I love this tangle. It was the first time I decided to use an inspirational quote within the drawing. It's quite a basic drawing but it was the start of something new for me. I also blended Sharpie and Bic markers which was a process I was continuing to perfect.
This drawing and coloring piece took a few hours to complete. Most of the time was spent on coloring the tangles. The look of the completed piece was very close to what I imagined in the beginning which was unusual for me at the time.
I've done a few more quote tangles and quote doodles over the years, and every time I do one I like to try something different. I am still in the process of figuring out how to make this type of tangle be my own unique style but I'm loving the process.
Breaking Bad is one of my most favorite shows of all time. I started watching this show on Netflix after all of the seasons were released. That's what a prefer to do with any show I watch. I'm a pretty impatient person so when all the seasons are released, I can binge watch the whole show.
Anyway, I was looking through some Google images of the show and I found a simple outline of Walter White's face that I was sure I could recreate. I wasn't planning on making it a tangle of Walter White but once I started drawing the face, I thought it would make a good base for a tangle.
It took a couple of hours to finish this drawing but I am quite happy with the way it turned out. As usual, there are a couple things I would change if I were to draw this now, but there's not enough I would change to make me actually re-draw it.
This was a fun process to try out and it's something I might do again, but for now I'll let Walter White be my one Fan based drawing on my channel.
Blending Sharpie markers without any type of alcohol is a technique I figured out on my own. I remember looking at videos showing Copic blending and at some point I realized that Copic markers and Sharpie markers are both alcohol markers. So I wondered if I could create the same effect with my Sharpies.
It took some time, and I'll admit it was a frustrating process until I figured it out, but once I figured out how to blend Sharpies I had a whole new way of coloring my tangles and doodles. It was probably one of the most exciting times in my entire drawing career.
So why didn't I just buy Copic or PrismaColor markers? Well, they are expensive! I knew that I liked the way the blending looked, but what I couldn't get over was the cost of these markers. Back in 2013 there weren't as many inexpensive options for alcohol markers. I also knew that this type of coloring wasn't something I was going to use in every piece of art I create so investing in expensive markers wasn't something I was interested in.
Since this drawing, I do have a set of inexpensive alcohol markers and more than a handful of Copic and PrismaColor markers. Although I do like these markers, and the blending process is much easier than with Sharpies, I find myself using the Sharpie method more often than not. In my opinion, Sharpies have a much bolder look than other alcohol markers and I like the bold look.
Two tips I have for blending Sharpie markers is that the markers need to be new or close to it. Using a dry marker makes it difficult or impossible to blend. The next tip I have is to work in small sections without allowing the layers to dry. Allowing the layers to dry, makes it very difficult to blend the Sharpie. It will take some practice so keep trying and don't give up!
This tangle is really when I started developing my Freeform Tangle style. That is, using the patterns without the separation of a "string" that the Zentangle method depends on. I had done a few before this drawing but I believe this was the first time I spent a significant amount of time letting different patterns overlap each other.
I really enjoyed the process of drawing this tangle. I could really see my art developing into something I could count as my own. I was still in the process of figuring it out but this was the beginning of being on the right track. Eventually I added shading and different sized patterns for more dimension, and color for more interest.
Something I say quite a lot is that even if you use a technique that has previously been developed, find a way to make your art distinguishable from others creating the same type of art. To mimic another's art is a good way to get started in a new field of the world of art. However, if you continue to mimic, it will be really difficult to develop your own style. It may take awhile to figure out your own style, but keep trying and you will figure it out.
