An artist's first lesson on seeing the world in terms of lines and patterns. A great beginning to the exploration of art in our world in the Master's classics.
Being an artist is about learning how to see the world with a new set of eyes; noticing how the objects around us are made. May of those objects are made out of lines. Look at something around the room and pretend you are a little ant crawling around it...all the way around. That is called the contour line of the object.
For example, vertical lines evoke a sense of authority. This image looks like a majestic forest. The idea of majesty is related to royalty. If you look at paintings of royalty from long ago, you might see strong, vertical lines in the composition.
Diagonal lines evoke a sense of energy. What do you think of when you see these lines? Does it remind you of a slide. I wonder where they lead to? The bright colors also conjure up a sense of excitement.
Horizontal lines are like the horizon. Peaceful, serene. Think of an image of a tranquil pool or lake. This image is not as tranquil because the horizontal lines have been interrupted.
Like diagonal lines, curved lines evoke energy and rhythm. Where does your eye go to when you look at these lines? Do you feel how your eye wonders around following the orange curve to the top, left corner of the slide?
When you visit the city, observe the lines in the skyscrapers. If you live near a port, check out the lines in the port. Look at lines far away and up close. Look at the varying widths of the line.
Patterns can be created by repeating lines or color. Try to focus on the white lines. What happens? Now try looking at the negative space or black lines? Do you see how it goes in and out? Sometimes patterns can create depth.
We can find patterns in many places such as mosaics, tapestries, prints, textiles and fabric. Can you find a pattern around you? Think of the patterns you can find at home; on your rugs, pillows, quilts.
What types of lines do you see in Picasso's painting? What colors are the lines? Notice how he uses black lines in some areas and white lines in other areas of the painting. What kind of shapes has he created with the lines?
Da Vinci is considered the father of the Renaissance because he discovered perspective and a vanishing point using lines. Here, however, we see the curved lines and cross-hatching to draw his hair, beard and face. Da Vinci is also known for chiaroscuro which gave a soft dimension to his portraits.
Notice how Matisse uses contour lines to create these forms. Do you see the repetitive pattern of the background? Notice the contrast between the white forms and the dark blue background. The beginning of this slide show has a painting by Matisse with many lines and patterns.
Notice how Van Gogh uses short, repetitive lines to create his self-portrait. Here, he also uses complimentary colors to have his face stand out more from the blue background. This style is typical of Van Gogh's painting because of the use of vibrant colors and repetitive lines.
vary the intensity of the line by pressing firmly and then lifting the charcoal, pen or brush
I invite you to listen to different kinds of music (classical, rock, flamenco, blues, jazz) to see how listening to music affects the way you draw the lines.
Vary your line length (short, long, wide, thin).
Press firmly on your medium (charcoal, pastel, brush) and then lift up to see how it changes the quality of your line.