Tangle Pattern of the Week - Bales

This week we're highlighting the tangle pattern known as Bales. It's really very simple to draw although it can look quite complex. As a matter of fact, it's one of the very first patterns I teach in every beginner class. The pattern at the bottom left of the tile pictured above is Bales at it's most basic.

Bales is a pattern that you begin by drawing a grid and therefore, how straight the grid is will determine the shape of your bales. In the tile above, you can see what happens to your shapes if you use curved lines to draw your grid. The shapes can become elongated and really change the resulting space within each "square."

Yes, this tile, too, is still variations on Bales. Instead of the curve shapes added to my initial grid, I've added some angled lines which end up creating diamond shapes. I personally really enjoy when a new pattern emerges. Thanks so much to by friend Sue who was drawing with me this morning and first started drawing these diamond shapes on her bales. 

Obviously, none of the above tiles have any shading added. Once I add that I'll come back and add the shaded tiles at the bottom of the post so you can check back in subsequent weeks, if you're interested to see them shaded.

As always, there are so very many fine examples of Bales on Pinterest, make sure to take a look there.

And remember, one of the best ways to learn and to get new ideas is to gather together to work with friends or a teacher. Find a Certified Zentangle Teacher in your area to find out about Zentangle gatherings near you. If you are in the South Bend, Indiana area, we meet every Tuesday morning at 10am at Granger Community Church in the cafe for an informal, free meetup. I'd love to see you there! 

Feel free to add your links in the comments to blog posts or images you've shared that show Bales as well. We would all love to see them.

If you have a suggestion or request for a pattern to cover in the Tangle Pattern of the Week series, I'd love to hear about it in the comments as well. Maybe one you have a hard time drawing, or one you can't quite figure out. Let me know and I'll put it on the list for a week coming up soon.