If you like to draw zentangles, you might want to try adding zentangle patterns to some of your paintings. Here how you can do it on an acrylic forest painting on canvas.

I did paint this painting for the “Anonymous Art Show”, a fundraising event here in North Vancouver where all paintings have to be 8 x 8 inches, priced at 100 dollars and signed only at the back so people can buy the art they like the most without knowing who did the painting.

You might also like: Painting flowers from imagination: 3 Paintings for the Anonymous Art Show

Start by drawing the outlines of the forest with graphite on canvas:

The first step is to make the drawing with pencil on canvas. You don’t need to be very precise, just draw the outlines of the trees.

Paint the trees foliage and the trunks wet into wet with fluid acrylic inks:

Preserve white areas on the canvas with masking fluid, they will be white highlights in the forest foliage.

You can work with fluid acrylic inks, They behave a bit as watercolor but will adhere more on the canvas than watercolors would. So you can layer colors if you want to.

I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.

Daler-Rowney FW Acrylic Water-Resistant Artists Ink FW Artists Ink is an acrylic-based, pigmented, water-resistant ink in a range of 38 colors, all of which have either a three-star or four-star rating for permanence. FW Artists Inks work well with airbrushes, dip pens, technical pens and brushes. – Primary Colors Set

Start by painting the foliage, with the liquid acrylics diluted in a bit of water, using a wet into wet technique. That means, you are painting colors next to one another while they are still wet, so they mix on the canvas.

Here is the foliage all painted, you then have to wait for the paint to dry.

Start working on the trunks mixing washes of brown and blue in a wet into wet manner. As you van see, you don’t need to be very precise as we are going to add a bit of definition in the next steps when we will be adding zentangle patterns.

Keep on adding layers until you are satisfied with the colors.

Add zentangle patterns to the forest painting

Now the fun part 🙂
You can add zentangle patterns to the trees with a marker. Make sure that your marker is acide free and light fast if you want your painting to be archival.

For patterns ideas, you can look at my Pinterest collection of patterns and zentangles.

I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.

Sakura Pigma Micron Pen Pigma Micron pens are acid-free and archival, making them ideal for any application requiring precision and permanance. Pigma ink is derived from a single pigment to ensure color consistency, and is fadeproof against sunlight or UV light. – Set of 6, Black

The painting with added designs

Next I am adding a bit of splatters with gouache mixed with watercolor.

The finished painting, Morning Walk