M is for Made in the Shade, Day 13 of the A to Z of Zentangle Challenge #atozchalleng

Mooka is one of the most graceful tangles. I call this version mock mooka.

Even black and white photos are not simply black and white, but contain all shades of gray in between.  I love shading my Zentangle art. It makes everything pop and can be used to enhance the parts you like and draw attention away from the parts you don’t. I’ve had students say that “shading turns doodles into art.”

 

Here is an example of what I mean.

Before

After

Of all of the steps in the Zentangle Method, shading is the one that is most likely to be skipped. Here are some of the excuses I’ve heard people use to avoid shading:

• I’m  afraid I’ll ruin my tile.
• Shading  is “not zen.”
• I like it the way it is.
• I just don’t know how.

Can you relate to any of those? I wrote Made in the Shade to help any one who has fear of the shade. It is a thorough introduction and to pencil shading and workbook specifically designed for Zentangle art.

Want to take your art from flat to fabulous? Just add pencil.

Missed the beginning of the series? It all starts with Appreciation.