If you're looking for an easy, relaxing outlet for your creativity, you've come to the right place. Zen Doodle Unleashed features the same fun, free and soothing style that has made Tiffany Lovering a YouTube favorite! Express yourself with freeform tangles that are not confined within an outer boundary or "string." Instead, you create abstract patterns that flow and build off each other to fill the whole page. It's almost magical the way simple patterns add up to complex and beautiful results. Plus you'll learn a variety of shading and coloring options to up the wow-factor even more!Inside you'll • 4 simple steps you need to build an original freeform tangle from scratch • 50 original patterns broken down into easy-to-follow steps including basic, intermediate, advanced, organic and gridline patterns • Cool coloring techniques with permanent markers, colored pencils, oil pastels and watercolor • A cut-out reference booklet of 101 patterns by Tiffany • Simple lettering techniques, different pen strokes for variety and lots more expert advice!From quick-start basics to inspiration galore, Zen Doodle Unleashed is a liberating guide for beginners and more experienced artists. It's never been easier to get started. But fair warning--once you start, you may find it hard to stop!
Tiffany Lovering is the author of four books, including her Tamporlea Trilogy which was rated five stars by Doubleshot Reviews out of Oregon. She has received several letters of thanks regarding her novel Alone, which has helped people see the hope beyond cutting.
She currently lives in middle Tennessee with her daughter, Allison.
So yes indeed, I especially appreciate the clear and concise step-by-step instructions that author Tiffany Lovering offers and presents in her Zen Doodle Unleashed and that she also does NOT EVER focus on only one or two mediums (from the various drawing tools one can use to different options for colouring and shading, Zen Doodle Unleashed provides essential information, but always and thankfully leaves the reader, leaves the potential zen doodler with a multitude of personal choices). And even though Tiffany Lovering is, of course, first and foremost providing details and guidance on how to draw and then colour so-called freeform tangle art, the manner in which she has shown and demonstrated her patterns (from simple to more complex and organic designs) also always leaves one with the option of only incorporating some of the patterns, of picking and choosing (and even avoiding the tangled and image-heavy aspects of this kind of drawing style altogether, namely taking just a few simple patterns and expanding on these, whilst actually keeping much of the page empty or perhaps shaded with and by more solid coloured hues). Highly recommended and oh so much potential fun (with the top ten tips at the back of Zen Doddle Unleashed and the removable, detachable black and white pattern templates being an added and much appreciated bonus, although personally I would very like and want these to be a bit larger and a bit wider, as that would make copying them by hand or even tracing much easier and less potentially frustrating).
My favorite part of this book is the step-by-step instructions for each pattern, which are super easy to follow. I also really liked the 53 go-to patterns at the end of the book. A few seemed like brand-new patterns I hadn't seen earlier in the book, and though I may have just missed them, it was a nice surprise to find even more patterns after I thought I had already seen everything. This is my new favorite Zen Doodle book, and it's going to be tough to beat!
I know that we can search for Zentangle patterns online and watch videos to learn similar patterns, like another review mentioned, but the value in this book is that it guides the reader/artist with some starter, intermediate, and advanced patterns to try out. The limited selection helped me overcome the overwhelm of "where to begin?" which is usually my roadblock to filling a blank page with doodles. I also appreciated the advice on how to compose a larger piece using the various elements, along with some great illustrated examples. I viewed this on my phone's Kindle app and could see the illustrations and steps just fine. I'm sure the physical book would be even better, with the ~50ish tangle "strings" at the back to inspire you.
A largish blog post pumped up with useless artsy photos and relevant details like "Shading pencils are often sold in sets and have hardness ranging from HB to 6B." A few one minute videos on youtube might have been much more useful for whomever needs to copy a few patterns. Some drawing skills might have helped the author as well.