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Challenge #22
Monotangle: Variations of Arc Flower |
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Zendala Dare #21:
Tipple, Paradox, Assunta, Crescent Moon |
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Zendala Dare #20: Printemps, Auraknot, Tipple, Crosshatch, some screws, and Spiky Wire |
I've been playing catch up with
Erin's Zendala Dares. I find I start them but need to put them aside for a while and come back and revisit them. I'm not usually satisfied with my first attempt and it seems a little overwhelming, so I set it aside. When I come back to the piece, revisit it, I can dive back in and add shading and some line work and I'm satisfied with the results.
For Challenge #22 I was able to sit down and complete my piece in one sitting. I used the 3.5 inch tile size. Erin asked us to do a monotangle for this piece and I enjoyed taking the basic elements and deconstructing them and using them in a variety of sizes and variations. Arc Flower is a fun pattern and flows easily, thanks JJLaBarbera.
For challenges #20 and #21 I chose the large single Zendala template on a letter size sheet. For all the patterns that need to go into a piece I feel I need the space. It takes much longer but I do enjoy the process. I usually put my piece down for a couple of days and then revisit it, add more contrast and shading. With Zendalas I find I need more time and tend to do more versions. Maybe the process will get a little more refined but I'm enjoying the journey.
I work on a laptop and have discovered that I can use my laptop screen as a light table to transfer the template directly to my paper. I open up my laptop fully and then I have a flat surface light table. I make sure to use a very light touch when I trace so I don't damage my screen. This is the best technique for me because it keeps the organic feel to the template when I'm tracing free-hand rather than printing them out. I'm a graphic designer and pulled this technique out of my bag of tricks. For the larger Zendalas I use a heavyweight Velum bristol that works well with this tracing method. This also works on a regular computer monitor but doing the tracing on a 90 degree angle is a little more challenging.