Ann Marie Irvine has spent all her life refining her whimsical drawing techniques, and as a child could lose herself for hours drawing in quiet spots. Today, Ann makes her living from her drawn, magical world.
After receiving her BA in Graphic Design from Duncan of Jordanstone College, Ann worked in design studios and print workshops applying her ‘doodling’ style to as many of her briefs as she could. Now, from her own studio in Fife, Scotland she sells her work both locally and across the world online via her website (www.annsdoodles.com) and her Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Annsdoodles). Her work has been exhibited in the National Gallery and in Edinburgh Open Exhibitions, and she is a member of local art clubs.
Official Zentangles are 3½” square abstract drawings in black and
white, consisting of shapes filled with patterns. In this
book the author has taken the basic idea and produced eighteen
drawings complete with final colored variations. All are step
by step projects and vary in complexity, from six stages to ten and
filling one or two pages. As with all the titles in this
series the drawings start simply, with each stage adding a bit more
although as they are all drawn in black pen the new lines are added
in the same color. This is not a problem as it is easy to see
what has been added, and the final colored image shows how it can
easily be transformed. No words are required apart from the
single page introduction which explains what a Zentangle is and has
a suggestion for what pens to use. At the back is a gallery of all
the projects colored in so you can select one and turn to the
correct page. Some of the drawings are abstract patterns but
all have been inspired by nature and subjects include plenty of the
author’s trademark sealife (shells, fish, and a starfish), birds,
flowers and leaves. This type of art can look intricate and
complex if you do not know how to construct it but the steps soon
take the mystery out of it and get you eager to have a go on your
own. This is a fun primer that requires little in the way of
outlay for materials and certainly had me grabbing a pen and
paper.
*myshelf.com*
In recent years there has been a rise in interest in intricate
artworks and books about how to create them: Celtic pattern and
design, intricate and in particular large body tattoos, circular
Eastern inspired Mandalas and very recently the fashion for
pre-drawn and often highly detailed adult colouring books. I have
become increasingly aware too of the art of the Zentangle, where
artists merge what appear to be simple repeating doodles with pre
planned patterns creating increasingly complex designs. When I
first saw these Zentangles I was fascinated but I struggled to see
the artist's starting point and so I was delighted to be offered a
review copy of this book.
The front cover of Irvine's book, with its attractive shell design
clearly showcases its contents. Most art instruction books are
filled with words so I was immediately surprised at how few this
book has, in fact just one side of information at the very
beginning. This introduces the artist, noting this is her second
book in this series. It briefly explains the term Zentangle, noting
in particular the official size, square shape and use of black on
white with no colour. Brief information is given on the type of
pens Irvine favours but, by implication special materials are not
required, at least for the beginner. She started with the pen her
father kept in his pocket.
The remainder of the book has nineteen varied designs: owls,
hummingbirds, shells, butterflies, fish, starfish, flowers, leaves
and attractive repeat patterns. These clearly show how Irvine
develops her intricate patterns. Initially this layout simplicity
felt rather disappointing, but I soon realised this was as close as
she could get to the way an art tutor works in demonstrating
technique to a student. The first picture on each page is a simple
outline or a few starting lines. This is then repeated six times
(or ten for the more complicated works) showing the build up of the
designs as they progress step by step into a finished work. In each
case Irvine has added coloured pencil work to the final design, an
attractive extra but, as she says on the introductory page, not
usual in Zentangle designs which are normally left black and
white.
This slim volume is definitely a starter book. Her examples can be
copied, never a bad idea for a learner, but the methods could
certainly become a creative starting point inspiring the reader to
draw their own Zentangles. It has certainly helped me to more
clearly see that elusive starting point so I can begin on some of
my own
*Shirley Anstey*
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