Inktober Tangles 2022 Official List

October will soon be here, and that means Inktober will soon be starting.

Inktober is an online event where artists all over the world challenge themselves by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. In 2015, I adapted the idea to fit with Zentangle art by making each day's prompts be a tangle. I call my list of tangles the Inktober Tangles challenge.

Here are some common questions that people have asked about Inktober Tangles:

Why is it called a "challenge"?
It is not a challenge against others, but a challenge to draw something every day for a whole month.

What are the requirements to join Inktober Tangles challenge?
Just draw something every day for the month of October. That's all there is to it. You can tangle on a tile, in your sketchbook, and use any shape or size or colour. The important thing is that you build the habit of tangling every day.

When does Inktober begin?
It begins on the 1st of October every year.

What if I miss a day?
Create one art work by combining today's tangle with the tangle that you've missed. Or just skip the tangle that you've missed and carry on. Always remember that the point of Inktober is to encourage you to draw more, so don't feel too badly if life happens and you had to skip a day or two.

Why are some tangles in your list non-official tangles?
I try to feature non-official tangles in order to introduce you to new tangles that you may not have seen or used before. Having other tanglers use a tangle you have deconstructed is always great fun, and it builds a community spirit while supporting other tanglers. If you want to swap out the non-official tangles, feel free to do so.

What if I don't like a particular tangle?
I encourage you to still try to create something with it. Pushing past your comfort zone is part of the spirit of Inktober. If you really dislike a tangle, you can always substitute it with another tangle.

What happens after Inktober ends? Will there be another challenge in November?
We do not have a daily challenge in November. However, Debbie and I host weekly and bi-monthly challenges in the 7F5R Challenge Facebook group. 7F5R Challenge is also the official Facebook group for Inktober Tangles.

Is there an official hashtag for Inktober Tangles?
Yes. This year, we are using #InktoberTangles2022

Where can I find the step-outs to all of the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2022?
I have created a handout that contains the list of tangles that you can print on A4 or US letter sized paper. It also contains links to all of the tangles' step-outs, and example tiles that I have created for each day's prompt to inspire you. Here's a link to the handout: https://bit.ly/InktoberTangles2022Prompts-2

Without further ado, here are the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2022:

Please feel free to share the list in your Facebook group or with your friends and students. I have also created a square version of this list if you'd like to post it on Instagram:

I hope that you have fun with this year’s list.  If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I can also be reached at stephanie@7f5r.com or on Instagram @havepen_willdraw. If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/stephaniej

I can’t wait to see what you create for this year’s Inktober Tangles.

Warmest Wishes,

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT 21

Singapore

Inktober Tangles 2021 Official List

 October will soon be here, and that means Inktober will soon be starting.

Inktober is an online event where artists all over the world challenge themselves by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. In 2015, I adapted the idea to fit with Zentangle art by making each day's prompts be a tangle. I call my list of tangles the Inktober Tangles challenge.

Here are some common questions that people have asked about Inktober Tangles:

Why is it called a "challenge"?
It is not a challenge against others, but a challenge to draw something every day for a whole month.

What are the requirements to join Inktober Tangles challenge?
Just draw something every day for the month of October. That's all there is to it. You can tangle on a tile, in your sketchbook, and use any shape or size or colour. The important thing is that you build the habit of tangling every day.

When does Inktober begin?
It begins on the 1st of October every year.

What if I miss a day?
Create one art work by combining today's tangle with the tangle that you've missed. Or just skip the tangle that you've missed and carry on. Always remember that the point of Inktober is to encourage you to draw more, so don't feel too badly if life happens and you had to skip a day or two.

Why are some tangles in your list non-official tangles?
I try to feature non-official tangles in order to introduce you to new tangles that you may not have seen or used before. Having other tanglers use a tangle you have deconstructed is always great fun, and it builds a community spirit while supporting other tanglers. If you want to swap out the non-official tangles, feel free to do so.

What if I don't like a particular tangle?
I encourage you to still try to create something with it. Pushing past your comfort zone is part of the spirit of Inktober. If you really dislike a tangle, you can always substitute it with another tangle.

What happens after Inktober ends? Will there be another challenge in November?
We do not have a daily challenge in November. However, Debbie and I host weekly and bi-monthly challenges in the 7F5R Challenge Facebook group. 7F5R Challenge is also the official Facebook group for Inktober Tangles.

Is there an official hashtag for Inktober Tangles?
Yes. This year, we are using #InktoberTangles2021

Where can I find the step-outs to all of the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2021? 
I have created a handout that contains the list of tangles that you can print on A4 or US letter sized paper. It also contains links to all of the tangles' step-outs, and example tiles that I have created for each day's prompt to inspire you. Here's a link to the handout: https://bit.ly/InktoberTangles2021Prompts

Without further ado, here are the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2021:

Please feel free to share the list in your Facebook group or with your friends and students. I have also created a square version of this list if you’d like to post it on Instagram:

I hope that you have fun with this year’s list.  If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I can also be reached at stephanie@7f5r.com or on Instagram @havepen_willdraw. If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/stephaniej

I can’t wait to see what you create for this year’s Inktober Tangles.

Warmest Wishes,

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT21

Singapore

Timeless Tangled Facets – An Online Series

Tangle outside the border and expand your creative horizons with Team 7F5R’s newest tangle technique – Tangled Facets! Discover how to turn your tangled art into 3D masterpieces.

One of the great ways to incorporate the Tangled Facets technique with your daily tangling practice is to repurpose old tiles into something fresh, or take tiles that didn’t quite go according to plan and utilise them in a new and unexpected way.

We’ve also created printable content specially for this series, so that you can create colourful tangled art similar to those you see on this page.

Watch a complimentary preview of the course and download a set of tinted tiles here: 7f5r.thinkific.com/courses/tangledfacets

Pairing Tangled Facets with Techniques You Know and Love

The introduction video starts off by introducing you to terminology that we will be using throughout the series. We then show you many wonderful examples of tiles that we’ve created using the Tangled Facets technique. Lastly, we run through the list of materials you will need to draw alongside our tutorials.

You will then be brought through four full-length projects. The videos show us drawing in real-time so you can tangle along, just as you would in an in-person class. The tutorials slowly increase in complexity to end with a beautiful postcard-sized tile that has three layers.

Love the gorgeous tinted tiles that we offered with our preview video?

We’ve included many more printable tinted tiles in our paid course! These printable pages are exclusive to this series, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you create with them.

On our Thinkific page, there are discussion boards available for you to ask any questions you might have. You may also reach us via email 7f5r.thinkific@gmail.com, if you have any queries for us, even before you purchase the course.

We hope all that inspiration has got you excited to learn more about this marvellous technique. Visit https://7f5r.thinkific.com/courses/tangledfacets to purchase the course and get started on a new tangling adventure today.

Team 7F5R
Debbie & Stephanie
Certified Zentangle Teachers
Singapore

A Very Merry Unbirthday

I wanted to gift this tangle to my best friend, Debbie. I really like the tangle, and I thought it’d act like a physical representation of our friendship.

But the issue with every new tangle that we deconstruct is… What will we name it?

“Debbie” means “bee”. So my initial thought was to name it “abeille” which means bee in French. But I’m quite sure people wouldn’t pronounce it the French way… I tested it on my husband and he did pronounce it phonetically.

Then I thought about the root word for “Debbie”.. which is “D’vora”. I thought that was cute so I asked Debbie what she thought.

She asked if the tangle was her un-birthday, post-birthday present. I said, no. That it was a just-because gift. She laughed and said, “Un birthday. There you have a tangle name.”.

So this is Debbie’s Unbirthday. hahaha

Here’s another version of the same tangle. Double Unbirthday:

I’ve used it in my art recently. Here it is as a duotangle in my sketchbook:

Hidden amongst these gems:

And here it is featured in a Tangled Facets tile. The blue fascinator is from the printable that comes with our Tangled Facets course. If you have not watched the free preview of the course, do pop over to our Thinkific to do so: https://7f5r.thinkific.com/courses/tangledfacets

 I hope you enjoy using Unbirthday in your art as much as I do, and that the little story that came with it made you smile.

If you would like us to feature your work on social media, tag us on Instagram @7forests5rivers or use the hashtag #unbirthdaytangle

Until next time, keep tangling!

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT21
Singapore

Playful Purkbit

Sometimes, you mesh two tangles together, and it ends up looking great. This was one of those times. Purkbit is a tanglelation of Purk by Zentangle, and Cabbit by Debbie New.

It was near the end of 2018 that Debbie and I started playing with with Purkbit. We joked about its name and we would use it in our tiles every now and again. We’ve finally gotten around to publishing its step-outs. It really is such a cute tangle, and we hope you enjoy playing with it just as much as we have.

Here’s a tile featuring some Purkbits wrapped in ribbon.

I’ve even taught an Embedded Letter class that featured Purkbit. The tangle adds a bit of whimsical charm to the tiles.

This is a card that Debbie created, featuring a cat version of Purkbit.

Here’s another tile with the kitty version of Purkbit.

If you would like us to feature your work on social media, tag us on Instagram @7forests5rivers or use the hashtag #purkbit.

Until next time, keep tangling!

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT21
Singapore

All of Derwent’s White Pencils

  Debbie often pulls out bits and bobs from her cupboard at the studio… Little trinkets… Inks.. Pens… Coloured markers… It keeps things interesting and keeps the ideas flowing for us at the studio.

  A while back, she took out these wooden cabochons that we then glued to blank tiles. I tried to make mine into a cartouches.

  And here’s a postcard-sized tile that I did just for fun. Gemstones are a great way to jazz up your art.

  A gemstone also sneaked into one of the tiles I did during Tea & Tangle session. Debbie was very ambitious- we had three “tangle of the day”. They were “Trinity”, “Ratoon”, and “Drawings”. Here are the tiles I created. (The tinting of the tiles was done in advance.)

  We've been adding small canvases to the studio recently. Debbie painted some of them, and we found an accidental art on her plastic palette after. 

Pretty!

  Inspired by Debbie’s post on which white shading tool is best for black paper, I decided to make my own discoveries on which Derwent pencil was best for black paper.

  I had six contenders…. The Tinted Charcoal, Coloursoft coloured pencil, Graphitint, Inktense, Lightfast coloured pencil, and Pastel pencil. Of the six options, the Graphitint and Inktense are water-soluble.

  I tested them without smudging, with smudging, and with water added (when applicable).

This was a black card from a scrapbook that Debbie bought from Daiso.

  The results were that the Pastel pencil produced the brightest white, but it also created the most amount of fallout. The Lightfast coloured pencil laid down really smoothly- kind of like butter. I like the Inktense when wet, but it’s difficult to control the consistency of coverage once you add water…

  The Graphitint is lovely, without creating nearly as much dust as the Pastel pencil. So it has become my tool to use for black tiles.

  Debbie gave me tiles from Alicia G. Rey, Zen Pig, and Strathmore to try, too. My tests on those tiles produced similar results to the one on the Daiso card.

Alicia G.Rey's tile.

Zen Pig

Strathmore

If you live in Singapore (or are visiting) you can buy Derwent products from Art Friend.

It’s fun playing around with new materials and figuring out what works best for you. What new and interesting art materials have you played with recently? Let me know in the comments.

A Trip to Clear My Mind

  I was away in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the 23rd to the 26th of August. Which meant that I spent my birthday there. I think this is the first time in my life spending my birthday away from home. I did spend it with my mother, my husband, and my daughter, though. So it was a very lovely cake day.

  During my trip, I took the time to relax and chill. Which, to someone with general anxiety and the tendency to overthink things, was really a change of pace.

  I didn't know how much art I'd create over the four days I was on holiday. But I brought along a stack of tiles and a small A5-sized sketchbook, plus my small pencil case of drawing materials that included a variety of Micron pens, a pencil, and a watercolour brush so that I could use my pocket watercolour palette, if I wanted to.

  What did I learn?

  That I'm overly ambitious and that one sketchbook with my pens and a pencil is more than enough. hahaha

  The art that you'll see in the following pictures were created during my trip, but the colours were added when I got back to Singapore.

  At some point, I switched over to a red Micron pen so that I could create something for the 7F5R Challenge. And I've been quite happily drawing Dingbatz with that red pen even after I returned from my trip. I don't know what is it about the tiny Dingbatz and the red ink that I find so charming... Perhaps it's that they remind me of a Chinese seal (chop)?

  You can see some parts are incomplete.

  Especially this one... I have no idea where I'm going with it.... Maybe I'll just have Diva Dance Waltz all over it...

  In the car ride to the airport, I did this impressionistic painting of the sunset that I saw. It was the only time I used my watercolours during the trip.

  The day after I landed back in Singapore, I joined Debbie for her Tea & Tangle session. The Tangle of the Day was "W2".

  I also continued creating more Dingbatz in red ink.

  And here's the last page that I've worked on... It's the start of a Paradox.

  There are about seven more pages to this sketchbook, but the sketchbook is already looking very banged up. It's most likely because I kept folding the sketchbook over itself that caused the paper to start falling away from the staples... Gotta' remember to not do that the next time I buy this sketchbook.

  It has been good to me, though, and I would definitely recommend this brand. It is an ENV Paper Company Sketch Book. It has 20 acid-free pages and is 150gsm. I bought mine at the Art Friend in Plaza Singapura.

  That's all I have for you this time. Until my next post... Keep tangling!

being brave

  Let's start this blog post off with a Travelling Tangles Project tile from Åsa Vading. She used Reticula RA-I and Fragment T5, from the Zentangle Primer 1 book.

  I added Ando and a variation of Flukes. Shading was done with Polychromos coloured pencils and a bit of graphite pencil.

  I teach weekly classes at Toa Payoh Central Community Club. Today will be the second class of this month. Here's what we created last week!

  We've also had many classes at the 7F5R studio... Here are some of my favourites...

  Embedded Letters! This student spoke Mandarin, so I chose to use Chinese characters on our large tiles instead of a single letter.

  During the class, we also got onto the topic of what it means to be brave. I told her that a lot of people think that bravery means being fearless... When, in fact, being brave means being scared but still going forth and doing the thing that scares you. There's also this other saying that goes,

"If your dreams don't scare you, then they're not big enough."

  What's something that scared you, but you still did anyways?


  Having the studio has also given me the freedom to teach classes in full colours. Here's a peacock class that we did..

  The 7F5R studio is located at 33A Hong Kong Street. It is very close to Clarke Quay and Chinatown MRT. You can also see a list of all the classes we are teaching in the studio via this link.

  Lastly, I wanted to show you this work in progress that I have... The background was created by Debbie and I've slowly been adding tangles to it as the days go by. She has been in Scotland for two weeks already, and I do miss her... Thankfully, she will be back real soon. :)

  And that's all I have for you this week. I hope to see you again soon. Until then, keep tangling!