Chapter 1: Overview of Line
ART 1100 Foundation Drawing
“The process of seeing is what counts, not “how good is my drawing?”
– Clare Walker Leslie
Element: Line
Line: a path of a moving point made by a tool, instrument, or medium as it moves across an area. A line is usually made visible because of its contrast in value with its surroundings. Three-dimensional lines may be made using string, wire, tubes, solid rods, and the like. Line is a compositional tool that initiates an intuitive reaction to what is presented. MET video graphite drawing.
Read the definitions of the diverse types of line to decide which images fall in each approach.
Blind Contour: drawing the contour of a subject without looking at the paper.
Broken Line: a severed segment in a mark that alters a line, pattern, or shape.
Calligraphic Line: flowing and rhythmic lines.
Calligraphy: artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering.
Contour Line: the line that defines the outermost limits of an object or a drawn shape. Sometimes considered to be synonymous with outline.
Cross Contour: a line that moves across a shape or object to define the surface undulations between the outermost edges.
Cross Hatching: lines passing over hatched lines in a different direction, usually resulting in darker values.
Gestural Line: lines that are drawn freely, quickly, and seemingly without inhibition to capture the intrinsic spirit or animation seen in a subject. Gestural lines can imply the past, present, and future motion of the subject.
Hatching: a repeated stroke of an art tool, producing clustered or uniform parallel lines that create value.
Implied Line: a line in an artwork that is not physically there but is visually suggested by points or diminishing marks.
Line with Varied Weight: a varied thick or thin line that grows or expands as it moves across a composition.
Line Weight: can be physical, visual, or compositional. A measure of how much an element or visual impact attracts the eye of a viewer.
Sculptural Line: using three dimensional materials that have recognizable linear qualities.
1.
Prose Poem on Fishing, Zhu Yunming, ink on gold flecked paper, 1507. OA
2.
Blind Contour Drawing of a Young Man’s Face, J.D. Cabe, graphite on paper, 2018.
3.
Drawing of a Balistoid, John Richard, drawing, 1838-1842.
https://www.si.edu/object/illustration-balistoid:siris_arc_396415
4.
Unknown title, Truman Lowe, Ho-Chunk (Wisconsin), ink on paper, 1980 – 1990.
https://www.si.edu/object/drawing:NMAI_416558
5.
“Camera” by bjornmeansbear is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
6.
“ Studies of Angels” by Georg Raphael Donner is marked with CC0 1.0.
7.
“Detail, gold covered wire weaving, African artist’s body suit, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, USA” by Wonderlane is marked with CC BY 2.0.
8.
Yellow Lines, Steve Loya, photograph, 2007.
https://wordpress.org/openverse/image/343dbdd5-00ec-463d-966b-3a0cd46f3b73 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
9.
Swift Dog Strikes an Enemy, Hunkpapa Lakota/ Teton Sioux, mixed media, 1880.
10.
Title unknown, Franklin Booth, pen, and ink,1874-1948.
https://www.reddit.com/r/museum/comments/18r8ub/franklin_booth_18741948_title_unknown/
11.
Calligraphic Plaque, Iranian, forged, and pierced steel, late 17th century. OA
12.
St. James’s Street, James Whistler, etching & drypoint, 1849-1903.
13.
Unknown title, Ethiopia, book, and manuscript pigment on vellum,
15th century.
https://www.si.edu/object/manuscript-page:nmafa_2004-7-7