Types of Line

 Outlines- Lines made by the edge of an object or its silhouette.

 Contour Lines- Lines that describe the shape of an object and the interior detail.

 Gesture Lines- Line that are energetic and catches the movement and gestures of
an active figure.

 Sketch Lines- Lines that captures the appearance of an object or impression of a

place.

 Calligraphic Lines- Greek word meaning “beautiful writing.” Precise, elegant

handwriting or lettering done by hand. Also artwork that has flowing lines like an
elegant handwriting.

 Implied Line- Lines that are not actually drawn but created by a group of objects
seen from a distance. The direction an object is pointing to, or the direction a person
is looking at.
Outlines- Lines made by the edge of
an object or its silhouette.
Contour Lines- In Earth Science you may have learned
about contour lines. These are lines that describe the
shape of an object and the interior detail.
 Contour Lines- In art and design they do the same
thing, however they follow a curvature typically seen at eye
level.
 Blind Contour Line
Drawing
There are drawings
where the artist does not
look at the paper as they
draw. Their attention is
solely placed on the
object being drawn.
Primarily they serve the
same function as a
warm up exercise a
musician may use to
prepare.
Contour Drawing can be mixed
!

As in this example. The beauty of a contour drawing is that it allows the

artist to discover new things rather than play the same old song every
time.
These drawings
easily become
emotive-where the
feeling we receive
is much more
important than
photographic
representation.
THINK!

Decide
which object
is done in an
outline and
which is
done using
contour lines
and explain
why.
Gesture Lines- Line that are energetic and
catches the movement and gestures of an active
figure.

How can a line

be energetic?
Gesture
Drawings are
used to
capture
movement and
get a sense of
a form in
space.
Typically they
are done in a
short time
frame. This
one was done
in under a
Sketch Lines- Lines that captures the
appearance of an object or impression of a place.

Sketch lines provide a

framework to
follow, much like the
framework in a home.
Sometimes the artist
leaves those lines in
to allow the drawing to
appear “fresh”
THINK!

Explain the differences

between sketch lines and
gesture lines and how they
could be used together?
Calligraphic Lines- Greek word meaning “beautiful
writing.” Precise, elegant handwriting or lettering done by
hand. Also artwork that has flowing lines like an elegant
handwriting.
Implied Line- Lines that are not actually drawn but created
by a group of objects seen from a distance. The direction
an object is pointing to, or the direction a person is looking
at.

Count the lines, how many are

there?
THINK!

Is this
calligraphic
or implied
line?
Explain your
answer.
THINK HARD!

Explain what
types of
lines are
used and
how does
that effect
the overall
composition
of the piece?
Designers and Artists use the appropriate line for the best
execution of their works. Appropriate lines are the result of many
years of practice in a variety of line styles, but more importantly
they fit the context of the subject.
Here the designer
chose a line to
emphasize the
product. Line is used
to accentuate what
the book is about and
it fits within the
context