6 Habits for Good Line Quality

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of line quality in art, highlighting how poor lines can undermine an artist's skill. It advises avoiding common mistakes like short, scratchy lines and chaotic searching lines, which can convey anxiety and lack of confidence. The script offers practical tips for improving line quality, such as finding a comfortable drawing speed, following through with strokes, and practicing 'ghosting' to refine lines. It also encourages using simple strokes to construct complex lines and rotating the paper for more natural stroke directions. The video is part of a drawing basics course aimed at developing good habits for artistic success.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Lines are fundamental in art, used for early-stage placeholders and final-stage details.
• ❌ Avoiding poor line quality is crucial as it can negatively impact the perception of your artwork.
• 🚫 Common mistakes include short, scratchy lines and chaotic, searching lines which can convey anxiety and lack of confidence.
• 👨‍🎨 Even masters like Glenn Keane and Carl Kapinski use chaotic lines deliberately, but for beginners, it's best to build good habits.
• 💡 Practice drawing with a comfortable speed to achieve fluid, relaxed, and confident lines.
• 🏓 Follow through with your lines, similar to a baseball swing, to improve accuracy and line quality.
• 🤲 Use your whole arm for drawing to achieve a natural taper at the end of your lines.
• 👻 Ghosting, or practicing lines without marking the paper, can help improve line quality and accuracy.
• 🔄 Rotate the paper to find natural angles for drawing lines that feel comfortable for your hand.
• 🔍 Use simple strokes like tapered, C curves, S-curves, and straight lines to construct complex lines.
• 💻 For further learning, the script suggests checking out the full drawing Basics course at proko.com.

Q & A

Why are lines important in the art of drawing?

Lines are crucial in drawing as they serve multiple purposes such as placeholders in early stages for measuring, indicating perspective, contour, and gesture, and in final stages for shading tone or as a visual element guiding the viewer's eye.

What impact can poor line quality have on a drawing?

Poor line quality can quickly ruin a drawing and give off a bad impression of the artist's skill, potentially leading to habits that are hard to break if practiced over time.

What are the two common mistakes artists make with lines that can affect their drawings negatively?

The two common mistakes are short scratchy lines and chaotic searching lines, which can express a feeling of anxiety and lack of confidence to the viewer.

How can artists avoid developing bad habits with line quality?

Artists can avoid bad habits by practicing with purpose, being conscious of their strokes, and developing good habits early on to control line quality effectively.

What is the significance of finding a comfortable speed when drawing lines?

A comfortable speed allows for fluid, relaxed, and confident lines. It prevents the hand from moving faster than the brain, which can lead to bad line quality.

Why is following through with a line important in drawing?

Following through with a line improves accuracy and adds power and motion to the stroke, similar to the follow-through in sports like baseball, which enhances the line's quality.

What is ghosting and how does it help in drawing?

Ghosting refers to practicing drawing lines with the pencil hovering just above the paper without marking it. It helps in achieving clean, less wobbly lines, improves accuracy, and builds confidence.

How can artists ensure they maintain the same motion from ghosting to the actual line drawing?

To maintain the same motion, artists should ghost the full line, hold the pencil close to the paper, and ensure the hand's position, pencil angle, and motion speed remain consistent between the ghosted and final line.

Why is it beneficial to rotate the paper while drawing?

Rotating the paper can make certain angles of lines feel more natural and comfortable to draw, reducing awkwardness and improving the line's quality.

What is the advice for artists when drawing complex shapes or lines?

It's advised to break down complex shapes into simple strokes like tapered strokes, C curves, S-curves, and straights. This simplification helps in achieving more fluid and accurate lines.

What additional resource is mentioned for artists looking to improve their drawing skills?

The script mentions the full drawing Basics course at proko.com, which offers lessons, projects, demonstrations, warm-up exercises, and critique videos to help artists improve their skills.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Developing Good Line Quality in Drawing

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of line quality in artistic drawings. It explains that lines are used for various purposes, from initial sketches to final shading, and are crucial for conveying an artist's skill. The paragraph warns against developing bad line habits, such as short scratchy lines and chaotic searching lines, which can indicate anxiety and lack of confidence to viewers. It suggests practicing to avoid these habits and highlights the need for a balance between brain dumping and creating presentable drawings. Tips for improving line quality include finding a comfortable drawing speed, ensuring fluid and confident strokes, and leaving enough time between strokes for visualization. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'ghosting' lines, which is practicing drawing with the pencil hovering above the paper to achieve a natural taper at the beginning of lines.

05:00

📝 Enhancing Line Quality with Ghosting and Simple Strokes

The second paragraph delves deeper into the technique of 'ghosting' lines, which involves drawing without marking the paper to practice the motion and ensure a clean, tapered beginning to lines. It discusses the benefits of ghosting for improving line cleanliness, confidence, and accuracy. The paragraph provides tips for effective ghosting, such as ghosting the full line, maintaining pencil proximity to the paper, and keeping the same speed and hand position as when drawing the actual line. Additionally, it addresses the challenge of drawing lines at unnatural angles, suggesting that artists rotate the paper or adjust their grip to find a more comfortable angle. The paragraph concludes with advice on using simple strokes, like tapered, C-curves, and S-curves, to construct complex lines and achieve a more fluid and accurate drawing. It encourages artists to practice these techniques to develop good habits and improve their overall drawing skills.

Keywords

💡Line Quality

Line quality refers to the appearance and effectiveness of lines used in drawing. It is a critical aspect of an artist's work, as poor line quality can undermine the overall impression of a piece. In the video, the importance of developing good line quality habits is emphasized to avoid creating a sense of anxiety or lack of confidence in the viewer. The artist suggests practicing with tapered strokes and finding a comfortable speed to achieve fluid and confident lines.

💡Scratchy Lines

Scratchy lines are short, uneven, and irregular lines that can indicate a lack of control or precision in drawing. The video mentions these as a common mistake among newer artists, which can give off an impression of anxiety. To improve, the artist advises against scribbling aimlessly and instead to pause and think before drawing, ensuring a more purposeful and controlled line.

💡Searching Lines

Searching lines are lines that are drawn as an artist explores and tries to find the right form or gesture on the paper. While they can be used purposefully for brainstorming and idea generation, the video points out that they should be used judiciously and not in final drawings where a more polished line is desired. The artist suggests being aware of when one is 'brain dumping' versus when aiming for a presentable drawing.

💡Tapered Strokes

Tapered strokes are lines that gradually decrease in width from one end to the other, creating a visual effect of depth and motion. The video instructs artists to practice drawing with tapered strokes to achieve a more fluid and relaxed look. The artist provides tips on finding the right speed and following through with the motion to ensure accuracy and a sense of energy in the line.

💡Follow-Through

In the context of the video, follow-through refers to the continuation of the motion of the drawing hand beyond the intended endpoint of the line. This technique helps in achieving accuracy and imparts a sense of power and motion to the line. The artist compares it to the follow-through in baseball, which increases the power and accuracy of the swing.

💡Ghosting

Ghosting is a practice where the artist moves the pencil just above the paper, mimicking the drawing motion without actually marking the paper. This technique helps in planning the line's trajectory and achieving a tapered beginning to the stroke. The video explains that ghosting can improve line accuracy and confidence, resulting in cleaner and more controlled lines.

💡Natural Movement

Natural movement in drawing refers to the most comfortable and efficient way an artist's hand and arm move to create lines. The video suggests identifying and utilizing the most natural angles for drawing lines to improve comfort and line quality. It also mentions that if a certain angle feels awkward, artists can rotate the paper or adjust their grip to find a more natural position.

💡Simple Strokes

Simple strokes are basic line forms such as straight lines, C curves, and S-curves that are used to construct more complex shapes and lines in drawing. The video encourages artists to stick to these basic forms to maintain fluidity and accuracy in their drawings. Using simple strokes helps in creating more controlled and less chaotic lines, especially for artists who are still developing their skills.

💡Proko Drawing Course

The Proko Drawing Course is mentioned as a resource for artists looking to improve their drawing skills, particularly in developing good line quality habits. The video suggests that the course offers foundational knowledge and practical exercises to help artists draw from observation or imagination, with access to lessons, projects, and critique videos.

💡Controlling Chaos

Controlling chaos in the context of the video refers to the ability of an artist to manage and utilize chaotic lines deliberately and with confidence. While some master artists can use chaotic lines effectively, the video advises beginners to first focus on developing good habits and line quality, with the goal of eventually being able to control the chaos in their artwork.

Highlights

Artists use lines in various stages of drawing, from initial placeholders to final visual elements.

Poor line quality can negatively impact the perception of an artist's skill.

Avoiding bad line habits is crucial as they become harder to break with time.

Two common mistakes are short scratchy lines and chaotic searching lines, which can convey anxiety and lack of confidence.

Master artists like Glenn Keane and Carl Kapinski use chaotic lines with confidence, but beginners should focus on building good habits.

Tips for better line quality include finding a comfortable speed and being fluid, relaxed, and confident.

Practicing with tapered strokes can improve line quality and control.

Drawing with purpose and not scribbling aimlessly can enhance line quality.

The importance of following through with a stroke, similar to a baseball swing, for accuracy and power in drawing.

Using the whole arm for drawing lines can help achieve a natural taper at the end of the stroke.

Ghosting lines, or practicing without marking the paper, can improve line accuracy and confidence.

Ghosting lines should be done with the same speed and motion as the actual drawing to be effective.

Rotating the paper or adjusting one's posture can help with drawing lines in less natural angles.

Using simple strokes like tapered, C curves, S-curves, and straights can lead to more fluid and accurate lines.

Simplifying complex shapes into basic segments can make the drawing process more manageable.

The drawing Basics course at proko.com offers comprehensive lessons for improving drawing skills.

Transcripts

[Music]

as artists we use lines a lot we use

them as placeholders in the early stages

of our drawings to measure indicate

perspective contour and gesture and we

use them in the final stages of our

drawings when we're shading tone or as a

powerful visual element that can guide

the eye so bad line quality can quickly

ruin a drawing and give off a really bad

impression of your skill you want to

avoid building habits of poor line

quality the longer you practice bad

lines the stronger those habits will

become and the harder it will be to

break out of those bad habits so I want

to get you on the path to develop the

good habits and if you like this video

make sure to check out the full drawing

Basics course at proka.com drawing it's

designed to give you the foundation you

need to draw from observation or from

imagination number one avoid the common

mistakes two very common mistakes are

short scratchy lines and chaotic

searching lines I did mention in a

previous video that searching lines do

have a purpose we can use them to brain

dump images from our head onto the page

this way we avoid letting our

perfectionist Tendencies stifle our

creativity and limit our potential for

exploring new ideas

but we have to be able to switch between

these two modes are you brain dumping or

are you trying to draw something that's

more presentable

in this lesson we're going to focus on

drawings with attractive line quality so

let's get back to those two common

mistakes short scratchy lines and

chaotic searching lines usually when

done by newer artists these types of

lines expressed to the viewer a feeling

of anxiety and a lack of confidence

sometimes the artist wants the viewer to

feel that way and some Masters can use

chaotic lines deliberately with

confidence Glenn Keane Carl Kapinski and

they look amazing but assuming you're

not a master yet let's start building

good habits so that one day you too can

Control the Chaos so let's move on to

some tips that you can do right now to

practice better line quality find that

comfortable speed when practicing

drawing with tapered Strokes the goal is

to be fluid relaxed and confident

if you catch yourself scribbling

aimlessly through something that you

don't know how to draw pause and just

think for a moment sometimes bad line

quality can come from your hand moving

faster than your brain you want to draw

consciously and with purpose make sure

to leave enough time between Strokes to

visualize the next one as you're pulling

a tapered stroke do it at the right

speed

if you move too slow your hand might

jiggle a bit and create a wobbly line if

you go too fast the stroke might not

land where you intended it you should

draw fast enough so that you feel like

you're drawing with energy but slow

enough so that you can control your

lines it's like throwing a ball if you

throw it as hard as you can you'll lose

some control and end up losing the ball

in your neighbor's backyard but if you

throw without building up any momentum

your ball will just land three feet in

front of you practice so that you can

find the most natural and optimal speed

for you and keep in mind you might need

to slow down when you're drawing

something more complicated with more

detail or if you're trying a new tool

follow through

in baseball you'll notice they follow

through with their swing after they hit

the ball The Arc of the motion doesn't

stop in front of their chest they keep

going with the motion and bring the bat

to the opposite side this results in

more power and improves accuracy drawing

lines is similar if I know I want my

line to end at that dot pulling my hand

toward the dot and following through

past it will help with accuracy also the

energy and motion of my arm is recorded

in the quality of the line this line

without follow-through doesn't carry the

same sense of motion as the one with

follow through

using your whole arm will help you feel

the rhythms and gesture of what you're

drawing again don't draw with your

fingers unless you're drawing with the

smallest details using the whole arm

allows us to gradually lift the pencil

off the page this will get you that

taper at the end of your line but what

about getting that taper at the

beginning of the line

ghosting

hey I'm here in the car it's been a

while my uncle here

now I'm not talking about ghosting your

friends although that can help you

practice more often

I'm referring to ghosting your lines

that is practice drawing it a few times

with your pencil hovering just slightly

above the paper without making a mark

just like you have to ease out of the

line to get the taper at the end you

have to ease into the line to get the

taper at the beginning this means you

have to be moving your arm in the

direction of the stroke before the

pencil touches the paper when you're

ghosting the line keep your hand moving

don't pause between each ghosted line

this will ensure that your hand is in

motion as you begin drawing the real

line and give you that taper at the

beginning ghosting has even more

benefits it helps make your lines look

cleaner and less wobbly by tuning your

arm to the motion your arm will execute

the stroke more effectively and you'll

approach it with more confidence

resulting in a more confident looking

line also ghosting helps to improve

accuracy by practicing it before

committing the line will more likely

land where you you intended if the

ghosting part feels good but the line

looks different when you put it down

you're probably changing too much from

the ghosted motion to the final line so

here's some tips to make your ghosting

more effective ghost it in more than

once

ghost in the full line as if you're

actually doing it not just a portion of

the line hold the pencil very close to

the paper about a millimeter to minimize

the change from Ghost to final line

ghost your line at the same speed as you

draw it

don't change the position of your hand

don't change the angle of the pencil and

don't pause between the ghosted motion

and the final motion

basically don't change anything except

actually touching the pencil to the

paper

rotate the paper

not every angle of line we draw will

feel natural like this for example it's

hard for me to pull this stroke because

it goes against the natural movement of

my wrist elbow and shoulder

figure out which angles feel the most

natural and which feel awkward when you

identify the awkward ones you can

practice them or you can rotate the

paper

by the way every line has two directions

it can be drawn you can draw a vertical

line downward or upward to me upward

feels awkward especially if I'm holding

the pencil with the overhand grip I feel

like I'm going to stab through the paper

I notice that if I imagine a

perpendicular line to the angle of the

pencil the stroke Direction feels more

natural to me if I start on this side

and pull the stroke this way keep in

mind though that the angle of the pencil

with the tripod grip is different from

the angle of the pencil with the

overhand grip

if this is all too technical for you

right now no worries just get your

Sketchbook out and see what feels right

now you can rotate the page to get your

hand in a more comfortable angle for

each stroke but sometimes you might be

working on a surface that you can't

rotate like a chalkboard or an easel in

those cases it helps to rotate your

shoulders a bit

as you practice and you train that

muscle memory those awkward angles will

become less awkward

use Simple Strokes now we've already

been doing this in this course we can

use tapered Strokes to construct complex

lines using many simple lines C curves

s-curves and straights if you notice

your lines getting messy or chaotic try

to stick to just those three simple

Strokes Trying to draw with more

complicated Strokes usually results in

less fluid lines unless you have more

experience under your belt using simple

Strokes also helps you be more accurate

trying to draw a more complicated shape

in one swoop makes it harder to draw the

correct shape with the correct

proportions with practice and knowledge

about your subject you can do this

successfully until then if you're

drawing an arm considering all the parts

that make up the hole all at once can be

intimidating

the arm has a lot of anatomical bumps

that make the shape more nuanced we need

to consider these nuances to make the

arm feel natural if I simplify segments

of the shape the whole process becomes a

lot more digestible again don't move

your hand faster than your brain can

think okay guys I

need them Proco videos If you like this

lesson there's way more like it in the

full drawing Basics course over at

proco.com drawing with the premium

course you get access to all the lessons

projects demonstrations warm-up

exercises and critique videos so if you

don't want your drawings to look like

this go to progo.com drawing and learn

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