Week 1: 2D Design
Taking Line for a Walk…
Line
Line is the most basic of the elements. So what is it?
Line is “a point set in motion” (Paul Klee)
Lines are cracks in a side-walk, tree bark crawling up a tree or a group of people
standing one behind the other at the grocery store. Lines pose infinite potential.
Some adjectives to describe line….
calm
graceful
agitated ordered
wild quiet whimsical
Line can describe shape. When a continuous, unbroken line surrounds an object
we can easily identity that object (outline).
Line can describe value and form, for example: something round, rough & heavy.
Different types: Actual Line, Implied Line, Psychic Line
Think about the direction a line takes & where the line lives on a page: it’s
location. How about line quality:
The manner in which you say something, or write or draw something: the TONE,
the INTENTION, the EMOTION…can communicate different messages.
As can line.
In Class Exercises
Part A: Your Name_________
Close your eyes and envision the scenarios I describe. Imagine it, then execute,
using different mediums (pen, pencil, marker, brush) as you see fit.
Part B: Your Name_________AbStRacTed
Get new scratch paper: fold it in half twice, to create 4 separate boxes. Look back
to your Name creations in Part A and pick interesting LETTERS or PARTS OF
LETTERS to create 4 linear compositions inspired by the 4 concepts listed below.
Each concept should live in it’s own box.
Concepts
1. Near & Distant
2. Explosive
3. Calm
4. Humorous
2D Design
Clarissa Gregory
Part 1: Research & Sketchbook Entries
Research & examine the way artists use and create LINE. If searching on Google, type in:
Artist Name, drawing. Pay attention to line variety & quality. Pick two different
artworks from two different artists and sketch them in sketchbook (list name of artist,
materials used, date). Write a couple sentences talking about how the artist used line &
what it communicates (expressive or technical).
Part 2: Project #1
200 Straight Lines
Make a composition indicating space non-objectively using only 200 straight lines
(avoid drawing from life directly or anything representational). Consider the
definition of the word “line.” Look it up in a dictionary, an art book, a geometry text.
Think about these questions:
What is a line?
What is a straight line?
What is a point on a line?
How wide can a line get before it makes a shape?
Can a line change width or value within itself?
How long does a line have to be to qualify as a line?
If a line ends at a certain point or runs off the picture plane, does it continue
into space conceptually?
Can one use straight lines to make curves?
Materials needed: ruler, pencil, black pen/marker/ink, Bristol paper. Optional: white
pencil/ink (on black paper)
*Final Project must be BLACK INK/MARKER on Bristol Paper
Practice in sketchbook with pencil first. Consider the size of your picture plane to the
limitation of using only 200 lines. Utilize the space of the page and be creative with
the limitation at hand.
To indicate space, think about overlapping lines and lines that differ in scale, value,
texture, and weight. Lighter, thinner lines will appear to be farther away than will
heavy, dark lines. The implication of texture can be built up not only by the
placement of the lines, but also by varying media. A complete range of values and
rhythm can be attained by placing lines together; the ending points of lines become
critically important. Try to activate the entire picture plane spatially by use of strong,
dynamic composition.
DUE:End of Week 2
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Project #1: 200 Straight Lines
2 Sketchbook entries