Monday, 4 October 2021

Breaking The Lines

Variety Is the Spice of "Lines"
From a young age, we have an unconscious tendency, to contain every shape within a constant, even, solid line. Putting in all the details for every object we draw. The effect can be like a bad colouring book page. One that has too much information and is flat nor visually interesting. Alternatively, having a variety of line weights in a drawing, ranging from thin to thick, helps create visual interest with a sense of light, shadow and depth. Thinner lines are generally used for elements further away in the background, with heavier lines applied to objects in the foreground. Adding to this, we can "break" some of these lines into broken, even unconnected marks to create more visual interest for our viewers. With these things in mind, compare the two drawings above in terms of which is more visually appealing.

Knowing Which Weight of Line to Use
A common question is: "How do you know when to vary the line weights?" One way is to think of your lines in terms of light and shadow. For instance, in the house on the right, the light is coming from the left-hand side. Therefore, the chimney has a thicker line on its right side, the shadow side. While its left side has just a hint of a broken line, where the light is hitting it. The key is to keep this treatment consistent throughout the drawing.  
 

Varying Similar Elements
When drawing repeating objects in a subject, vary the treatment of each one. The windows in the left drawing are basically the same. Not of much interest, visually boring. For the windows in the right-hand drawing, each pane of glass is rendered differently. Every detail doesn't need to be put in, because the reality is we cannot see every detail. This type of treatment allows the viewer's mind to add those details, therefore, engaging them more with your drawing. A simple readjustment in our thinking and execution can make a simple drawing look like an illustration.  

Sidenote About Ability
Did you notice that the left-hand drawing of the house in the above sample was done using what could be referred to as a“child-like” style? The house on the right has EXACTLY the same underdrawing, using the same shapes and forms, with NO DIFFERENCE IN DRAWING ABILITY. It is only the treatment of the lines and edges that have created a distinctive look.  

Exercise Sheet
Click on the exercise sheet below, copy it, print it and using a black marker or pen (no pencil) apply the concepts discussed here to create a new drawing on the greyed out image.

Small adjustments in our thinking during the planning aspects for the linework in our drawings can make a big difference in the final result.

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