A restaurant chain in our area, Tijuana Flats, encourages customers to paint the 2' x 2' ceiling tiles in a few of its locations. For the most part the finished tiles are brightly painted in keeping with the colorful atmosphere of the particular place. The one we frequent is no exception.
The walls range in color form orange to red to purple and are splattered with graffiti type paintings. Overhead , the otherwise turquoise ceiling is dotted with patrons' colorful artwork.
In the midst of all that color, a bit of black and white tangling was sure to stand out.
I asked the manager for a 'ceiling tile to go' and this is how it went...
After that, I taped and trimmed newspaper sheets to fit the 2 ft. x 2 ft. size. Why newspaper? Because of the large surface space and it was free :) The tile itself broke apart easily, especially around the edges and I had to be careful handling it.
I drew the little critter in marker onto the newsprint using the grid to help keep the proportions correct. If you look closely you can see it under my sketch. Next, I cut out the newspaper chameleon and traced him onto the tile. Taking the time to do this reduced the amount of pencil lines on the ceiling tile. I lightly penciled in the details - his legs, eyes, mouth line, etc. Then, in true Zentangle® fashion, I put my pencil away.
To outline the chameleon, I used a medium tipped Sharpie brand paint marker. There was one problem: the tile had a very fine chalky dust covering it. The marker did not take well to it. To seal the surface, I diluted white acrylic paint with water and brushed it liberally over the tile. Once that dried, the marker worked well. I outlined everything and then thickened the lines around him.
To tangle the little guy, I started with his chin and cheek...
...and then worked my way up over his face and down his body. Doesn't n'zepple look reptile- like as it runs down his back?
Next, I tangled from the tip of his curly tail toward his body. This allowed for a nice overlap where the tangles met. I used a different tangle for each leg and his underbelly.
Ever since I started Zentangle i've been noticing tiles and patterns even on the ceiling. When I was at a friend's Bachelorette party I saw one I like, and plan on doing one of these days. Each place I go and if I have the time, I find a pattern and take a picture of the pattern that I like to zentangle later. I like the different parts you have of the tangle a ceiling tile. I wonder if you will or someone will make this into a challenge in the future.
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