2. The art element of
line
The art element of line can be used
in a varie
The art element of line can be used in a variety
of ways within a work of art. Understanding how line
can be utilized allows artists to create a strong
visual composition
Rectilinear lines
are those that are
geometric in style.
Rectilinear lines are
straight and clear
with pointed angles.
• The drawing on
the left side was
drew by Vincent van
Gogh in 1888. It is a
typical rectilinear
lines drowing.
Vincent van Gogh Cottage Garden 1888
reed pen, quill, and ink over graphite on wove paper, 24 x 19-1/4
inches
Private Collection, Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dominance Portfolio, Blue, Bridget Riley, 1977
Portfolio of three color screenprints
Sheet Size: 38 5/8 x 18 3/8 inches
Printer: Pace Editions, Inc. , NY
Line is a formal element of art that appears in most two-
dimensional artworks. Line can be used in many different ways
within art.
Lines within a work of art can either be curvilinear or rectilinear.
Curvilinear lines are often referred to as organic lines and
they are curvy and free-flowing. As the painting Dominance
Portfolio, Blue by Bridget Riley
3. Implied or Actual Lines
An actual line is
one that can
clearly be seen
within an artwork.
Actual lines are
drawn or painted
with the intention
that they will be
seen by the
viewer.
Implied lines are
those that are
created when the
viewer's eye
connects other
elements within a
work of art to
make a line.
Lines can also be either implied or
actual.
Paolo Uccello, perspective drawing of
a chalice, c. 1430-1440. Pen and ink on
paper; 34.0×24.1cm.
The drawing by Paolo Uccello
above uses actual lines which
we can clearly see with eyes.
Pablo Picasso, Les 11 états successifs de la lithographie Le
Taureau , 1945.
The bull drawing by Pablo Picasso above had
been redrawn many times. Each time he redrew
it, it became more geometric. The last one
consists of implied line.
4. Line Quality and Character
• Lines can also be used to express emotion within an artwork based on the line quality and character.
• Lines can express different moods based on their thickness or thinness, fluidity or rigidness and lightness
or darkness. Artists often take line styles into account when trying to depict different emotions or ideas.
Thick, dark and
rigid lines can be
foreboding and
express a heavy
feeling.
Fluid, thin lines
would convey a
delicate and
intimate feeling.
The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893, oil
Andrea Mantegna, Parnassus,c.
1497. Tempera on canvas;5 ft. 3
in×6 ft. 4 in. Louvre, Paris.
5. Contour Lines or outlines
Contour lines are often referred to as outlines. They form the
border around figures and shadows within an artwork.
line describes shape,
and shape decribes object.
Artistic shorthand - line is a
quickly way to show or define
a shape.
Contour lines are most often used in
drawings to define shapes within the
composition. These types of drawings
are referred to as contour-line drawings.
Contour-line drawings are also often
used as a basis for paintings because
they define shadows and shapes where
paint can later be applied
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, study for La Princesse de Broglie, 1853. Pencil; 29.9×15.9cm. Musee
Bonnat, Bayonne.
6. Line Used as Value
• Lines can also be used to express
value, which is the lightness or
darkness of an area.
• Both hatching and crosshatching
use lines to express different
values. These values are created
when the viewer's eyes blend the
lines together to make a solid
value.
Hatching lines are a series of parallel
lines that express the idea of shadow
in an area. When the lines are drawn
closely together, they take on a dark
value. When the lines are drawn
further apart, they give the
appearance of a lighter value. As
shown on the right, when lines are
drawn closely together, they express
shaow in an area. In this drawing,
Albert Durer uses hatching lines and
cross-hatching lines to express
different values.
Albert Durer, Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse,c. 1487-1498. Woodcut;
39.2×27.9cm. Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York.
Cross-hatching
is achieved by
drawing two
sets of parallel
lines that
intersect. Cross-
hatching uses
the same visual
properties that
hatching does to
express the idea
of darkness or
lightness.
7. Line Used as Value
• Lines can also be used to express
value, which is the lightness or
darkness of an area.
• Both hatching and crosshatching
use lines to express different
values. These values are created
when the viewer's eyes blend the
lines together to make a solid
value.
Hatching lines are a series of parallel
lines that express the idea of shadow
in an area. When the lines are drawn
closely together, they take on a dark
value. When the lines are drawn
further apart, they give the
appearance of a lighter value. As
shown on the right, when lines are
drawn closely together, they express
shaow in an area. In this drawing,
Albert Durer uses hatching lines and
cross-hatching lines to express
different values.
Albert Durer, Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse,c. 1487-1498. Woodcut;
39.2×27.9cm. Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York.
Cross-hatching
is achieved by
drawing two
sets of parallel
lines that
intersect. Cross-
hatching uses
the same visual
properties that
hatching does to
express the idea
of darkness or
lightness.
