Cut-paper stencil mandalas

I've been doing more cut-paper stencil mandalas as a bit of testing for part of a workshop I'm developing. It's amazing how many different results you can get using the same stencil as a template. I show some in the recent book "The Art of Zentangle" - page 118 ;) - from Walter Foster Publishing. Some have referred to this as a 'snowflake' mandala but I'm a bit of a stickler for accuracy and a snowflake has six or twelve points and these generally have four or eight.

I wanted to work on a zendala tile, although in the end this project will be done in a larger size. Here's the stencil I cut:

Below is one of infinite possible outcomes. Perhaps this is an odd thing to say about a zentangle, but I think it's a little busy! Or maybe it needs more solid blacks and fewer mid-tones (grays)?

Tangles: Black Pearlz, Zedbra and elements
of Munchin, Tortuca, and Tripoli

I've mentioned that I enjoy overlapping images. I selected a pre-strung zendala tile with two large squares in the design and traced my template onto it. That gave me two overlaid mandala designs. I used some gray inks here too and I think turned out rather nicely.

Tangles: Black Pearlz, Crescent Moon, Pearlz, Striping,
and elements of Munchin and Tripoli

I decided to try one in color. I laid down a random acrylic wash using red, green and yellow and let it dry. As I worked on it, it started to look like yellow tulips so I developed it in that direction. It took a few tries to get the middle to be something I was happy with. That's a rather crucial part of a mandala!

Tangles: Black Pearlz, Tipple, Wud
plus stripes, spirals, and some grassy stuff.

Here's another in black and white. I can't decide whether I prefer it oriented as a cross or an 'X'. What do you think?

Tangles: Betweed, Caviar, Crescent Moon, and stripes and more