16 Zentangle Patterns for Beginners: Easy Tutorials

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Art educator Eric Gibbons shares helpful tips for drawing Zentangle patterns

Co-authored by Eric Gibbons and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: July 4, 2026 Fact Checked

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Easy Zentangle Patterns

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Benefits of Zentangle Drawing

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Zentangle Drawing Tricks

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Zentangle drawing is a fun, relaxing drawing method that uses simple, repetitive motions to create exciting, dynamic patterns, and it’s super easy to adopt as a medium! Once you’ve got your materials, all you need is a pattern to start with. That’s where we come in. In this article, we go over 16 Zentangle patterns you can use in your next drawing session, with exclusive insights from an art educator. We also dive into the benefits of Zentangle drawing and give you tips on improving, so read on!

Simple Zentangle Patterns to Try First

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Art educator Eric Gibbons says the best Zentangle patterns are ones that are layered, with lots of dots, lines, and colors for added richness. Here are some easy patterns you can try if you’re a beginner:

Huggins: Draw a four by four grid on your paper with bold dots. Draw small lines curving from the inside of one dot to the next. Continue this until you’ve connected them all.
Arabel: Make a two by two square grid. Draw acute triangles on the inside edges. Connect them by drawing more triangles stemming from the originals. Fill the space.
Arukas: Draw a circle in the center of your page with four equally spaced curved lines protruding from it. Draw circles, lines, or cylinders between those lines.
Lace: Draw 4 horizontal and 4 vertical lines on your page to form a grid. Draw curved lines over each horizontal and vertical line. Draw shapes in the white space.

Section 1 of 3:

Easy Zentangle Patterns

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Keeko The Keeko Zentangle is a pattern that seems complex, but is actually super simple once you try it out! It fills the page by putting 3-4 curved vertical lines next to 3-4 curved horizontal lines, and once it’s all together, this symmetrical pattern naturally attracts the eyes. Plus, it’s a fun, meditative pattern for you to practice!
- How to Draw:
  - Draw 3-4 parallel vertical lines in the corner of your page.
  - Right next to them, draw 3-4 horizontal parallel lines.
  - Repeat this until you’ve filled the page.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Eric Gibbons is an art educator and artist, with over 37 years of teaching experience. He also runs the Firehouse Gallery in New Jersey and is the founder of the Art Ed Guru blog.
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Huggins If you like drawing small circles, this is for you! Not only is the Huggins pattern calming, as it builds a four-by-four grid using small, filled-in circles/dots, but it also makes for a great piece of art to have in your collection. It’s a simple piece that takes the grid and connects it with curved tubes for a fun, contrasting look.^{[1]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw a four by four grid on your paper with bold dots.
  - Draw small curving lines from the inside of one dot to the inside of the dot below it. Continue this until you’ve connected all dots vertically.
  - Rotate your paper 90 degrees and draw more curved lines until you’ve filled the grid both ways.
- Fun Fact: The Huggins pattern is one of the original Zentangle patterns created by the Zentangle founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.
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Betweed The Betweed Zentangle pattern is another pattern created by the Zentangle founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. It’s a bit more complex than other Zentangle patterns, as it stacks angled lines in different directions until they reach the center of the page. So if you’re looking for something fun that’ll get your brain moving a bit, try it out.^{[2]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw an X that intersects in the center of your page.
  - Draw a straight horizontal line dividing that center.
  - From these lines, draw small, acutely angled lines towards the center that connect to the edges of one another.
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Arukas The Arukas is a classic, eye-catching Zentangle pattern created by Molly Hollibaugh that starts from a small circle and blooms outward in small curved lines. From those curved lines, you can create a multitude of different patterns that make for a relaxing, meditative drawing session.^{[3]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw a circle in the center of your page.
  - Draw four protruding, equally spaced curved lines from the circle.
  - Draw freeform patterns in between the lines, such as other circles, different lines, or cylinders.
- Fun Fact: Molly Hollibaugh is the daughter of Zentangle founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.
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Starukas Starukas, created by Anica Gabrovec, is an offshoot of the Arukas pattern. This pattern tends to be a bit easier to achieve than the Arukas, as it uses the corners of stars to create blooming lines rather than evening them out across the edge of a circle. It’s a fun one to draw, too, making it a great pattern to go with after a stressful day.
- How to Draw:
  - Draw a star in the center of your page.
  - Draw lines of varying sizes blooming from the inner corners of the star.
  - Experiment with different shapes inside of the white space of these lines.
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Osam The Osam Zentangle pattern is another simple pattern that was created by Anica Gabrovec. It’s called Osam due to its resemblance to the number 8, being named after the Croatian word for the number. To achieve this one, all you have to do is draw loosely curled S-shapes that connect.
- How to Draw:
  - Draw a loosely curved S, then draw a slightly larger curved S next to it.
  - Draw an inverted version of the same shape on the opposite side that connects to the smaller S.
  - Draw a slightly larger version of that inverted shape and connect it to the larger S.
  - Make sure the original overlaps the inverse on its lower half.
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Zin This Zentangle pattern was created by Certified Zentangle Teacher Linda Farmer, and is perfect if you’re looking to draw something with some contrast. It’s a fairly simply pattern that orients lines in various ways to achieve a consistent triangular design that’s pleasing to the eye.^{[4]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw diagonal lines from one side of your page to the next.
  - Turn your page and draw diagonal lines overlapping the original lines in the opposite direction.
  - Draw 5-6 horizontal lines going downward. This should form a grid of triangles.
  - Going left to right, draw smaller triangles inside of the downward-facing gridded areas and fill them in with black ink.
  - Fill the white space with angled lines following the shape of the triangles.
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Fanella Designed by Canadian wrangler Cyndi Knapp, the Fanella pattern takes a W shape and uses its angles to help the page bloom. In the crevices of the shape, small curved lines are drawn to connect the opposite-facing lines. From those curves, more lines are drawn until the white space in the shape is filled.^{[5]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw a large W connecting two sides of your page.
  - In the crevices of that W, draw small curved lines that connect the opposite-facing lines.
  - Fill the area beneath those curved lines in black.
  - Draw lines blooming from the black curved line you just made. These lines should bloom in alignment with the W until the white space is full.
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Flukes This is another pattern created by Zentangle founders Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. It’s also another pattern that plays with angles. It takes 4-6 diagonal lines and intersects them with 4-6 diagonal lines going in the opposite direction. In the white space, you’re left to create angled lines that point towards the top of the page.^{[6]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw a diagonal grid out of 4-6 lines on one side of the page and 4-6 lines on the other.
  - In the white space of these lines, draw angled lines that resemble the top of a triangle and are parallel with the lines above them.
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Tundra Developed by Certified Zentangle Teacher Mario Patterns, this Zentangle pattern is inspired by the cool dew drops that sit on plants’ leaves and flowers in the early hours of the morning. It’s a simple pattern that still looks dynamic on the page due to the contrast and layers, making it a perfect option for beginners.
- How to Draw:
  - Start with multiple black dots of various sizes across your page.
  - Draw unfilled circles around the dots.
  - Draw curved lines connecting different parts of these circles, then draw curved borders around those lines.
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Msst This Zentangle pattern, created by Zentangle founders Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, is a fun pattern that’s super easy to get onto a page. It takes one line that’s curled at various points and recreates it across the page. Not only that, though, as some of the lines taper off into small dots before they reach the other end of the page, making for a simple, dynamic visual.^{[7]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw a line that curves at various points from the top of your page down, but don’t connect it to the other side.
  - Draw dotted lines that stop just before they reach the edge of the page.
  - Draw more curved lines parallel to the original that stop at different points.
  - Taper those new curves into dotted lines.
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Lace The Lace Zentangle is one of the simplest patterns in the Zentangle catalogue, so much so that it isn’t necessarily attributed to a single creator. It intersects four vertical lines with four horizontal lines, then layers small curved lines over those original lines to create a lace effect, making for a fun, silly Zentangle to relax with.^{[8]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw four horizontal lines from the top to bottom of your page.
  - Draw four vertical lines from one side of your page to another.
  - Draw curved lines over each horizontal and vertical line.
  - Draw your desired shapes in the white space.
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Arabel Created by Certified Zentangle Teacher Elena Hadzijaneva, the Arabel takes a two by two grid and peppers it with acute triangles and black space for a dynamic look with uniform contrast. It takes a bit more work than other Zentangle patterns, but as a result, you get an elegant, eye-catching piece.
- How to Draw:
  - Draw a two by two square grid.
  - Draw acute triangles on the edges of the lines.
  - Connect these lines by drawing more acute triangles off of the original triangles.
  - Fill in any white space with patterns, or color them in black.
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Eolo This is another pattern created by Mario Patterns, and it’s great if you’re looking for a playful one to put on the page. It takes curved triangles and spreads them across the page, gives them another layer, and fills the center white space. Not only does this playful pattern look good on the page, but it’s also full of flow and motion, making it great for relaxation.
- How to Draw:
  - Draw two curved lines coming from the top corner of the page.
  - Draw two more curved lines going downward from the original lines’ edges. Repeat this on the second set of curved lines’ edges to create a triangle shape.
  - Draw another curved line parallel to the second set to create a layer effect, then repeat this until you’ve filled the page with triangles.
  - Fill the center of each triangle with black ink or shapes of your choice.
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Munchin The Munchin pattern is another one that was created by Molly Hollibaugh, and it’s one of the more complex ones. It starts with a set of dots spread across the page, then connects them at various points to create triangles. Inside these triangles, smaller triangles are drawn, making for a dynamic look that’s full of contrast.^{[9]
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- How to Draw:
  - Draw 10-14 small dots across your page and connect them to form triangles.
  - Inside these triangles, draw angled lines to create smaller triangles.
  - In some triangles, draw vertical angled lines. In others, draw horizontal angled lines.
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Origami Color Wheel This pattern combines 3 different art activities into a single design: origami, a color wheel, and Zentangle. It usually looks like a circular mandala-style artwork that’s divided into sections by origami folds, with each section colored in rainbow order and filled with detailed Zentangle patterns.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Eric Gibbons
Art Educator

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- How to Draw:
  - Fold a square sheet diagonally both ways, then fold it horizontally and vertically, and open the paper to have 8 crease sections radiating from the center.
  - Trace a large circle in the center of the paper, then divide it into 6 sections.
  - Blend colors smoothly from one section to the next. You can use paint when coloring Zentangles, notes Gibbons.^{[12]
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  - Draw different Zentangle patterns inside each section, such as dots, spirals, scales, waves, or feathers. Gibbons recommends using acrylic pens.^{[13]
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- Gibbons also suggests doing origami based on an animal that represents your student’s personality. For example, if they’re shy or quiet, they can choose a turtle. Fold the turtle to make a crease pattern, then add a color wheel in the shattered pattern of the lines. If there’s time, they can fill in each section with Zentangle patterns.^{[14]
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Section 2 of 3:

Benefits of Zentangle Drawing

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Zentangle is a meditative drawing method, meaning it’s meant to help you relax, reduce stress, and achieve a meditative state. For example, if you had a hard day at work and want to decompress at home, Zentangle drawing can help you do so, giving your brain something to focus on that’s fun and productive instead of stressful.^{[15]
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Zentangle drawing has a positive effect on your mental health. A 2022 study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found that Zentangle drawing can help improve effective well-being, and that with enough practice, it may even help with anxiety and self-compassion. On top of that, it’s known to relieve stress and frustration, enhance your ability to achieve your goals, and increase your commitment to work.^{[16]
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- Zentangle drawing is a great way to reduce stress and focus your mind, but it isn’t meant as a therapy replacement. It works best as an addition to therapy.

Section 3 of 3:

Techniques for Drawing Zentangle Patterns

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Start with the root of the pattern. This could be an alternating grid or a grid of dots, notes Gibbons. As an art educator, he encourages his students to experiment with connecting the dots in different ways. Instead of a regular horizontal grid, it could be a curved grid (like overlapping rainbows), a line-based grid with straight and wiggly lines, or something similar to plaid.^{[17]
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- That said, patterns are a great guide, but you should also let students play around so it feels more organic, adds Gibbons.^{[18]
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Remember, zentangle drawing is more about meditation than perfection. Zentangle drawing is a calming, meditative practice that’s all about letting your mind breathe as you come up with fun, unique patterns. It doesn’t require perfection; in fact, there’s no such thing in the Zentangle world. There may be some patterns that you like more than others, but each is great in its own way.^{[19]
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- When you take to the page and start your Zentangle drawing, focus on relaxing your mind and enjoying this fun activity. Stressing about it undermines the whole point of the practice!
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Keep a list of basic patterns. If you’re looking to improve your skills, keep a list of basic patterns you can refer to and build on them in different ways. Not only will this get you familiar with the patterns and make it easier to bring them to life, but it will also give you a more dynamic imagination when it comes to building them, as you’re switching it up whenever you head to the page.
- Build a versatile list of beginner-friendly patterns if you’re unsure of where to start.
- As an art educator, Gibbons says that having a large number of Zentangle samples is helpful because it gives students many options to choose from.^{[20]
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Don’t be afraid to experiment with shapes and materials. Zentangle patterns are full of different shapes and can be made on all different types of paper with pens, pencils, markers, or whatever tool you’ve got in hand. So avoid limiting yourself to one or two patterns and shapes. Instead, experiment with different patterns, shapes, and materials to see how they look, work, and feel together.
- For example, if you typically draw Zentangle patterns with lines and triangles on paper with a pen, switch things up and draw patterns with circles and squiggly lines with a marker on cardboard.
- Experimenting can help you find your style, as you’re seeing how you draw across different mediums.
- According to Gibbons, the best Zentangle patterns are layered. Instead of just one pattern, keep layering on top to add richness. For example, he says you could do black lines, add pink dots, then circle the pink dots with a yellow line, and then outline the lines.^{[21]
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Refer to tutorials if you’re having a hard time bringing patterns to life. As a beginner, some Zentangle patterns may give you a hard time. So when you’re just not getting it, don’t stress or fret. Instead, check out some tutorials from Certified Zentangle Teachers (CZTs) and Zentangle artists and refer to them until you get the patterns down. Not sure where to start? Try these tutorials:
- Beginner’s Guide to Start Zentangle by TheArtGeek
- 72 Zentangle Ideas for Beginners by Arts by Hena
- How to Zentangle for Beginners Playlist by Mr. New’s Art Class
- Zentangle Pattern Tutorials for Beginners - Step by Step Playlist by Emily Suess Zentangles
- Looking for more tips on drawing Zentangles? Check out our article How to Make a Zentangle!
1. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time.