13 Types of Lines and How to Use Them
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the intricacies of drawing lines, emphasizing their significance beyond mere marks. It explores how lines convey shape, value, and edge, transitioning between various forms to create depth in artwork. The script introduces different types of lines, from symbolic to contour and construction lines, each serving unique artistic purposes. It also touches on how lines can communicate emotions and ideas, influencing the narrative of a piece. The instructor encourages daily practice to develop muscle memory for line control, aiming to help artists refine their skills and express their vision more effectively.
Takeaways
- 🎨 A line is more than just a line; it has shape value, edge, and can vary in thickness and darkness.
- 🖌️ Line quality comes from the combination of various elements like shape, edge, and value, and it improves with practice.
- 🔄 Lines can transition from one type to another, changing in shape, edge, and value throughout a drawing.
- 📚 The script introduces a drawing course that will teach how to control line qualities and use them effectively.
- 🆓 Some lessons are available for free on YouTube, while full access requires a subscription at proko.com.
- 🔤 Symbolic lines are used in icons, symbols, letters, and numbers, and they are fundamental in visual arts like comics.
- 👤 Contour lines are used to outline shapes and can be beneficial even in tonal drawings to emphasize or clarify forms.
- 📏 Construction lines, also known as gesture lines or guidelines, are used in the early stages of a drawing for proportions, form, and motion.
- 🌟 Rhythm lines connect elements in a composition, guiding the viewer's eye and showing flow.
- 🌈 Lines represent ideas and can be combined to create complex concepts and stories.
- 💭 As an artist's skills develop, they can use lines to communicate emotions and ideas beyond just replicating reality.
Q & A
What is the significance of a line in drawing according to the script?
-A line in drawing is not just a simple mark but has a shape value, edge, and can vary in thickness and darkness. It is a fundamental element that artists control to create various effects and convey ideas.
How can a line transition in terms of shape and value?
-A line can transition from thin to thick in shape and from light to dark and back to light in value. It can also have different edges, such as sharp on one end and soft on the other.
What is the purpose of the drawing Basics course mentioned in the script?
-The drawing Basics course aims to teach how to control lines and use them effectively to represent different aspects of art, including shapes, shadows, measurements, and emotions.
How does the script suggest one can improve their line drawing skills?
-The script suggests practicing line drawing daily, setting manageable goals, and challenging oneself to draw from life or from photographs.
What are symbolic lines as described in the script?
-Symbolic lines are used to make up icons, symbols, letters, or numbers that are part of our daily visual language, such as in comics or written dialogue.
What role do contour lines play in drawing?
-Contour lines are used to outline the shape of an object and can be used to emphasize or clarify features when drawing tonally.
How are construction lines different from other types of lines?
-Construction lines, also known as land lines or guidelines, are used in the early stages of a drawing for various purposes like establishing proportions, showing depth, and indicating form.
What is the function of gesture lines in a drawing?
-Gesture lines are used to represent the pose or motion of a subject, often used in loose sketches to capture the flow of a pose.
How can lines convey emotions in a drawing?
-Lines can carry emotional qualities, and different types of lines can induce different emotional responses. For example, shaky lines might convey fear or anxiety.
What does the script suggest about the development of an artist's style?
-The script implies that an artist's style, including line quality, develops over time and there is no right or wrong style. It is a personal development that varies among artists.
What advice does the script give for practicing drawing lines?
-The script advises setting aside time for daily drawing practice, filling up a page with linear drawings from life, and not timing the drawings to allow for a natural flow.
Outlines
🎨 Understanding the Complexity of Lines in Art
The paragraph discusses the intricacies of drawing lines in black and white, emphasizing that lines are not just simple strokes but have a shape value, which refers to the lightness or darkness of the shape. It explains how the shape of a line can vary from thin to thick and the edge can transition from sharp to soft. The value can range from light to dark, and lines can transition from one type to another, affecting the overall visual impact. The paragraph introduces the concept of learning to control these elements through practice in a drawing course, which will be accessible both on YouTube and through a more comprehensive program. It also touches on how lines are used in various ways, such as symbolic lines in icons and letters, contour lines to outline shapes, and construction lines for early-stage drawings. The importance of lines in conveying ideas and emotions is highlighted, suggesting that as an artist's skills develop, they will naturally incorporate these elements into their work.
📚 The Communicative Power of Lines
This paragraph delves into how lines are used to communicate ideas and emotions in drawings. It suggests that lines are akin to letters that form words and sentences, conveying complex stories. The paragraph provides an example of how a simple circle can represent a head, and by adding construction and shading lines, the idea becomes more complex, representing a specific person in a certain light. It emphasizes that lines carry emotional qualities and can induce different feelings in viewers, although it's not an exact science. The paragraph encourages aspiring artists to study the work of various artists to understand how lines can convey different emotions. It concludes by stating that lines are more than just shapes with values and edges; they are essential tools for artists to represent various elements in their drawings and to guide the viewer's eye.
🖌️ Practicing Line Drawing for Artistic Growth
The final paragraph focuses on the practical aspect of improving line drawing skills. It encourages daily practice, suggesting that artists should challenge themselves by drawing from life, either outdoors or from objects at home. The paragraph provides a method for practicing, which involves looking at the subject for a minute, imagining it as a drawing, and then executing a few lines. This process is repeated until the drawing is complete, with each drawing taking between 5 to 30 minutes. The paragraph also mentions that the artist will be drawing along with the audience and posting the results for discussion. It concludes by promoting the ongoing drawing basics course, which includes lessons, projects, demonstrations, and critique videos, and invites viewers to join the community of students to learn to draw.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Line
💡Shape Value
💡Edge
💡Contour Lines
💡Construction Lines
💡Gesture Lines
💡Shading Lines
💡Cross Contour Lines
💡Rhythm Lines
💡Emotion
💡Style
Highlights
A line is not just a line; it has shape value, edge, and can vary in thickness and darkness.
A line can transition from one type to another, changing shape, edge, and value.
Drawing is difficult because it requires controlling multiple elements of a line simultaneously.
Good line quality comes from combinations of line elements that look good together.
With practice, line control becomes instinctive, allowing artists to focus on the subject.
Lines can be symbolic, making up icons, symbols, letters, or numbers.
Contour lines are used to outline the shape of objects, a technique often used by artists historically and by children naturally.
Shading lines indicate value or texture when many lines are placed closely together.
Cross contour lines express form more clearly by wrapping around it like a rubber band.
Construction lines, also known as land lines or guidelines, are used for various purposes in drawing.
Gesture lines represent a pose or motion, often used heavily in loose sketches.
A line of action captures the flow of a pose with a single line.
Rhythm lines find connections between things, guiding the eye and showing flow in a composition.
Lines represent ideas, and simple ideas can be combined to create complex ideas and stories.
Lines can convey emotions, though the emotional impact can be subjective and vary between individuals.
Artists have different line qualities depending on their style, with no right or wrong.
Lines are shapes with values and edges, used as placeholders for more complex ideas.
Lines can add emotion and guide the viewer's eye, even if they are not present in the final drawing.
Challenge yourself to draw every day to improve line control and artistic skills.
Transcripts
[Music]
so you might be thinking that a line is
just a line right no it's not just a
line what is wrong with you it is so
much more than that when drawing in
black and white every line you draw has
a shape value that's how light or dark
the shape is
and Edge those are the transitions of
the borders
the shape of a line can be thin or thick
or anything in between the edge can be
sharp firm or soft
the value can be anywhere in the range
from light to dark and you're supposed
to control all of that while you're
putting a mark down
yeah
and there's actually more to it don't
forget that a line can transition from
one type to another the shape can go
from thin to thick The Edge can be sharp
on top and soft on bottom or start
suddenly and taper out Softly on the
other end the value can start light and
go to dark and then back to light again
and that's why drawing is hard and
that's what we're going to learn how to
do in the next several lessons and
projects in my drawing Basics course
some of these lessons will be free here
on YouTube and if you want to get access
to the full versions of the lessons the
projects and demonstrations that I'm
providing to help you get good at
drawing that's all over at program
drawing and you're going to impress your
friends and your mom and you're going to
be so happy with yourself the good news
is you're never going to be thinking of
all that information when you put each
line down that's impossible you're only
human good line quality is when you have
combinations of all these elements that
look good and there's so many
combinations that look good it's not
like there's just one right answer in
each case eventually you won't even be
thinking about your lines you'll have
the muscle memory for good line control
and you'll just be thinking about the
qualities of the subject that you're
drawing because that's really what lines
are for well actually let's explore that
let's explore the different ways we use
lines symbolic lines make up icons
symbols letters or numbers that we use
on a daily basis like the alphabet
words do have their place in visual art
for example in comics dialogue or sound
effects are represented with words they
can be clean and legible or highly
stylized artists use contour lines to
outline the shape of something the
further back you go in history the more
artists use primarily outlines and
symbols in their art we tend to
gravitate to using contour lines to draw
something as kids we naturally start
drawing Contours When We Touch things we
can feel edges and our mind thinks of
them as lines even though that's not
what we actually see even if we're
drawing more tonally contour lines can
still be very beneficial to emphasize or
clarify something when we place many
lines together closely we create shading
lines that can indicate value or even
texture similarly cross contour lines
can indicate tone but they specifically
wrap around the form like a rubber band
to express the form even more clearly
sometimes a cross contour line doesn't
have a tonal purpose but rather it's
used early in a drawing to quickly
indicate volume in that case it's a
construction Line Construction lines
also known as land lines or guidelines
are a whole category of lines for
various purposes in the early stages of
a drawing we can use measuring lines to
establish proportions and placement with
angles
show depth and form with perspective
lines such as the cross Contours or XYZ
axis lines when something is simplified
down to a box we can also use gesture
lines to represent a pose or the motion
of something like an arm it can be
compressed with tension or relaxed and
flowy when you see someone do a loose
sketch it's usually very heavy on
gesture lines but not exclusively a line
of action is a gestural line that tries
to capture the flow of a pose with a
single line Rhythm lines are very
similar but they're used to find
connections between things to guide the
eye and show flow in a composition I can
find a rhythm that connects all the
knuckles in a hand but that's not the
gesture of the hand lines are pretty
freaking useful we're gonna start
learning and practicing contour and
construction lines pretty soon in this
course actually and the shading lines
will come later when we get into values
and edges lines represent ideas when
you're drawing a line remember that
you're not just drawing a line you're
communicating what that line represents
an idea
simple ideas are combined to create
complex ideas which are combined even
further to tell stories letters to words
to sentences to novels lines are like
letters
which is pretty funny because letters
are made up of lines
anyway here's an example a circle can
represent the cranium of the head that's
a simple idea add some construction
lines and you have a more complex idea
ahead in space
add shading lines to it and the idea
becomes even more complex a specific
person with specific lighting lines
don't just represent ideas about objects
in space
they can even convey
emotions line and emotion as your
artistic skills develop gradually let go
of the desire to Simply replicate
reality and instead try to communicate
the emotions and ideas that you want to
express lines whether we mean to or not
carry emotional qualities the thing is
emotions are really complicated and
often individual to each person two
people can have a different emotional
reaction to the same drawing so it's not
an exact science it's not like I can
show you a line and say well this this
is a happy line and this is a disgusted
line but lines can definitely add to the
emotional impact of a piece if your
drawing is supposed to induce fear and
anxiety you might want to use lines that
match that goal confident beautiful
tapering lines might not fit here but
shaky on certain lines that were drawn
by someone who is anxious and fearful
might help I keep saying might because
those same wobbly lines could be used to
have a comedic or childish effect lines
are just one tool that contribute to the
larger story of the work to get a better
understanding of the emotional qualities
of lines it could be helpful to look at
the work of different artists Heinrich
klei Bernie wrightson Glenn Keane Tim
Burton Claire Wendling Egon shealy Aaron
Blaze Eliza Ivanova Kim jong-gi Charles
Schultz George Harriman Bill Watterson
Charles Gibson James Montgomery flag
Carl Kapinski and of course my
instructor Jeff Watts these are all
great examples of how lines can convey
different emotions and there's hundreds
thousands more that I didn't mention if
you're yelling at the screen go ahead
leave a comment of your favorites and we
can get a more exhaustive list if you're
interested in exploring the emotional
impact of lines here's one thing you can
do look at various types of lines and
describe them with objective words what
do these lines look like broken up
zigzaggy Dynamic straight okay then see
how these words make you feel annoyed
angry uneasy and fearful happy calm
confident and bored you might have said
some different words than I did here and
viewers of your work might have
different interpretations of your work
that's fine in this course I'm not going
to teach you style that's something that
you'll develop on your own as you grow
and mature as an artist artists have
very different line qualities depending
on their style and there is no right or
wrong style some artists are more exact
and precise with their lines While
others are more expressive loose and
sketchy some artists are deliberate with
what their lines might say While others
kind of just go with the flow and draw
what they think looks good in conclusion
so lines are basically shapes with
values and edges we usually start our
drawings with lines they're quick
placeholders for more complex ideas
there are several ways that we use lines
to represent different things such as
shapes and shadows and measurements and
perspective and gesture and even words
and emojis they can add emotion and
guide the viewer's eye to parts of the
drawing even if the end result of your
drawing doesn't have any lines in it
lines can help you get there lines are
important so let's start practicing them
challenge yourself to draw every day see
if you can get into the routine of
drawing daily set aside a time put it in
your calendar if you're already drawing
every day then do something to challenge
yourself a little more
draw a bit longer but don't go too crazy
set a manageable goal so every day fill
up one page with linear drawings from
life you can either go outside and draw
something when inspiration hits or find
something at home and draw it take a
photo of your objects if you can
start by just looking at your subject
for one minute imagine it as a drawing
draw a few lines then look think and
execute repeat till you're done each
drawing can take 5 to 30 minutes but
don't time them I'll be drawing along
with you guys and posting them in this
lessons discussions over at proka.com
this lesson is part of my ongoing
drawing Basics course which you can get
at proko.com drawing you'll learn the
most important fundamental concepts for
drawing anything out of your imagination
or from reference the premium course
includes full-length lessons projects
demonstrations and critique videos
join the community of thousands of
students already enrolled in the course
and finally learn to draw that's over at
broker.com drawing thank you so much for
watching I'll see you next time
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