{"id":347,"date":"2022-12-27T17:55:14","date_gmt":"2022-12-27T17:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artlooklearn.com\/?p=347"},"modified":"2023-09-13T19:31:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T19:31:29","slug":"types-of-lines-in-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artlooklearn.com\/types-of-lines-in-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Drawing Different Kinds of Lines in Art (Hatching Techniques)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Learn all about drawing different kinds of lines in art (hatching techniques) in this easy step by step tutorial. In this free online art lesson learn about hatching, crosshatching, contour hatching, woven hatching, tick hatching, scribble hatching and stippling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing lines and different types of lines is a basic building block in art which you can learn all about here on my online drawing website. Line quality and using a variety of lines are important art skills to master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Examples
Line Types in Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n[feast_advanced_jump_to]\n\n\n

These techniques are all great to use in sketches as well as in finished drawings. Once you become comfortable with these line techniques you can use them to draw or sketch almost anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning how to draw these different types of lines gives you different ways to add value to a drawing. In addition, they can help you add a sense of texture to your art. Drawing lines to show surface quality is known as implied texture.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic Elements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The basic elements of art are color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value. The line, as one of the basic elements in art, is simply a a long, narrow mark or band. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An artwork can be entirely made of lines or the lines can be a small but important part of a larger piece. Some work contains no lines at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines can be two-or three-dimensional, descriptive, implied, or abstract. They can also be straight, diagonal, zig zag or curvy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Line quality is an important consideration when you are drawing or creating art. Is it thick, thin, rough, wavy, curved, sharp, abrupt, sensual or soft? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Line Drawing Techniques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few basic line techniques that are very helpful to learn. Using these different methods in your drawing can give you a wider range of texture and variety in your art projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hatching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hatching is a series of parallel lines drawn close to one another to create a sense of shading and texture. The lines can be either regularly spaced or irregularly spaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make lines darker and closer together to show a darker value and lighter and further apart for a lighter value. The direction of your lines can also help indicate different planes of the object or subject that you are drawing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall goal is for the lines to work together to show the shading. Ideally viewers will ignore the lines and read the entire hatched drawing as different areas of tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Orange
Hatching in a pitcher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Green
Crosshatching in a hilly landscape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Crosshatching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Similar to hatching, crosshatching begins with a set of parallel lines. Then make another set of parallel lines crossing over the first set but in a different direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repeat the crossing over and repeating lines at different angles several different times, as you see fit. Try crosshatching at right angles and at other angles to vary the darkness and texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, make lines darker and closer together to show a darker value and lighter and further apart for a lighter value. Crosshatching is a great technique to know because it can help you add value to larger areas very quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contour Hatching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Contour hatching is simply regular hatching or crosshatching but drawn to follow a curved contour. Any thing that is curved or rounded can be enhanced with contour hatching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about using this drawing technique to help shade in and texture round objects such as a globe, sphere, fruit, eggs and much more. It can also be used on cylindrical objects such as tree trunks, rolling hills or legs and arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Red
Contour hatching on an apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Blue
Woven hatching on a coffee mug<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Woven Hatching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Woven hatching is sometimes called patch hatching or basket hatching. It is a series of short parallel lines in one direction next to another group of short parallel lines in a different direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The groups of marks can all be perpendicular but they do not necessarily have to be. The lines can ski be crosshatched back into to add density and darker value if desired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of hatched lines appear to have a woven texture, hence the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scribble Hatching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Scribble hatching is a series of loosely scribbled, overlapping lines or squiggles. When drawn into an area, scribble hatching creates value and texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make a darker area add more scribbles and squiggles. To make an area lighter use fewer squiggles and make them farther apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When using this technique avoid making the scribbles too regular, or seemingly patterned. Try to keep the squiggles irregular and always unpredictable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Purple
Scribble hatching of an old barn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Red
Tick hatching used to shade flower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tick Hatching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In drawing, tick hatching is a series of short \u201ctick\u201d marks placed together in a parallel manner. Tick marks are smaller than lines and larger than stippling dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This technique can add a unique texture and value to a drawing. It can be used in any type of drawing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make more marks closer together to achieve a darker value and make fewer marks further apart for lighter value and less texture. Marks can also be made perpendicular or at different angles to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stippling <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\"Dark
Stippling used on lips<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Stippling is simply adding in many dots to create the light and dark areas of a work. In dark ares add more dots and in lighter areas add fewer dots and leave them further apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stippling in larger areas can be quite a lot of effort but well worth the extra work because of the interesting texture that can be achieved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stippling is similar to pointillism in the use of a multitude of dots.  Although, pointillism, differs, because it uses dots of different colors to simulate blended colors, whereas stippling uses dots of a single value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These techniques work well for most drawing materials. They are great to use in drawings with with pencils, graphite, markers, pen and ink, charcoal, and colored pencils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips and tricks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • You can mix and match any of these line techniques to create the drawing that you want.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Consider texture - use different line techniques for different materials. For example you might use scribble hatching on a drawing of a soft table cloth while using contour hatching for the hard ceramic bowl that is sitting on it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Turn your paper as need to make drawing lines easier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Types of Lines Lesson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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