Line, Texture and Pattern
• The definition of a line is the path of a moving
point through space that is made by a tool,
instrument, or medium as it moves across an
area.
• It is usually made visible because it contrasts
in value with its surroundings.
• 3-D lines may be made with string, wire,
tubes, solid rods, sticks, and such.
Line as a Great Form of Artistic
Communication
• Line is undoubtedly the most familiar of the art elements; we
use it in our daily handwriting, for example
• In art, line is used in sketching, often in preparation for larger
works
• We also use the term line in lots of other everyday ways –
checkout line, cafeteria line, etc.
• Artists use line to communicate in a variety of ways – ex. it can
be used simply to describe the edge of an observed object
and/or it could be used more expressively to bring about
emotion and deeper meaning about the subject matter or
theme of an artwork
Pat Steir, Inner Sanctum Waterfall, 1992
Pat Steir uses line to
create the waterfall’s
power and
movement in this
private place.
Pat Steir
Line becomes a contour as it encircles an objects
giving it a distinctive, and often recognizable shape.
Ellsworth Kelly, Briar, 1963
Henri ToulouseLautrec, Jane Avril,
1893
The lines in this image seem to
have been drawn with great
freedom, communicating the
graceful action of the subject.
Physical Characteristics of Line
• The physical characteristics of line are many. Lines may be
straight or curved, direct or meandering, short or long, thin
or thick, zigzag or rounded/twisting.
• The value of these characteristics to the artist is that they
have certain built-in associations.
• For example, when we say that someone is as “straight as
an arrow,” we mean that the person is straightforward and
reliable; a “crooked” person, on the other hand, is one who
is devious and can’t be trusted.
• Most of us can find adjectives to fit various kinds of lines;
those meanings…make for the possibility of subtle
psychological suggestions.
Mel Bochner, Vertigo, 1982
Line, the dominant element in
this work, is almost wholly
diagonal, imparting a feeling
of intense activity and stress.
Jonathan Lasker, The Artistic Painting, 1993
The unique character of the line work in this piece is enhanced by the careful choice
of tools, colour and shape. Varied instruments such as a brush, burin, stick, and even
the artist’s fingers have distinctive characteristics for the element of line.
The crisp, biting lines of the pen contrast effectively with broader, softer lines of the
brush. The personality or emotional quality is greatly dependent on the nature of
the chosen medium.
Rembrandt, Nathan Admonishing David, undated
Brice Marden, Study for the Muses, 1991-97
Marden presents a weblike network of lines that seem to wander in the space. This artist,
however, works, reworks, and calculates the lines as he engages in spatial exploration using
subtle changes in value, colour, and trailing line.
Andres Zorn, The Toast, 1893
This work was created using
hatching and cross-hatching to
create degrees of value: darks
where lines are densely drawn
and lighter tones where more
paper can be seen.
Emile Nolde, Fischdampfer
(Fishing Boat), 1910
When knives and gouges are used to cut the wood,
the lines and textures created are different from
those produced with any other medium.
J. Seeley, Stripe Song, 1981
Seeley is an acknowledged
master of the high-contrast
image. Combining the
undeniable visual appeal of Op
art with the implicit realism of
the photographic image, the
artist’s black-and-white linear
abstractions are boldly
decorative, highly complex, and a
delightful treat for the eye. 
The spatial illusion (quite important for this example!) is largely the
product of the physical properties of the lines strengthened by contrasting
areas of value and colour.
Denyse Thomasos, Urban Jewels, 1995
Honoré Daumier, Street Show, 1865-66
Though subjects can often be static and
immobile, Daumier used the
excitement of gestural line to interpret
the gyrations of the dancer and the
frenzied beating of the drummer.
The gestrual lines in this work successfully evoke the movements of the performers.
Whatever the intended emphasis – expression of human emotions, depiction of
action, or communication of observed information, line is an important element for
the artist to use.
Steve Magada, Trio, ca. 1966
Create THREE drawings in your
sketchbook that explores the
following:
 DRAWING #1 – Using a FULL PAGE in
your sketchbook, EXPERIMENT with line.
Choose 3-4 of the artworks in the
presentation and try copying the kinds
of lines use see the artists have used.
Use a VARIETY of materials and markmaking tools.
 DRAWINGS # 2&3 – Choose a
subject/scene in which you wish to
interpret
 Complete TWO Drawings of this SAME
SUBJECT where you are using TWO
DIFFERENT approaches concerning the
physical and/or expressive
characteristics of line. Feel free to use
the styles/approaches to line that artists
in this presentation have used. 
In your first drawing, experiment with
a variety of media to explore a variety
of line characteristics!
In your second and third drawings, choose ONE subject and
recreate it twice exploring how line characteristics affect
meaning and emotion in an artwork.