Working in sepia

I'm fond of working in sepia, that wonderful, rich brown color that seems to go so well with the white Zentangle(R) tiles. Some months ago I bought all the versions of sepia pens and pencils that I could find and then did some experiments combining a selection of pens with various types of pencils. I was looking for a color match and at the same time a pencil that could be dissolved with water to add dark shades. The combination I came up with and the one that I use is a Sakura Pigma Micron 01 sepia pen* with a Stabilo Aquarelle #8045 pencil. 

Here's the catch, though: the end of the Sakura pen that shows the color is such a dark brown that you could mistake it for a black pen. You probably don't want to mix sepia and black. So here's what I do: I get a permanent black marker pen, NOT the Sakura, but a Bic Mark It or similar and write "SEPIA" somewhere on the barrel of my sepia pens (Sakura also has a Micron 05 pen and a Graphic 1 large felt tip pen as well as a brush). I keep all my sepia supplies in a separate pen holder and away from the black ones which are usually out and about on my studio table.

The other thing you'll want is a #0 (zero) watercolor brush, the highest grade you can afford. The brush tip is VERY small which is perfect, when dampened slightly, for dissolving the pencil--if you choose--into watercolor. 

Here's a monotangle tangleation (see my Zentangle terminology page) of Quandary in sepia:

* The number above the scan code on the Micron 01 sepia pen is XSDK01#117. Be sure to check this out if you purchase from an art store because customers sometimes put pens back in the incorrect display slots.

Help! I'm seeing patterns everywhere!

As you become more familiar with how to draw tangles and how the step-by-step process works, you'll begin to see patterns and potential tangles everywhere. That's another use for the notebook I mentioned in an earlier post AND for your smart phone or camera.

In my notebook I've drawn images from books on Victorian fretwork and from a linen table runner with cutwork embroidery on it. I see if I can make an image into a tangle. Many times, the pattern I see doesn't work as a tangle, or maybe it's not interesting enough to me. On the other hand, more than once I've gone back to ideas I drew months ago and abandoned to find that by trying something new with it--like leaving out some element--it does make a tangle.

So when you see a pattern that intrigues you, natural or made by humans, try making a sketch of it in your notebook OR take a picture of it for later. 

Making what you see into a reproducible tangle is called deconstructing. I'll cover that in a later post.

So when you start seeing lots of patterns, try making them into tangles. Check out Linda Farmer's detailed and helpful information about what makes a tangle: How to submit your pattern to TanglePatterns.

One caveat: be sure not to make a tangle from someone else's design, such as a piece of jewelry. You might very well be violating the creator's copyright.