How to Draw Cool Lines

Last Updated on March 17, 2022

When we first picked upwards a pen or pencil and started making marks on paper, we began with line. Whether cocky-taught, through trial and fault, or guided by others, we learned how line defines form, creates structure, divides a frame, traces contour, creates tonal variation (cross-hatching, for case) and leads the eye from ane part of a piece of work to another. Initially a mechanism for getting outlines onto paper – identifying edges – we begin to applaud lines for their own merit: celebrate their presence…whether a quiet flick of charcoal on newspaper or a streak of graphite.

This article contains exercises for Art students who wish to produce contour line drawings, cross contour drawings, blind drawings and other types of line drawings. Information technology is a teaching aid for high school Art students and includes classroom activities, a free downloadable PDF worksheet and inspirational artist drawings.

Bullheaded Contour Drawing

Definition: A blind profile drawing contains lines that are drawn without ever looking at the piece of paper. This forces you lot to study a scene closely, observing every shape and edge with your eyes, equally your hand mimics these on paper. The aim is not to produce a realistic artwork, just rather to strengthen the connection between eyes, hand and brain: a reminder that, when drawing, you must first acquire to see.

Blind Drawing Exercises: Bullheaded drawing is an excellent way to start a high school Fine Art programme. Drawing wobbly lines that deport little resemblance to the chosen object is relaxing and stress-free. Often, a classroom bubbles with laughter at the unexpected results. Blind drawing stretches the arms and soul; eases y'all into observational drawing without fear.

A warm-upwards activity in which students were asked to create blind contour line drawings of crush (teaching exemplar by the Student Art Guide). These blind drawings were included in the start preparatory sheets submitted by CIE IGCSE Art and Pattern students.

Gesture Cartoon / Timed Cartoon / Move Cartoon

Definition: A gesture drawing is completed speedily – often in short timed durations, such equally 20, 30, 60 or xc seconds – using fast, expressive lines. Gesture drawings capture basic forms and proportions – the emotion and essence of a subject – without focusing on detail. Due to their rapid completion, they are a great way to record motility and activity, as well as increase your drawing speed, conviction and intuitive mark-making skill. Gesture drawings are all-time completed with shine, easily practical mediums (mesomorphic graphite pencils, charcoal sticks, pastels, soft brushes dipped in Indian ink, for instance), without the use of an eraser. They are ofttimes completed on large, inexpensive sheets of newspaper, where you can motility your arm fluidly, be bold with mark-making, and not worry about mistakes. Every bit with blind drawings, gesture drawing is an ideal warm-up activity.

Gesture Drawing Exercises: When you brainstorm investigating your subject affair in the initial phase of a high schoolhouse Art programme, it can be helpful to make several first-hand gestural drawings. The best of these can be selected for your final portfolio (taking advantage of a photocopier or digital camera to reduce in size, if necessary). A pocket-sized still life scene tin be depicted just as easily equally a large moving grade.

A gesture drawing by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn:

This gestural drawing by Rembrandt is completed using cerise chalk on crude, textured paper. With only a few expressive lines, we instantly recognise the scene: ii women teaching a child to walk.

A gestural figure drawing by Chelsea Stebar:

Completed while studying Animation, this gesture drawing captures a clothed effigy. Note the variation in line weight: calorie-free lines applied initially, with darker lines and hints of detail all that are needed.

Continuous Line Drawing

Definition: A continuous line drawing is produced without always lifting the cartoon instrument from the page. This means that, in addition to outlines and internal shapes, the pencil must move back and forth across the surface of the paper, with lines doubling back on each other, so that the drawing is one free-flowing, unbroken line. To avert the temptation to erase lines, information technology tin be helpful to complete a continuous line cartoon with an ink pen, varying the line weight, every bit needed, to point perspective and areas of low-cal and shadow. Like the drawing methods described above, this cartoon method develops confidence and drawing speed, and encourages your eyes and hand and encephalon to work together. Continuous line drawings work best with in-depth observation of your subject, without interference from your thinking mind. According to Smithsonian Studio Arts:

…continuous line cartoon is actually a very powerful way to create a slice that is both hard edged and fluid, representational and abstract, rational and emotional all in one.

Continuous Line Drawing Exercises: This drawing method is great for sketchbooks and cartoon from life. It can exist an excellent starter activity, with drawings completed on large, inexpensive newspaper that can be scanned / edited / cropped and used in other means within your projects.

An A Level Fine art sketchbook page past Lucy Feng from Hereford 6th Form College, Herefordshire, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland:

This cute sketchbook page contains several continuous line drawings, fatigued from commencement-mitt observation.

Contour drawing

Definition: A contour drawing shows the outlines, shapes and edges of a scene, just omits fine detail, surface texture, colour and tone ('contour' is French for 'outline'). According to Wikipedia:

The purpose of contour drawing is to emphasize the mass and book of the subject rather than the detail; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject field and not the modest details.

The illusion of three-dimensional form, space and distance tin can be conveyed in a contour drawing through the use of varied line-weight (darker lines in the foreground / paler lines in the distance) and perspective.

Contour Cartoon Exercises: Using line alone eliminates the claiming of applying tone, color and mediums; and instead focuses attention solely upon shape and proportion. After completing warm-up activities such equally blind and gesture drawings, slower, more formal contour drawings can be an splendid manner to begin more realistic representations of your subject area affair. Used intermittently throughout projects, contour drawings tin can also be helpful for the student who needs to work faster.

A contour cartoon by Ultima Thule:

Mod line drawings by Ultima Thule: at that place is a slick contrast in this cartoon betwixt the sharp black lines and the dripping green. The awarding of colour to ane surface area creates a dramatic focal point.

Cross contour drawing

Definition: A cross contour drawing contains parallel lines that run across the surface of an object (or radiate from a fundamental point), such every bit those that appear on a topographical map or a digital wireframe. The lines can run at whatsoever advisable angle (sometimes at multiple angles) and may continue across objects and into the background. Cross contour drawings typically follow the rules of perspective, with lines fatigued closer together in the altitude and further apart in the foreground. In this type of cartoon, the illusion of three-dimensional book is created entirely with line.

Cross Contour Cartoon Exercises: This is an fantabulous way to proceeds familiarity with the volumes and three-dimensional forms in your projection, producing analytical cross contour drawings that are suitable for sketchbooks or early on preparatory sheets.

Cross contour drawing of a trounce past Matt Louscher:

This delicate cantankerous contour cartoon helps to communicate the bumpy surface of the crush. Notation how the shell pieces that are furthest abroad from the viewer are thin and low-cal, whereas those that are closest are darker and thicker. Annotation also how the management of the contour lines relates to the shape of object that is drawn, with lines projecting outwards from the middle of the shell.

Cross contour hand drawings by (from left) Mathew Young, Ryan Acks and Lea Dallaglio while studying at the San Jose Land University, Section of Fine art and Fine art History:

Hands are a great subject for a cross contour line drawing do. Easily can create interesting, complex, curving shapes, as in the examples higher up, and are readily available for first-mitt observation. Note how the density and weight of the line also helps to communicate areas of light and shadow.

Cross profile drawings by Daniel Servin (left) and Alfred Manzano, completed while studying AP Studio Art at Mt Eden High Schoolhouse in Hayward, California, United states:

These cross contour drawings were completed every bit part of Latitude assignments for AP Studio Art. These drawings evidence clever use of line thickness, with the line-weight varying in order to create the illusion of tone and evidence iii-dimensional grade.

A wireframe profile drawing exercise past Year 9 student Seonmin Lee from ACG Parnell College, Auckland, New Zealand:

Contour lines can too be a great way for students to design three-dimensional forms. These drawings were completed equally part of a papier mache sculpture project, with the contour lines representing the supporting cane structure.

Planar analysis cartoon

Definition: A planar analysis drawing simplifies complex curved surfaces into flat planes, using straight lines. This process helps students to think about the underlying structure of objects and results in an belittling drawing, that is rather mechanical in appearance.

Planar Analysis Drawing Activeness: This tin can be a corking introductory drawing do, particularly if you are moving towards Cubism or abstracting scenes into geometric grade.

A planar analysis portrait completed past a student of Cat Normoyle:

The symmetry and familiarity of the human confront makes portraiture a nifty subject field for planar analysis; the job of converting circuitous iii-dimensional form into flat surfaces. Note the conscientious attending given to the nose and lips in this example.

Wire sculpture drawings

Definition: Wire can exist cutting and bent into shapes with pliers to create 3-dimensional 'drawings', ofttimes resulting in a work filled with flowing, curved lines. These wire sculptures can be attached to a two-dimensional frame or a flat surface, hung in the air, or be left gratis-standing, irresolute in advent every bit a viewer moves around the room. Due to their flexible nature, wire sculptures often move slightly in the wind, calculation an actress interactive chemical element to the work.

Wire Sculpture Line Cartoon Exercise: This is an first-class activity for middle school students and for loftier school students, if it relates specifically to your project (and does not interfere with postage requirements, for those who need to mail work away for cess). Minor wire experiments, using light-weight wire, can also be mounted to sketchbook pages.

Wire sculptures completed by the students of Amy Bonner Oliveri from Allendale Columbia Schoolhouse, Rochester, New York, USA:

This wire cartoon exercise 'using line to create space' is completed by students within a 3D Art form, working over photographic portraits. Having a base prototype to work from (this could as well be an earlier observational drawing) makes the process of transferring from two-dimensional to three-dimensional much easier.

Hatching, cantankerous hatching, and other line techniques

Besides equally representing contours, line tin can too be used to utilise tone (low-cal and shadow) to a drawing. This tin be done by altering the:

• Gap betwixt the lines
• Lightness / darkness of the line
• Thickness of the line

There are many line techniques can be used to create tone, equally illustrated in the worksheet beneath. Common techniques include:

• Small dashes
• Hatching (long, parallel lines on an angle)
• Cantankerous-hatching (parallel lines at correct angles)
• Stippling (dots)
• Scribbles
• Pocket-size crosses
• Small circles

The angle that these techniques are practical may remain constant within a drawing, or it may change in response to the angle and direction of the forms. For case, cross-hatching may flow around the surface of an object in a similar direction equally cross profile lines. These techniques are also a great way to create the illusion of texture (see our article most observational drawings).

Line Techniques Worksheet: The worksheet below has been provided by the Pupil Art Guide for classroom use only and may be issued freely to students (credited to studentartguide.com), as well as shared via the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. It may non be published online or shared or distributed in any other way, as per our terms and atmospheric condition. The full size printable worksheet is available by clicking the PDF link below. This worksheet is suitable for middle school students, or senior students who accept not had prior feel with line techniques.

This worksheet introduces a range of line drawing techniques and encourages students to invent their own (such as using the kickoff letter of the alphabet of their name). It allows students to practise using these techniques and to apply tone to a range of simple geometric objects.

Click here to open the full size worksheet as a printable PDF.

An Indian Ink even so life drawing by Kirana Intraroon, completed while in Year 10 at ACG Strathallan College, Auckland, New Zealand:

In this ink cartoon, a small grid experimenting with different line techniques has been included in the summit left of the piece of work. Some of these have been selected to apply tone to the work, carefully replicating reflection and shadow. This image was completed using a sharpened bamboo stick dipped in blackness ink.

An A* GCSE Art sketchbook page by Samantha Li:

In this sketchbook page Samantha imitates and analyses a line drawing by Vincent van Gogh, discussing the suitability and appropriateness of each technique. Note that when learning from artists, it is rarely necessary to slavishly re-create an unabridged work; replicating pocket-size pieces (as in this example) is often all that is needed.

A final GCSE Fine art slice by Hannah Armstrong:

This enormous pen drawing of a Baryonyx dinosaur measures one.2 x 2.1 metres, and took over 70 hours to complete. It was the dramatic conclusion to a Year 11 high school Fine art project.

Creative person line drawings

Here is a collection of line drawings from famous and less well known artists, to inspire loftier school Art students and teachers. This section is continually updated. Savour!

Pablo Picasso:

Line drawings by Picasso: a serial of drawings showing the progression from realistic form to a few curving lines. Tone and detail accept been eliminated: the balderdash stripped dorsum to its essence.

Andy Warhol:

Pop creative person Andy Warhol is famous for his brightly coloured silkscreen artworks; notwithstanding he was too a rampant drawer – often filling sketchbooks. He won many prizes for the drawings he produced in loftier schoolhouse. The illustrations shown above – comprising of slightly smudged and blotchy black lines – have Warhol'due south typical off-vanquish manner. They were completed using a basic printmaking technique: pressing sheets of paper into a wet ink cartoon, transferring the image to the second sheet.

David Hockney:

Famous artist David Hockey has produced many line drawings – ofttimes portraits. He draws in silence, with precision and intendance, moving a blackness ink pen across the newspaper speedily. This portrait – a snapshot into Hockney's life – is entitled 'Eugene and Henry'.

Vincent van Gogh:

Most famous for his postal service-impressionist paintings, Vincent van Gogh also produced over a thousand drawings. In this pen and pencil line cartoon, 'Cottages With a Woman Working in the Foreground', we see the stylistic swirling of line in the trees and clouds that is and so feature of his well-known paintings. Capturing the swirling of the trees and the movement of the clouds, van Gogh represents the light falling beyond the textured mural with quick, confident mark-making.

Leonardo da Vinci:

These precise anatomical line drawings by famous artist Leonardo da Vinci testify the internal construction of a human scalp, skull and eye. Facial proportions are carefully mapped out and documented in the image to the right; the drawings surrounded past annotation and enlarged details.

Aaron Earley:

Cross-profile line drawings by Aaron Earley: graphite lines of various weights trace over the contours of the face, clearly carrying emotion, despite the lack of tone and particular.

Peter Root:

Contemporary line drawings past Peter Root: a series of straight graphite lines is used to create a curvaceous, flowing abstract class.

Maurizio Anzeri

Gimmicky artwork by Maurizio Anzeri: a portrait overlaid past a mass of stitched radial lines, veiling the paradigm within.

Tornwing:

Cantankerous contour line drawings by Tornwing: black lines of unlike thicknesses flow around three-dimensional forms. The strong contrast in this cartoon creates a striking graphic prototype.

Karolina Cummings:

Gestural line drawings by Karolina Cummings: dramatic and brilliant, capturing form in rapidly scrawled, fluid line.

Daniel Mathers

Scribbled line drawings by Daniel Mathers: an explosion of insanity with a black pen.

Roz McQuillan:

Sensitive line drawings by Roz McQuillan: the contrast betwixt the rendered siamese true cat and the white true cat formed (formed from a few light lines) draws you lot in to this tranquillity embrace.

Wang Tzu-Ting:

Pencil drawings past Wang Tzu-Ting: an overlapping sequence of drawings, using lines that guess tonal boundaries, attack a running wash of acrylic. A stunning paradigm.

Nina Smart:

Painterly line drawings by Nina Smart: what appears to exist an abstract artwork of smudged and messy paint lines is, upon closer inspection, an authentic and well-proportioned horse. This work was created using a large pipette, cling wrap and a pallet pocketknife.

Andy Mercer:

Expressive line drawings by Andy Mercer: this mixed media drawing contains a mass of lines that create the illusion of a busy city scene – a tangle of architectural class.

Vital Photography:

Line drawings by Vital Photography: this prototype has been pared dorsum to its most basic – lines representing the edges of form. Without any background to speak of, this collection of marks is enough to communicate a message with ease.

Doug Bell

Scribbled line drawings by Doug Bell: a portrait beautifully crafted from a tangle of lines.

Matthew Dunn:

Line drawings by Matthew Dunn: graphic in nature, this monkey appears to exist hacked from a wooden board or lino cut. White scrawls on a blackness ground; open mouth with horror.

Rod McLaren:

Line drawings past Rod McLaren: I nearly didn't requite this drawing some other glance – but for some reason I was transfixed past this black scribble, especially when I saw it was called 'undercover train drawing'. At that place is wonder in information technology. And naught. Endless swirls of nothing.

Andreas Fischer:

Line drawings by Andreas Fischer: the earth it turns: thick, colourful, globular painterly lines.

Nicholas Weltyk:

Blind line drawings by Nicholas Weltyk: a wobbly nonetheless controlled continuous line defines course in this emotive drawing.

Swoon:

Street art by Swoon: a tightly woven mesh of paper cut lines.

Liliana Porter:

Experimental line drawings past Liliana Porter: perchance this person is scrawling across the sky; perhaps they are property onto a mammoth scribble in the mode one might agree onto a wild balloon. Either mode, this drawing is typical of Liliana Porter's artworks. Fun, exciting and cool.

Hong Chun Zhang:

Line drawings by Hong Chun Zhang: this huge hair drawing hangs downwards the wall and drapes across the floor. Impressive in calibration, this cartoon is the ultimate depiction of long, tightly braided line.

Bruce Pollock:

Line drawings by Bruce Pollock: finely interlocking mesh of lines creates an intricate and mesmerising pattern.

David Eskenazi

Line drawings by David Eskenazi: the boundaries of space and all that is in between.

Matt Niebuhr:

Line drawings by Matt Niebuhr: a shimmer of tightly meshed smudged and erased graphite line.

Albrecht Durer:

Line drawings past Albrecht Durer: a walrus

Il Lee:

Line drawings past Il Lee: whoever knew the scribbling of a blue biro pen could result in such magic.

Victoria Haven:

Geometric line drawings by Victoria Haven: careful, ordered lines of blue h2o colours (championship: 'all in all is true') create the illusion of architectural form; twisting, turning infinite.

Carne Griffiths:

Line drawings by Carne Griffiths: this work is spun with lines…the fine pencil layer that teases out from beneath the colour; the jagged vertical drips that streak down towards the flooring; the carefully etched eyebrows and lashes and hair.

William Anastasi:

Line drawings by William Anastasi: while blindfolded, Anastasi drew on a wall with graphite for an hour.

Charles Avery

Line drawings by Charles Avery: the illusory combining of hair with perspective lines vanishing towards a horizon make for a powerful epitome.

Did you lot enjoy this article? You lot may wish to read 11 Tips for Producing an Excellent Observational Cartoon.

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for vii years, responsible for the class design and cess of educatee work in 2 high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Available of Architectural Studies, Available of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Education. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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Source: https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/line-drawings-2

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