Line
“A line is a dot that went for a walk.”
-Paul Klee
In art, line is a path left by a point moving
across a surface. It is one of the Elements
of Art. Lines can be made with pencils,
pens, brushes, crayons, markers, etc…
Types of lines
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Vertical lines
Horizontal Lines
Diagonal lines
Parallel lines
Actual lines
Implied lines
Vertical lines
Lines that go up and down. These lines
express height, strength, order and
spirituality.
For example…
…These strong pillars convey strength
See how they hold up this building even after
hundreds of years have passed…
Order
Look at how tall this Gothic cathedral is. Where do your eyes go?
Horizontal lines
Lines that are parallel to the horizon. (Get it
horizon = horizontal)
Horizon
Horizontal lines suggest a feeling of rest or
repose, because things that are parallel to
earth are at rest in relation to gravity.
What are some things you can think of that
are at rest when they are horizontal?
People Sleeping…
The ocean. Just thing about how water is when it is not
horizontal…
Diagonal lines
Lines that may slant in any direction. Since
they are unstable in relation to gravity,
these lines suggest motion, because they
are either about to fall, or are already in
motion.
As is the case for these dancers…
…And these dancers
… And these runners
Parallel Lines
Are the same distance apart and never
intersect with one another.
Like these train tracks
Are these lines parallel?
Actual lines
Lines that you can actually see.
Implied lines
Lines that you cannot see, but you can
imagine they are there.
Like this dotted line. It doesn’t actually connect, but our
eyes read it as a line.
Where is the implied line here? Where do you eyes go?
How about here?
In this painting of The Last Supper, The focal point is clear, Christ. But why
do our eyes go to him? What implied lines lead our eyes to him?
Quality of line
Lines can be thick, thin, continuous, wavy,
graceful or rough. Think about what each
one of these qualities would represent…
Describe the quality of the line. What emotion
would you assign these lines?
What about these? How are these different
from the previous ones?
How do these lines make you feel?
Lines are an important element in Asian art, such as in this painting.
Notice how the lines resemble Chinese Calligraphy. Chinese
Calligraphy is considered an art.
The outlines of these paintings, or contour lines are an important part of the
drawing itself. Notice how graceful the black lines are. These fine curvy lines
become thin and thick and are created with special brushes.
Another good example of contour lines. Contour drawings look a bit like
coloring book outlines.
And This is a blind
contour drawing. These
drawings are created by
drawing a subject
(person, still life, object,
etc…) without looking at
the paper. These
drawings can be loose
and fun, as long as you
understand that they are
not meant to be perfect or
look realistic.
Now it’s your turn to
experiment with line!