Using Stencils for Interlocking Shapes

I recently took an online class called Drawing Interlacing & Interlocking Shapes taught by Certified Zentangle Teacher, Sadelle Wiltshire. I loved every second of the class and even made a few wonderful interlocking images. 

One of the things I struggled with was creating straight lines. My hand isn't steady enough yet to make the perfectly straight lines I'd like to make. So here's what I did...

I grabbed the Mod Ovals and Circles Small Stencil from StencilGirl. It was designed by the wonderful Lizzie Mayne and has the perfect size circles for creating an interlocking ringlet. 

I started by tracing the stencil shapes one at a time, being sure to place them on the page intentionally. Then, using Sadelle's step-by-step suggestions, I turned them into interlocked shapes. 

I found that using the stencil made it so simple that I couldn't stop drawing them. 

I even tried the double oval shapes on the stencil (I need a little more practice with doubles). 

I encourage you to give this stenciling technique a try. Not only is it meditative, it's very rewarding. You can create something beautiful with ease and joy. 

I'm going to pull out a few more stencils and see what else I can create. 

​If you want to see a few more uses of this same stencil, visit this blog post. And if you want to learn more from Sadelle, join us for her LIVE SESSION during The Black & White Journal online class. 

​See you there.