Line Drawing: A Guide for Art Students

Final Updated on January 12, 2018

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

This article contains exercises for Fine art students who wish to produce contour line drawings, cross profile drawings, blind drawings and other types of line drawings. It is a teaching assist for high schoolhouse Art students and includes classroom activities, a costless downloadable PDF worksheet and inspirational artist drawings.

Blind Profile Drawing

Definition: A blind contour cartoon contains lines that are drawn without ever looking at the slice of paper. This forces you to study a scene closely, observing every shape and border with your eyes, as your hand mimics these on newspaper. The aim is not to produce a realistic artwork, but rather to strengthen the connectedness between optics, hand and brain: a reminder that, when cartoon, you must first learn to see.

Blind Drawing Exercises: Blind drawing is an first-class manner to start a high school Fine Art programme. Drawing wobbly lines that bear footling 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 you into observational drawing without fearfulness.

A warm-up activity in which students were asked to create blind contour line drawings of shell (teaching exemplar by the Student Art Guide). These blind drawings were included in the start preparatory sheets submitted past CIE IGCSE Fine art and Design students.

Gesture Drawing / Timed Drawing / Movement Drawing

Definition: A gesture drawing is completed quickly – often in brusque timed durations, such as twenty, 30, 60 or 90 seconds – using fast, expressive lines. Gesture drawings capture basic forms and proportions – the emotion and essence of a subject – without focusing on item. Due to their rapid completion, they are a great way to record move and activeness, as well as increase your drawing speed, confidence and intuitive mark-making skill. Gesture drawings are best completed with shine, hands applied mediums (mesomorphic graphite pencils, charcoal sticks, pastels, soft brushes dipped in Indian ink, for example), without the use of an eraser. They are often completed on large, inexpensive sheets of paper, where you can move your arm fluidly, exist bold with marking-making, and not worry about mistakes. Every bit with blind drawings, gesture drawing is an ideal warm-upwards activity.

Gesture Drawing Exercises: When you begin investigating your field of study matter in the initial phase of a high school Fine art programme, it can be helpful to brand several kickoff-hand gestural drawings. The best of these tin exist selected for your final portfolio (taking reward of a photocopier or digital camera to reduce in size, if necessary). A small still life scene tin can exist depicted but as easily every bit a large moving form.

A gesture drawing by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn:

This gestural cartoon by Rembrandt is completed using red chalk on rough, textured paper. With just a few expressive lines, we instantly recognise the scene: two women teaching a kid to walk.

A gestural figure drawing by Chelsea Stebar:

Completed while studying Blitheness, this gesture cartoon captures a clothed effigy. Annotation the variation in line weight: light 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 ever lifting the drawing musical instrument from the page. This means that, in addition to outlines and internal shapes, the pencil must move dorsum and forth across the surface of the paper, with lines doubling back on each other, so that the drawing is one costless-flowing, unbroken line. To avoid the temptation to erase lines, it can be helpful to complete a continuous line cartoon with an ink pen, varying the line weight, as needed, to indicate perspective and areas of calorie-free and shadow. Similar the cartoon methods described in a higher place, this cartoon method develops confidence and cartoon speed, and encourages your optics and hand and brain to work together. Continuous line drawings piece of work best with in-depth observation of your subject area, without interference from your thinking mind. According to Smithsonian Studio Arts:

…continuous line drawing is really a very powerful way to create a piece that is both hard edged and fluid, representational and abstruse, rational and emotional all in ane.

Continuous Line Drawing Exercises: This cartoon method is bully for sketchbooks and drawing from life. Information technology tin can be an splendid starter activeness, with drawings completed on large, cheap paper that can be scanned / edited / cropped and used in other means within your projects.

An A Level Art sketchbook page past Lucy Feng from Hereford Sixth Form Higher, Herefordshire, UK:

This beautiful sketchbook page contains several continuous line drawings, drawn from beginning-hand 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 cartoon is to emphasize the mass and book of the bailiwick rather than the detail; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the pocket-sized details.

The illusion of three-dimensional form, infinite and altitude can be conveyed in a profile cartoon through the use of varied line-weight (darker lines in the foreground / paler lines in the altitude) and perspective.

Contour Drawing Exercises: Using line solitary eliminates the challenge of applying tone, colour and mediums; and instead focuses attention solely upon shape and proportion. After completing warm-upwards activities such equally blind and gesture drawings, slower, more formal contour drawings can be an splendid way to begin more realistic representations of your bailiwick affair. Used intermittently throughout projects, contour drawings can also be helpful for the student who needs to work faster.

A profile cartoon by Ultima Thule:

Modernistic line drawings by Ultima Thule: there is a slick dissimilarity in this drawing between the precipitous blackness lines and the dripping green. The application of colour to 1 area creates a dramatic focal point.

Cantankerous profile drawing

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

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

Cantankerous contour drawing of a shell past Matt Louscher:

This delicate cross contour drawing helps to communicate the bumpy surface of the beat. Note how the shell pieces that are furthest abroad from the viewer are sparse and light, whereas those that are closest are darker and thicker. Note also how the management of the contour lines relates to the shape of object that is drawn, with lines projecting outwards from the centre of the shell.

Cantankerous contour mitt drawings past (from left) Mathew Young, Ryan Acks and Lea Dallaglio while studying at the San Jose State University, Section of Art and Art History:

Hands are a great discipline for a cantankerous profile line drawing exercise. Easily can create interesting, circuitous, curving shapes, as in the examples above, and are readily available for first-paw observation. Annotation how the density and weight of the line also helps to communicate areas of light and shadow.

Cross contour drawings past Daniel Servin (left) and Alfred Manzano, completed while studying AP Studio Art at Mt Eden High School in Hayward, California, USA:

These cross contour drawings were completed as part of Breadth assignments for AP Studio Fine art. These drawings testify clever use of line thickness, with the line-weight varying in order to create the illusion of tone and evidence iii-dimensional form.

A wireframe contour drawing practise by Twelvemonth 9 educatee Seonmin Lee from ACG Parnell College, Auckland, New Zealand:

Profile lines can also be a slap-up way for students to design 3-dimensional forms. These drawings were completed every bit part of a papier mache sculpture project, with the profile lines representing the supporting cane structure.

Planar analysis cartoon

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

Planar Analysis Drawing Activity: This can be a smashing introductory drawing do, especially if you lot are moving towards Cubism or abstracting scenes into geometric course.

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

The symmetry and familiarity of the human being face up makes portraiture a groovy subject for planar assay; the task of converting complex three-dimensional form into apartment surfaces. Note the careful attention given to the olfactory organ and lips in this example.

Wire sculpture drawings

Definition: Wire can exist cut and bent into shapes with pliers to create three-dimensional 'drawings', often resulting in a piece of work filled with flowing, curved lines. These wire sculptures tin can exist attached to a two-dimensional frame or a flat surface, hung in the air, or be left gratis-continuing, irresolute in appearance every bit a viewer moves effectually the room. Due to their flexible nature, wire sculptures often movement slightly in the current of air, calculation an extra interactive element to the work.

Wire Sculpture Line Drawing Exercise: This is an excellent activity for middle school students and for high school students, if it relates specifically to your project (and does not interfere with postage stamp requirements, for those who need to postal service work away for assessment). Small-scale 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 School, Rochester, New York, USA:

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

Hatching, cross hatching, and other line techniques

Too as representing contours, line can also exist used to use tone (light and shadow) to a drawing. This tin exist done by altering the:

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

There are many line techniques tin be used to create tone, as illustrated in the worksheet below. Common techniques include:

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

The bending that these techniques are applied may remain constant within a drawing, or it may change in response to the angle and direction of the forms. For instance, cross-hatching may flow around the surface of an object in a similar direction as cross contour lines. These techniques are also a great way to create the illusion of texture (run across our article near observational drawings).

Line Techniques Worksheet: The worksheet beneath has been provided by the Student Art Guide for classroom apply but and may be issued freely to students (credited to studentartguide.com), too as shared via the social media buttons at the lesser of this page. It may non exist 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 beneath. This worksheet is suitable for centre schoolhouse students, or senior students who have not had prior experience with line techniques.

This worksheet introduces a range of line drawing techniques and encourages students to invent their ain (such every bit using the first letter of their name). Information technology allows students to exercise using these techniques and to apply tone to a range of simple geometric objects.

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

An Indian Ink still life drawing by Kirana Intraroon, completed while in Twelvemonth ten at ACG Strathallan College, Auckland, New Zealand:

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

An A* GCSE Art sketchbook folio by Samantha Li:

In this sketchbook folio Samantha imitates and analyses a line drawing past Vincent van Gogh, discussing the suitability and appropriateness of each technique. Notation that when learning from artists, information technology is rarely necessary to slavishly copy an unabridged work; replicating small pieces (as in this case) is often all that is needed.

A final GCSE Fine art slice past Hannah Armstrong:

This enormous pen drawing of a Baryonyx dinosaur measures 1.2 x two.1 metres, and took over lxx hours to consummate. It was the dramatic decision to a Year xi high schoolhouse Art project.

Creative person line drawings

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

Pablo Picasso:

Line drawings past Picasso: a series of drawings showing the progression from realistic form to a few curving lines. Tone and detail have been eliminated: the bull stripped dorsum to its essence.

Andy Warhol:

Popular artist Andy Warhol is famous for his brightly coloured silkscreen artworks; however he was as well a rampant drawer – ofttimes filling sketchbooks. He won many prizes for the drawings he produced in loftier school. The illustrations shown in a higher place – comprising of slightly smudged and blotchy blackness lines – have Warhol's typical off-vanquish style. They were completed using a basic printmaking technique: pressing sheets of paper into a wet ink drawing, transferring the image to the second sheet.

David Hockney:

Famous artist David Hockey has produced many line drawings – often portraits. He draws in silence, with precision and care, moving a black ink pen beyond the paper speedily. This portrait – a snapshot into Hockney's life – is entitled 'Eugene and Henry'.

Vincent van Gogh:

Near famous for his post-impressionist paintings, Vincent van Gogh also produced over a thou 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 characteristic of his well-known paintings. Capturing the swirling of the copse and the motion of the clouds, van Gogh represents the calorie-free falling across the textured landscape with quick, confident mark-making.

Leonardo da Vinci:

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

Aaron Earley:

Cross-profile line drawings by Aaron Earley: graphite lines of diverse weights trace over the contours of the confront, conspicuously conveying emotion, despite the lack of tone and detail.

Peter Root:

Gimmicky line drawings by Peter Root: a series of direct graphite lines is used to create a curvaceous, flowing abstract form.

Maurizio Anzeri

Contemporary line drawings past Maurizio Anzeri: a portrait overlaid by a mass of radial lines: veiling the image inside.

Tornwing:

Cross contour line drawings by Tornwing: blackness lines of different thicknesses flow around three-dimensional forms. The strong contrast in this drawing creates a striking graphic image.

Karolina Cummings:

Gestural line drawings by Karolina Cummings: dramatic and vivid, 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 between the rendered siamese cat and the white true cat formed (formed from a few low-cal lines) draws you in to this quiet embrace.

Wang Tzu-Ting:

Pencil drawings by Wang Tzu-Ting: an overlapping sequence of drawings, using lines that approximate tonal boundaries, ready on a running wash of acrylic. A stunning image.

Nina Smart:

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

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 form.

Vital Photography:

Line drawings past Vital Photography: this image has been pared back 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 be hacked from a wooden board or lino cutting. White scrawls on a black footing; open mouth with horror.

Rod McLaren:

Line drawings by Rod McLaren: I well-nigh didn't give this drawing another glance – but for some reason I was transfixed past this black scribble, peculiarly when I saw information technology was called 'underground train drawing'. At that place is wonder in information technology. And nothing. Countless 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 nevertheless controlled continuous line defines form 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: peradventure this person is scrawling across the sky; perhaps they are holding onto a mammoth scribble in the way one might agree onto a wild balloon. Either way, this drawing is typical of Liliana Porter'south artworks. Fun, exciting and cool.

Hong Chun Zhang:

Line drawings by Hong Chun Zhang: this huge hair drawing hangs downwards the wall and drapes beyond the flooring. 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 design.

David Eskenazi

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

Matt Niebuhr:

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

Albrecht Durer:

Line drawings by Albrecht Durer: a walrus

Il Lee:

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

Victoria Haven:

Geometric line drawings past Victoria Oasis: careful, ordered lines of blue water colours (title: 'all in all is true') create the illusion of architectural course; twisting, turning space.

Carne Griffiths:

Line drawings past Carne Griffiths: this piece of work is spun with lines…the fine pencil layer that teases out from beneath the color; the jagged vertical drips that streak downward towards the floor; the carefully etched eyebrows and lashes and pilus.

William Anastasi:

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

Charles Avery

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

Did you enjoy this article? Y'all may wish to read eleven Tips for Producing an Excellent Observational Drawing.

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for 7 years, responsible for the grade design and cess of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Compages (Get-go Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Blueprint Coursework Assessor.

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

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