page: Mindful Doodling

Full video:


Speedy version:

-xo deb

How to Draw the Zentangle Pattern Cuddles, with shading and a variation.

6:00 AM , , , Leave a Comment
Zentangle Pattern Cuddles Variation

More Zentangle fun. I've kinda been on a binge recently which started with me writing out a syllabus and supplies list for some Zentangle classes I'm doing soon. It not only got my Zentangle juices flowing but also is what prompted me to make the FB page for sharing all things Mindful Doodling related. (if you haven't already, hop on over and like the page Mindful Doodling, Zentangle and Beyond). Turns out I really like making process videos!!

For this tutorial, I made a whole, fairly long video of how to draw the pattern and then thought it might be good to have a shortened version of it, for those who don't have the time (or patience) to watch the long version. I also just took some stills of the step-out and variations. :) --I also made a video for the other two variations, I'll post that shortly.

Give it a try and show me your versions. Post a photo in the comments here or on the FB page!





Step by Step on how to draw the Cuddles pattern

The basic Cuddles pattern

A Cuddles Pattern Variation

Another Cuddles pattern variation

Have fun and don't forget to show me your drawings!
-xo deb.

How to Draw with Intention in Your Zentangle and Other Art

10:53 AM , , , , Leave a Comment
I thought I'd  post a quick video on how to, and what I mean by, Drawing with Intention since I'm constantly talking about it.

Every stroke that you put down on paper should be done with intention. Remember though, it doesn't need to be perfect (and it's usually not, lol) but it does have to be done purposefully. Drawing this way is what makes Mindful Doodling so, well... mindful, lol, and why it's so relaxing and has meditative qualities.

Let me know if you have any questions!


-xo Deb.

Cute Fishies, Zentangle fun -- Step-out and Finished Examples

9:00 AM , , , 4 comments
Lots of patterns: Static, Cuddles, Knightsbridge, Bales, Keeko, Nipa, Tipple, Amaze, and more.

Give this pattern a try. Reminiscent of tessellations (Escher is famous for his tessellations), it's a really easy pattern and is very cute. You can keep it simple with just some simple scales or fins on your fish or go to town with different patterns like I did. 
Thi image below is step by step instructions on how to make the basic pattern.
Step-Out instructions for the Fish pattern.
I'd LOVE to see everyone's fish art. Take a photo of your creation and post it in the comments!!
Just use a sketchbook, a scrap piece of paper, or even a napkin to draw on! Have fun!
Here's another idea I made with the same pattern, just to show you the possibilities.
Rows of houses made with the exact same pattern as the fish.
Have fun and remember to draw with intention, stay focused, take your time, and relax. :)
-xo Deb.

Shading and Making Shadows Tutorial Videos for Zentangle and More

8:52 AM , , Leave a Comment
I made a few video tutorials on how to make shadows and shading your Zentangles and other drawings.

I kept them very basic, shading can get very technical but I don't think that's necessary when mindful doodling and making Zentangles. We really just want to add interest and definition to our art and these videos will show you how to do that.

Please let me know if you have any questions, either in the comments here or on my YouTube channel.

Happy drawing!

Part 1 - shading a sphere and paying attention to the light source


Part 2 - shading a couple more shapes: a cylinder and a cone

Part 3 - using shading to hi-light objects and bring them forward in the drawing

Part 4 - examples of shaded Zentangles and how they're made


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