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Last Updated on March 17, 2022

When we first picked up a pen or pencil and started making marks on paper, we began with line. Whether self-taught, through trial and error, or guided by others, we learned how line defines form, creates structure, divides a frame, traces contour, creates tonal variation (cross-hatching, for example) and leads the eye from ane office of a piece of work to another. Initially a machinery for getting outlines onto paper – identifying edges – nosotros brainstorm to applaud lines for their own merit: celebrate their presence…whether a tranquillity 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. It is a education help for loftier school Art students and includes classroom activities, a complimentary 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 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, but rather to strengthen the connection between eyes, manus and brain: a reminder that, when drawing, you lot must first acquire to see.

Blind Drawing Exercises: Blind drawing is an fantabulous way to start a high school Fine art programme. Drawing wobbly lines that bear footling resemblance to the called object is relaxing and stress-free. Often, a classroom bubbling with laughter at the unexpected results. Blind cartoon stretches the artillery and soul; eases you into observational drawing without fear.

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

Gesture Drawing / Timed Drawing / Motility Drawing

Definition: A gesture cartoon is completed quickly – often in short timed durations, such as 20, 30, lx 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 dandy manner to record movement and action, also as increase your cartoon speed, conviction and intuitive mark-making skill. Gesture drawings are best completed with polish, easily practical mediums (chunky graphite pencils, charcoal sticks, pastels, soft brushes dipped in Indian ink, for instance), without the use of an eraser. They are often completed on large, inexpensive sheets of newspaper, where you can move your arm fluidly, be bold with mark-making, and non worry about mistakes. Equally with blind drawings, gesture drawing is an platonic warm-upwardly activity.

Gesture Drawing Exercises: When you begin investigating your subject affair in the initial phase of a high school Art programme, information technology can be helpful to make several offset-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 minor still life scene tin can be depicted just as easily as a big moving form.

A gesture drawing by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn:

This gestural drawing by Rembrandt is completed using red chalk on rough, textured newspaper. With only a few expressive lines, nosotros instantly recognise the scene: 2 women teaching a child to walk.

A gestural figure drawing by Chelsea Stebar:

Completed while studying Blitheness, this gesture drawing captures a clothed figure. Note the variation in line weight: light lines applied initially, with darker lines and hints of item all that are needed.

Continuous Line Drawing

Definition: A continuous line drawing is produced without ever lifting the cartoon instrument from the page. This means that, in add-on to outlines and internal shapes, the pencil must move back and forth across the surface of the newspaper, with lines doubling dorsum on each other, so that the cartoon is one gratis-flowing, unbroken line. To avert 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 point perspective and areas of light and shadow. Like the cartoon methods described above, this cartoon method develops confidence and drawing speed, and encourages your optics and hand and brain to work together. Continuous line drawings piece of work all-time with in-depth ascertainment of your subject, without interference from your thinking mind. Co-ordinate to Smithsonian Studio Arts:

…continuous line drawing is actually a very powerful style 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 drawing from life. It tin can be an excellent starter activity, with drawings completed on large, inexpensive paper that can be scanned / edited / cropped and used in other ways within your projects.

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

This beautiful sketchbook folio contains several continuous line drawings, drawn from first-hand observation.

Contour drawing

Definition: A contour drawing shows the outlines, shapes and edges of a scene, merely 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 item; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the minor 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 altitude) and perspective.

Contour Cartoon Exercises: Using line alone eliminates the challenge of applying tone, colour and mediums; and instead focuses attending solely upon shape and proportion. Later completing warm-upwardly activities such as blind and gesture drawings, slower, more than formal profile drawings can exist an first-class style to begin more realistic representations of your bailiwick matter. Used intermittently throughout projects, profile drawings can also exist helpful for the educatee who needs to work faster.

A profile drawing by Ultima Thule:

Modern line drawings by Ultima Thule: there is a slick dissimilarity in this drawing betwixt the sharp black lines and the dripping green. The application of color to one area creates a dramatic focal betoken.

Cross contour drawing

Definition: A cross profile drawing contains parallel lines that run beyond the surface of an object (or radiate from a central betoken), such equally those that appear on a topographical map or a digital wireframe. The lines can run at any appropriate angle (sometimes at multiple angles) and may continue across 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 three-dimensional book is created entirely with line.

Cross Profile Cartoon Exercises: This is an excellent way to gain familiarity with the volumes and three-dimensional forms in your project, producing analytical cross profile drawings that are suitable for sketchbooks or early preparatory sheets.

Cross contour drawing of a shell by Matt Louscher:

This delicate cantankerous contour drawing helps to communicate the bumpy surface of the shell. Annotation how the crush pieces that are furthest away from the viewer are thin and calorie-free, whereas those that are closest are darker and thicker. Note too how the direction of the contour lines relates to the shape of object that is drawn, with lines projecting outwards from the center of the shell.

Cantankerous contour hand drawings by (from left) Mathew Young, Ryan Acks and Lea Dallaglio while studying at the San Jose Country Academy, Section of Art and Art History:

Hands are a bang-up subject for a cross profile line drawing exercise. Hands tin can create interesting, complex, curving shapes, as in the examples above, and are readily available for first-hand observation. Note how the density and weight of the line also helps to communicate areas of light and shadow.

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

These cross contour drawings were completed as function of Latitude assignments for AP Studio Fine art. These drawings bear witness clever use of line thickness, with the line-weight varying in order to create the illusion of tone and show iii-dimensional grade.

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

Contour lines tin can also be a great way for students to design three-dimensional forms. These drawings were completed as part of a papier mache sculpture projection, with the profile lines representing the supporting cane structure.

Planar analysis cartoon

Definition: A planar analysis cartoon simplifies complex curved surfaces into apartment planes, using direct lines. This procedure helps students to think virtually the underlying structure of objects and results in an analytical cartoon, that is rather mechanical in appearance.

Planar Analysis Drawing Activity: This can be a great introductory cartoon exercise, peculiarly if you are moving towards Cubism or abstracting scenes into geometric form.

A planar assay portrait completed by a pupil of Cat Normoyle:

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

Wire sculpture drawings

Definition: Wire can be cut and bent into shapes with pliers to create 3-dimensional 'drawings', frequently resulting in a work filled with flowing, curved lines. These wire sculptures tin can be attached to a two-dimensional frame or a flat surface, hung in the air, or exist left free-standing, irresolute in appearance as a viewer moves effectually the room. Due to their flexible nature, wire sculptures frequently motility slightly in the wind, calculation an extra interactive chemical element to the work.

Wire Sculpture Line Cartoon Exercise: This is an excellent activity for eye school students and for high schoolhouse students, if information technology relates specifically to your project (and does not interfere with postage requirements, for those who need to mail work away for assessment). Small wire experiments, using low-cal-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 drawing exercise 'using line to create space' is completed by students within a 3D Art class, working over photographic portraits. Having a base prototype 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, cantankerous hatching, and other line techniques

Besides as representing contours, line can too be used to apply tone (light and shadow) to a drawing. This can exist done by altering the:

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

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

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

The angle that these techniques are practical may remain constant inside a drawing, or it may change in response to the angle and management of the forms. For instance, cantankerous-hatching may menses effectually the surface of an object in a similar direction as cantankerous contour lines. These techniques are also a great manner to create the illusion of texture (meet our article about observational drawings).

Line Techniques Worksheet: The worksheet below has been provided by the Student Art Guide for classroom use but and may exist issued freely to students (credited to studentartguide.com), also every bit shared via the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. It may not be published online or shared or distributed in any other way, as per our terms and conditions. The total size printable worksheet is bachelor by clicking the PDF link below. This worksheet is suitable for middle schoolhouse students, or senior students who take not had prior feel with line techniques.

This worksheet introduces a range of line drawing techniques and encourages students to invent their own (such equally using the commencement letter of their name). It allows students to exercise using these techniques and to utilise tone to a range of simple geometric objects.

Click here to open the full size worksheet every bit 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 drawing, a minor filigree experimenting with different line techniques has been included in the top left of the work. Some of these take been selected to utilise tone to the piece of work, carefully replicating reflection and shadow. This paradigm was completed using a sharpened bamboo stick dipped in black ink.

An A* GCSE Art sketchbook folio past Samantha Li:

In this sketchbook folio Samantha imitates and analyses a line drawing by Vincent van Gogh, discussing the suitability and ceremoniousness of each technique. Note that when learning from artists, it is rarely necessary to slavishly copy an entire piece of work; replicating small pieces (every bit in this instance) is oftentimes all that is needed.

A final GCSE Fine art piece past Hannah Armstrong:

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

Artist line drawings

Here is a drove of line drawings from famous and less well known artists, to inspire high school Fine art students and teachers. This department is continually updated. Relish!

Pablo Picasso:

Line drawings by Picasso: a series of drawings showing the progression from realistic course to a few curving lines. Tone and detail take been eliminated: the balderdash stripped back 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 – frequently filling sketchbooks. He won many prizes for the drawings he produced in loftier school. The illustrations shown above – comprising of slightly smudged and blotchy blackness lines – have Warhol's typical off-trounce style. They were completed using a basic printmaking technique: pressing sheets of newspaper into a wet ink drawing, transferring the image to the second sheet.

David Hockney:

Famous creative person David Hockey has produced many line drawings – frequently portraits. He draws in silence, with precision and care, moving a black ink pen across the paper chop-chop. This portrait – a snapshot into Hockney's life – is entitled 'Eugene and Henry'.

Vincent van Gogh:

Most famous for his mail-impressionist paintings, Vincent van Gogh likewise produced over a thousand drawings. In this pen and pencil line drawing, 'Cottages With a Woman Working in the Foreground', we come across the stylistic swirling of line in the trees and clouds that is so feature of his well-known paintings. Capturing the swirling of the trees and the movement of the clouds, van Gogh represents the calorie-free falling across the textured mural 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 eye. Facial proportions are advisedly mapped out and documented in the epitome to the correct; the drawings surrounded by annotation and enlarged details.

Aaron Earley:

Cross-contour line drawings by Aaron Earley: graphite lines of diverse weights trace over the contours of the face, clearly conveying emotion, despite the lack of tone and item.

Peter Root:

Contemporary line drawings by Peter Root: a series of straight graphite lines is used to create a curvaceous, flowing abstruse form.

Maurizio Anzeri

Contemporary artwork by Maurizio Anzeri: a portrait overlaid by a mass of stitched radial lines, veiling the image within.

Tornwing:

Cross profile line drawings by Tornwing: black lines of unlike thicknesses flow around three-dimensional forms. The stiff contrast in this drawing creates a striking graphic image.

Karolina Cummings:

Gestural line drawings by Karolina Cummings: dramatic and vivid, capturing grade in chop-chop 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 cat formed (formed from a few light lines) draws you in to this quiet encompass.

Wang Tzu-Ting:

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

Nina Smart:

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

Andy Mercer:

Expressive line drawings past 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 by Vital Photography: this epitome has been pared back to its well-nigh bones – lines representing the edges of form. Without any background to speak of, this collection of marks is plenty to communicate a bulletin 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 black footing; open mouth with horror.

Rod McLaren:

Line drawings past Rod McLaren: I virtually didn't give this cartoon another glance – but for some reason I was transfixed past this black scribble, particularly when I saw it was called 'underground train cartoon'. There is wonder in it. And nothing. Countless swirls of zilch.

Andreas Fischer:

Line drawings past Andreas Fischer: the earth information technology turns: thick, colourful, globular painterly lines.

Nicholas Weltyk:

Blind line drawings by Nicholas Weltyk: a wobbly all the same controlled continuous line defines grade in this emotive cartoon.

Swoon:

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

Liliana Porter:

Experimental line drawings by Liliana Porter: perchance this person is scrawling across the sky; possibly they are holding onto a mammoth scribble in the manner one might hold onto a wild balloon. Either way, this drawing is typical of Liliana Porter's artworks. Fun, exciting and cool.

Hong Chun Zhang:

Line drawings by Hong Chun Zhang: this huge pilus cartoon hangs downwards the wall and drapes across the flooring. Impressive in calibration, this drawing 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 infinite 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 by Albrecht Durer: a walrus

Il Lee:

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

Victoria Haven:

Geometric line drawings past Victoria Haven: conscientious, 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 by Carne Griffiths: this 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 hair.

William Anastasi:

Line drawings past 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 brand for a powerful prototype.

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

Amiria has been an Fine art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for vii years, responsible for the class design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Educational activity. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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