How To Create Zentangle Inspired Art

 Today I'll be showing you how to create zentangle inspired art. I call it zentangle inspired art because it isn't an actual zentangle but it includes similar elements such as intricate patterns (but only here and there). The drawing style zentangle was originally created as a meditating method to relax you. It's true that drawing detailed pictures can calm you down, however I do zentangles because I love the overall affect of this technique. In this post I'll be showing you my practice exercises that I do before starting this type of art. I hope I help!



To start off, I drew elements that I wanted to include in my drawing. This can really help because you can get used to drawing things you have never drawn before (this was my first time drawing bats, as you can tell :P). Also, this is your chance to adapt your drawing style. This really is the time to experiment! I had fun creating spooky faces on the pumpkins, skulls and ghosts! You can try different shapes and sizes to create a new look! My top tip is to put ticks and crosses next to your doodles. This doesn't necessarily mean you will include them in your final piece, it just says to you whether you like the way it looks or not. In one way, this practice page helped me to decide what I was actually able to draw in my last piece because I then knew that I didn't want to include ghosts as I couldn't get it right.



The next stage of the drawing process was another practice page, this time it didn't go into so much detail. It just had a few practices of each technique until I got them right. To create this practice page template, I just drew a few small boxes. From then on, I started drawing Halloween patterns in them and decided whether they were good or bad. To fill the space I did a quick practice of the main drawing, a little witch. I did a colour test on the doodle to see what worked best together.


It was then time to start the real thing! I kept looking back at my practice pages that proved to be very helpful! I used the elements from the first exercise to fill the spaces at either side and the pattern page to fill the little witch. There were some extra doodles on here that I didn't practice. If you are having trouble coming up with new ideas for your drawing, you can search keywords on google images such as Autumn, Halloween or spooky. Remember! You should only be inspired by other artist's work rather than copy them; you want to create a unique piece that you can be proud of! Now you can either leave your zentangle inspired art black and white (this is traditional) or you can continue onto the next stage like I did...




The final (optional) step is to add colour! This is where the colour test comes in. I looked back at my colour test and made a new colour scheme with different shades that I thought worked well together. This is a Halloween picture so I tried to include , orange, black, green, purple and metallic colours to give a spooky feel to the drawing. I made a gradient of dark purple to pale blue for the early evening sky. I scattered hundreds of little silver stars over the sky to make it look magical. I love the overall effect of this picture; I poured hours of my time into it and I feel it's worth it! I hope this has helped you to gain new skills and think about practicing in a different way. Let me know in the comments what you have created with my tips and what other drawing posts you would like to see on this blog!

PS: Don't forget to vote in my poll to tell me what type of post you want to see soon! If you voted for a seasonal post, (as well as this one) you'll see plenty in the next few weeks!

Back to the Future vs Reality

Today is the FUTURE! Well, according to the film Back to the Future 2. So be excited, by the end of today we should be seeing hover boards, flying cars and self-tying shoelaces everywhere. As a bit of fun I decided to draw a fashion design based around the fashions of this year that the movie predicted and the actual fashions of the year. I took about 2 hours on this design so I thought I would share it with you! 

    To see the labels then click on the picture and it will zoom in. I compared the 2 outfits by describing each element. I used one of the TopModel template books to start me off but I drew everything from clothes to hair. I don't often label designs but for this particular project, I thought it benefited the drawings.

The future may not be as the film intended, but I hope you have a great day anyway! Why don't you watch the Back to the Future films (there is 3) as a celebration? I know this was just a short post but I just wanted to make you aware of the special day and share my design with you! Tell me in the comments what your predictions for the future are-I'll enjoy seeing what you think! :D

Read With Your Cuppa' #4

Youtuber to watch


SoCrafttastic (AKA Sarah) is a great youtuber for people who love crafting! I know many of my readers are creative people so this is why I recommend her channel. Her videos vary from crafting, drawing, fashion and more! I particularly like her polymer clay tutorials and zentangle videos. I feel like she covers all sorts of projects so many people will enjoy them and learn something new!




Fun Activity
  There's something about baking seasonal treats that feels so fulfilling. I'm enjoying baking gooey cookies (with flavours like cinnamon or chocolate) and crumbles (my fave is rhubarb but I've been making several apple and blackcurrant ones recently). There are so many yummy recipes to try and as Autumn/Winter 2015 takes place, I love to make festive bakes. Check out all my food related posts for new ideas!



Fashion Trend



70s inspired outfits are fashionable right now! This isn't to say you have to go all out wearing vibrant colours and disco outfits, this means you should consider adding subtle touches of the 70s in your outfits to achieve a take on the popular boho look. Think bold prints, loosely flared trousers and rounded glasses as well as other pieces that pull the look together.




Inspirational Quote



Today's inspirational quote is about not giving up. You should always have a positive mindset when taking up a challenge. You learn new things along the way which help you to achieve. If you go through life thinking that big tasks are impossible you'll be missing out, big time. There's so much to discover so go out there and try your very best.




Meal To Try

Pesto pasta bake with chicken and bacon is one of my favourite meals! You can easily adapt this to be veggie by swapping the meat for peppers or other veg, it's still delicious! The simple recipe is this:
1. boil the pasta whilst you fry the chunks of meat
2. drain the pasta
3. mix the meat and pasta together in a dish with pesto
4. cover with grated cheese and mix again
5. grill the pasta bake
You can find more detailed recipes online but that's the basic method! I sometimes add yellow peppers for depth, but I love it either way!

B2S DIY Notebook

Hi guys! Some of you may have already gone back to school but there's still time to make your notebook cute! Today I'll be showing you how to make a collage notebook! On the right you can see my DIY collage notebook! Cute right? The best thing about this tutorial is that it can be completely different to mine! Here's the simple tutorial:
1.) Find a plain, cheap notebook that you will be decorating!
2.) Choose a cute piece of paper that can fit your notebook!
3.) Cut it to size. You can either have just the front covered or both the front and back covered! It's up to you!
4.) Stick the paper down
5.) Look for images online of your favourite things or just search for pretty things!
6.) Put them all on a word document and print them off!
7.) Cut them out carefully and arrange them on the notebook.
8.) One by one, glue them to the front cover.
9.) Fill the empty space with things like washi tape, sequins, glitter, buttons ect.
10.) Enjoy your unique notebook!

That's just the start of creating your own notebook! You can see in the pictures above that I have done some cool things inside the book as well! On the left there is a picture of the first page. On the first page of the notebook, I stuck lots of motivational quotes that I can look at whenever I want to! I got all of these quotes off of google images and printed them off! On the right, I have another page in my notebook! I have decided that on every page there will be an activity on the left and a notes page on the right! In this particular picture I have chosen to put a mini 'adult colouring book' page on it. On every notes page I have chosen a cute sticker to decorate it with! 

You don't have to do this with your notebook! Here are some more ideas for the inside of your notebook:

.write your timetable inside it

.write down your homework and when you have to give it in

.use it as a sketchbook/doodle book (you can't doodle in your exercise books)

.write down story ideas (if you're a writer)

.write down blog post ideas (if you're a blogger)

.write down lyrics to songs (if you need to learn a song)

.write down a script (if you're in a play)

.write down music notes (if you're a...you get the point)

.write translation pages for the language you're learning

There's so much you can do with your DIY notebook! I hope you try out this simple tutorial!

PS: Don't forget to check out my giveaway that's going on at the moment by clicking here!

My Terrific Ten Art Tips-Guest Post with 5 Star Artists

Hiya! I’m Kenza, author of 5 Star Writers and 5 Star Artists, an enthusiastic writer and artist who enjoys… you got it, writing and drawing! XD Today I’m hosting a guest post collab with Megan, which we’ve been really excited to share with you guys and hope you’ll enjoy!! :D For my part of the collab, I have decided to share ‘My Terrific Ten Art Tips’ . This is my first detailed art tutorial, put together especially for this collaboration, so I’ve done my best to choose art tips that would help all those artists out there willing to draw something awesome!

Be sure to check out Megan’s post, ‘What’s In My Sketchbook’ which is now featured on my art blog! You are guaranteed to like it!

If you’re interested in this post, please do check out my art blog, 5 Star Artists for more. I always do my best to share things that’ll interest my watchers. :)

Enjoy! :3

1) Start with the Eyes: When drawing characters (animated character fanart especially), I recommend you start drawing the eyes before anything else. (However, don’t of course go into detail until you’ve drawn everything else.) Not only does it help get the proportions right, it also helps you draw the eye in a more accurate way. Moreover, eyes are known to be what define a character’s appearance.

2) Play Music: This isn’t absolutely necessary, but I find that music makes drawing feel less time-consuming. When I draw, I’ll find a track that best fits the thing I’m drawing, say Let It Go when I’m drawing Elsa, Zen Ball Master when I’m drawing Po, I Can’t Wait To Be King when I’m drawing Simba, etc. … it doesn’t even have to have lyrics. Another interesting thing is that lots of artists out there are inspired by music to draw something. It’s cool!

3) Practise Drawing Hands: Hands are known to be one of the most complicated body parts to draw, according to most artists. They have a random form that is hard to copy. The best you can do is practise drawing them. Every so often, when I have the time, I’ll think, okay, I’m going to draw some hands again. I’ll get my spare art book (I totally recommend getting a spare one – it doesn’t even have to be heavyweight) and I’ll sketch some different hand shapes, either hands of animated characters (this is a good way to start) or of real hands. Try Elsa (Frozen) if you can – her hands always make interesting shapes and the good thing about it is that it gets you practising the easy way.

4) Draw Hairstyles: I personally find drawing hairstyles one of the most fun parts of drawing a character. Why? Because you can get really crazy and creative with them. I would also recommend practising them. When drawing hair, be sure to start at the parting. It helps a lot. Furthermore, if you draw a manga character, be sure to draw a hair line. This helps get the hair in an accurate position.

5) Use References: Almost all artists use references when they draw. References are there for everything… to inspire, to get things accurate, to help you develop your own style, and so on. Honestly, I don’t recall doing any good art pieces without using a reference. Bear in mind, there’s no restriction to how many references you can use. The more you use, the better!

6) Try Different Ranges Of Pencils: Okay, so this really does help when you draw, believe me. There are lots of artists out there who just use an HB pencil (I don’t blame you if you do, though, because of course a lot of people only have HBs as they’re also handy for writing. XD). You can get different ranges everywhere (good quality ones include Faber Castell, Royal & Langnickel and Derwent Academy). I recommend a set of 6B-5H if you can, but 3B-2H at least. Most people start their drawings with a 6B because it’s softer and easy to rub out. I, personally, then use a 2H (sometimes I even start with a 2H when doing fanart, haha) and a 5H for extra details. When you’re doing eyelashes, try a (sharpened!) 2B – it works better. Whatever you do, *SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS*. (Okay, I think I’d better stop my lecture on pencils now… XD)

7) Go Over In Ink Pens: I could go on forever about ink pens, but for now I tell you, not only do inks pens make your art stand out, they also preserve it for longer. If you don’t, you’ll soon find that the pencil lines smudge (Especially 6Bs. Most definitely.) When doing thin lines or eyes, I use a very fine tip, either an XS Calligraphy Pen or an ink pen of 0.05. When doing thicker lines, I use an S Calligraphy Pen or an ink pen of 0.1+.

8) Perfect Your Artwork: Once you’ve finished what you’re drawing, perfect it. Just try. Correct the proportions, add on more details, etc. Anything, anything at all that makes your picture look better. You’ll be glad you did it, because if you race ahead and colour, there’s a good chance you won’t be happy with the results in the end and it’ll be too late. Lesson learned (the easy way). (excuse the handwriting in this one)

9) Use A Manikin: If you’re drawing a person, and you aren’t copying something, then use a manikin. They help a ton, believe me. You can easily twist the wooden body parts into the shape you desire (jumping, sitting, waving, the splits, a pirouette, anything). Just copy it, draw the outfit on top and then rub out the manikin shapes. I know it sounds a bore, but it’s easier done than said! You can buy them in shops like The Works. I’ve got a small one and a big one (personally, I think the big one is better).

10) Compare Your Artwork: If you ask me, comparing artwork and looking back at your old pieces is an important thing for an artist. We all improve by learning from our mistakes and the only way to do that is facing our mistakes (even our worst fails). If you do fail an art piece, don’t rub it out. It’ll help you improve looking back at it in future. I don’t mean to be superior about my artwork, but I’ll admit I’ve improved a lot over the past year. (As for the old ones in this picture, I drew them over a year ago).

I also have some bonus tips to share with you guys!
1) Try reflecting your artwork (all you need to do is hold your artwork in front of a mirror and all the mistakes you haven’t noticed will show up – it’s a really cool life hack!)
2) Sharpen your pencils (yes, I’ve mentioned this in tip #6, but I just need to emphasise how much this helps when drawing)
3) Buy a heavyweight art book (they may be higher in price, but they’re absolutely, totally worth it… otherwise, get an art book over 139gsm… you see, if you don’t, it’s easy for pens/paints to sink through the paper or rip when you keep rubbing out – and we all know that’s totally annoying.)
4) Start with a rough sketch without pressing hard (otherwise, you might find later that you’ve made a mistake and can’t correct it easily)
5) Doodle (true fact: it gives you ideas and even helps you think, Zentangles especially)
6) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes (if you don’t make mistakes, then you won’t improve, so it’s perfectly fine if you do!)
7) And most importantly, KEEP PRACTISING! :D (whether you decide to follow any of these art tips or not, just keep practising… you want to draw a complicated mansion, a detailed dinosaur, a beautiful background? Just keep going at it and you’ll be a master of it in time to come.)

Thanks for reading! It’s been a pleasure to write for Megan’s blog and I hope you artists out there learned a thing or two from this! :D Keep drawing and keep your imagination racing!

Note from Me:

It was lots of fun writing with kenza and for her brilliant blog-so please check out 5 Star Artists to see what other amazing posts she has come up with! You can find my guest post 'What's in my Sketchbook' in her blog too! I hope you enjoyed this collab! Let me know in the comments what your favourite tip of hers was! Also, please check out the giveaway going on at the moment on my blog, by clicking here.

Extended Deadline of Giveaway!

Hi guys! My giveaway with Heartfelty/Heartfelt Illustrations was originally going to finish on the 30th of August but I'm extending the deadline to the 30th of September with an easier way to enter. You now have more time to win this great prize bundle!!!

You can win ALL of these!

1. To enter just leave a nice comment on my blog and email me at my new blog email address "Megans Mega Blog at Gmail dot com" to tell me that you've entered. If you win the draw I'll email you back to ask for an address to send the prize to. Remember, you don't have to give me your own address. Your grandparents or your parents work address will do. I don't need to know where you actually live and won't share or keep your details after the draw finishes.

2.You must live in the UK to enter.

Please remember there is only one winner who wins all of the prizes above! You don't need to share any contact info unless you win! It would be awesome if you let other people know about this giveaway, but it doesn't give you a bigger chance of winning!

Giveaway with Heartfelty/Heartfelt Illustrations!

Hi guys! The reason I haven't posted here for a while is because I've been working on two very exciting things! One of which I will reveal to you today! You'll find out about the other in a few weeks! As you already know (from the title), today I am hosting a giveaway! Some of the prizes you can win are from Michelle (Heartfelty/Heartfelt Illustrations), a Handcrafter who was recently featured on my blog! Check out the interview I had with her here. I tried to choose prizes that my readers would like to win so hopefully you'll be interested!  

The Prizes

The first prize in this giveaway is a detailed colouring page. 'Adult Colouring Books' are a big trend at the moment so I just love this prize! The best thing about this, is that other people can't buy this colouring page design at the moment! You will  be one of the very few people to own it!

The second prize is similar to the first, in the way that it too is a colouring page! You can buy this design in a postcard form but at the moment, this design is not available as a colouring sheet!








You wouldn't be able to colour in the two colouring sheets without some pencils so your next prize is a large set of 24 colouring pencils! These are just generic pencils and aren't from Michelle's range of products! The packaging is so cute with it's black and white polka dots and round peep-hole!








I chose this last prize because it matches my blog perfectly! This pineapple brooch looks like it's just been taken out of my blog's colourful background! This trendy brooch is perfect to pin on your pencil case or school bag to add some colour! To use, you will need to take the product away from the packaging! The card behind it is not part of the product! If you want to get more fruity badges for your collection, you can see them here! Also, I made a post called Fashionable Fruit a while back so here is the link.







So those are all of the prizes you can win! It's just a little giveaway because my blog is still quite small but I think you'll love the prizes that Michelle (Heartfelty/Heartfelt Illustrations) has kindly let me give away! The rules are pretty simple, you don't have to have any social media to enter! You just need an e-mail account, parent's permission to enter (if you're under 18) and the ability to comment on this post! Please read this section very carefully, you don't want to miss anything! Here's how you can enter:

1. To enter just leave a nice comment on my blog and email me at my new blog email address "Megans Mega Blog at Gmail dot com" to tell me that you've entered. If you win the draw I'll email you back to ask for an address to send the prize to. Remember, you don't have to give me your own address. Your grandparents or your parents work address will do. I don't need to know where you actually live and won't share or keep your details after the draw finishes.

2.You must live in the UK to enter.

You don't need to share any personal info unless you win. You can only enter once! DO NOT beg me to let you win or tell me why you really want/need to win. The competition ends on the 30th of September 2015! All entries MUST be in by the end of that day! Your entry will not count if you don't follow all of the rules.

If you DON'T win, please don't leave any mean comments about the winner or anything else. There is nothing I can do about it once someone has won.

I really hope that you're excited about this giveaway just as much as I am! Good Luck!

PS: These are links to Michelle's Facebook pages: Heartfelty and Heartfelt Illustrations.

Please check out the simpler version of this post here.