06 May How to Draw UNOU (Tangle Step by Step)
Looking for a geometric Zentangle pattern that’s simple to start but very eye-catching? Try my original tangle UNOU, here’s the step-by-step tutorial:
What is the UNOU tangle?
UNOU is a structured, grid-based Zentangle pattern made of square fragments that interact with each other in very interesting ways. You begin with a simple square grid, and then introduce circles that interrupt this rigid structure with a new element.
From there, it’s all about playing with the magic of positive and negative space. This tangle is perfect to practice adding drama (this is, big areas with solid black ink) and explore contrast in your Zentangle tiles.
If you enjoy patterns with a lot of drama, check out my tangle Ronchamp in my free tangle library.
The inspiration behind my tangle UNOU
This tangle has a playful origin. As a millennial I grew up obsessed by Pokémon, and UNOU takes its name from characters from those videogames: Unown, symbolic and glyph-like creatures that always felt abstract and mysterious.
That idea of alphabet symbols translated into a grid-based pattern where each fragment (or letter) interacts and merges with the ones around it to form a bigger picture (or words/sentences).
How to draw a Zentangle tile with UNOU, step by step:
If you wanna learn how to draw a complete Zentangle tile using UNOU, I’ve created a detailed step-by-step PDF tutorial inside my Pattern School, Zentopia.
In this lesson you’ll discover how to build a clean grid, integrate circles to break the rigidity of the structure and master the use of black fill for high contrast Zentangle compositions.
Join my Pattern School Zentopia and besides this step-by-step PDF tutorial you’ll also get:
✏️ New tangle exercises every month (100+ and growing!)
🔁 Real-time video tutorials.
🫂 Access to an inspiring Telegram community of tanglers.
💪🏻 Support to keep drawing consistently.
Only for $5/month + taxes! You can also explore the full library of tutorials with a 7-day free trial before deciding: