FIGURE 4.

1 Richly decorated interior settings, lit by the bright sunlight in south France, were a favorite
theme of Henri Matisse. He transformed ordinary rooms into exotic settings full of energy. Matisse’s use of
line gives this painting a feeling of energy. Compare and contrast the variety of lines in this work.
Henri Matisse. Interior with Egyptian Curtain. 1948. Oil on canvas. 116.2
88.9 cm (4534
35). The Phillips Collection,
Washington, D. C. © 2003 Succession H. Matisse, Paris/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

68 CHAPTER 4 Line
 CHAPTER
4
Line
W hen you, as a child, first picked up a crayon, a line
might have been the first mark you made. You use
lines to write numbers, symbols, and the letters of the
alphabet. The lines on a map help you find the best route
from one place to another. You use lines to draw pictures.
Lines are everywhere.

In this chapter, you will:

Compare and contrast the use of line in artworks.

Identify the different kinds of lines and the ways
lines can vary in appearance.
Demonstrate how lines are used to change values.
Analyze the expressive qualities or meanings of
different lines in works of art.

Figure 4.1 was painted by

Henri Matisse (1869–1954)
in 1924. At this time, Matisse was well established in the European
art world. He experimented with different styles throughout his
long and varied career. Around the turn of the twentieth century,
Matisse and a group of young French artists were shown together
in a famous art exhibit. Their use of intense colors, bold designs, and
energetic brushwork inspired a critic to name them the Fauves, or
“Wild Beasts.” Notice how the energetic lines in Figure 4.1 dance
across the canvas and add decorative patterns to the fabrics and tree.

Compare and Contrast. This interior scene includes a still-life

arrangement on a table. Figure 4.13 on page 74, painted 50 years later,
also includes a still-life setup on a table. How are these works similar?
How are they different?

69
 LESSON 1
Vocabulary The Element of Line
line
dimension
outline
implied lines
L ines are everywhere. You can see lines in the grain of a piece of wood or
in the cracks on a sidewalk. Lines are used to create words, numbers, and
symbols. They are also used to create art. In drawing, line is an element of art
value that is the path of a moving point through space.
crosshatching

What Is Line?
Artists use line to lead your
eyes through a work of art. This is
because it takes movement to
make a line. When you see a line,
your eyes usually follow its move-
ment. Lines can lead your eyes
into, around, and out of visual
images, as in the painting in
Figure 4.2. Notice how the artist
uses the line of the highway to
pull your eyes into the artwork.
A line has width as well as
length, but usually the width of
a line is very small compared with
its length. In fact, a line is thought
of as being one-dimensional. Its
one dimension is length. Dimen-
sion means the amount of space an
object takes up in one direction. Two-
dimensional objects have height
as well as width. A painting is
two-dimensional. Three-dimen-
sional objects have height, width,
and depth. A sculpture is three-
dimensional. You will learn more
about dimensions in the next
chapter when you study shape,
 FIGURE 4.2 The artist has used the line of the highway to pull your eyes into form, and space.
and through this artwork. Compare and contrast the kinds of line the artist has Artists create lines in many
used in this painting. How do they convey movement and rhythm? ways. A line can be drawn on
Yvonne Jacquette. Town of Skowhegan, Maine V. 1988. Oil on canvas. 198.6
163 cm (78316
paper with a pencil or scratched
64316). Courtesy DC Moore Gallery, NYC.
into wet clay with a stick. Of
course, the world is full of lines

70 CHAPTER 4 Line
that were not drawn with a tool. Some
thin, solid objects look like lines. Exam-
ples are tree trunks, yarn, spiderwebs,
and wires (Figure 4.3). These items
look like lines because length is their
most important dimension.
Some lines that we think we see in
nature really do not exist. For instance,
when you look at the edges of shapes,
you think of lines. In the photo of the
dogwood blossom (Figure 4.4), notice
that there are no black lines around the
outside of each petal. However, in a
drawing of that same blossom in Figure
4.5, lines are used to show the edges of
each shape. A line that shows or creates the
outer edges of a shape is an outline.  FIGURE 4.3 What
Implied lines are a series of points that lines do you see around you?
the viewer’s eyes automatically connect.
Implied lines are suggested rather than
real lines. A series of dots or dashes, a
line of machine stitches, or a trail of wet
footprints can create an implied line. A
group of shapes arranged in a row can
also create an implied line. In Figure
4.6 on page 72, Abrasha has created a
Hanukkah menorah that holds nine
cone-shaped candles. The round tops of
the cones create an implied line that
leads your eyes across the top of the
menorah.

 FIGURE 4.4 What edges do you see?  FIGURE 4.5 Student work. How have the edges
on this picture been created?

LESSON 1 The Element of Line 71

  FIGURE 4.6 The artist
has used implied line to create
a sense of movement. How
many sets of nine shapes can
you find that create implied
lines? Describe the lines.
Abrasha. Hanukkah Menorah. 1995.
Fabricated stainless steel, silver,
and gold. 17.5
43.8
7.3 cm
(6 78
1714
2 78). Renwick
Gallery, National Museum of
American Art, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D.C.

Kinds of Lines
There are five basic kinds of lines:
vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved,
and zigzag.
Vertical lines (Figure 4.7) move
straight up and down—they do not lean
at all. A vertical line drawn on a piece of
paper is perpendicular to the bottom
edge of the paper. It is also perpendicular
to the horizon (the line where earth and  FIGURE 4.8 Horizontal lines lie parallel to
the horizon.
sky seem to meet). When you stand up
straight, your body forms a vertical line.

Diagonal lines (Figure 4.9) slant. Diag-

onals are somewhere between a vertical
and a horizontal line. Diagonals look as
if they are either rising or falling. Imag-
ine you are standing straight up; then,
with your body stiff, you fall to the floor.
At any point during your fall, your body
forms a diagonal line.

 FIGURE 4.7 Vertical lines move

straight up and down.

Horizontal lines (Figure 4.8) are

parallel to the horizon. They do not
slant. When you lie flat on the floor,
your body forms a horizontal line.  FIGURE 4.9 Diagonal lines slant.

72 CHAPTER 4 Line
 Zigzag lines (Figure 4.10) are made Line Variation
from a combination of diagonal lines.
The diagonals form angles and change Lines vary in appearance in five
direction suddenly. major ways:

 Length. Lines can be long or short.

 Width. Lines can be thick or thin.

 FIGURE 4.10 Zigzag lines

are combinations of diagonals.

Curved lines (Figure 4.11) change

 Texture. Lines can be rough or
direction gradually. When you draw
wiggly lines, you are putting together a smooth.
series of curves. Other kinds of curved
lines form spirals and circles.

 Direction. Lines can move in any

direction, such as vertical, horizontal,
or diagonal.

 FIGURE 4.11 Curved lines change

direction gradually.

Analyzing Lines
 Degree of curve. Lines can curve
in Artworks
gradually or not at all, become wavy,
or form spirals.
Applying Your Skills. Select and ana-
lyze one of the following paintings from
this chapter: Figure 4.1, 4.12, 4.16, 4.18,
or 4.19. Diagram the lines of the painting.
Use green for verticals, blue for horizon-
tals, red for diagonals, and violet for
curves. Place your diagram on display.
Can your classmates identify the painting
you represented by looking at the colors? These five variations can be combined
in many, many ways. You can make
Computer Option. Use the Line tool
long, wide lines; rough, short lines; and
to create a series of drawings to illustrate
smooth, curved lines.
each of the five line types. Vary the widths
and lengths of your lines. You may also
choose to vary patterns and colors. Label
each drawing’s line type.

LESSON 1 The Element of Line 73

  FIGURE 4.12 When Rouault was a
boy he was apprenticed to a maker of stained
glass. The thick black lines surrounding bright
colors in his paintings remind the viewer of
stained-glass windows.
Georges Rouault. The Italian Woman.1938. Oil on
panel. 79.4
63 cm (3114
241316), Dallas Museum
of Art, Dallas, Texas. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Vladimir
Horowitz. © 2003 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New
York/ADAGP, Paris.

The media, tools, and surfaces used

to make lines affect the way a line looks.
As with the combination of various line
types, a multitude of possible effects can
be created. Some common materials
used by artists to make lines are
graphite, chalk, crayon, ink, and paint.
The mate-rial is applied by using a tool.
Some tools used for making lines
include pencils, markers, pens, brushes,
and scissors.
Artists use different tools and materi-
als to create different types of lines. For
example, a line drawn with chalk on a
chalkboard looks smoother than a line
drawn with chalk on a sidewalk. Some
artists have discovered very unusual
ways of using line, as shown in Figures
4.12 and 4.13. In Figure 4.14, the artist
has used many line types and variations.

 FIGURE 4.13 Although this painting is called a

still life, it seems to have movement and activity. This is
because of the artist’s use of line. How many different
line directions and line variations can you find in this
painting? Describe them.
Alice Neel. Still Life, Rose of Sharon. 1973. Oil on canvas. 101.6

76.2 cm (40
30). Collection of the Whitney Museum of
American Art, New York, New York. Arthur M. Bullowa Bequest.

74 CHAPTER 4 Line
 O O K ING Line Types and Variations
L LY
CLOSE

In this painting, the

artist has used five differ-
ent kinds of line and
many line variations. Can
you find other examples
of line and line variation
combinations?

FIGURE 4.14
Dan Namingha. Blessing Rain Chant.
1992. Acrylic on canvas. 198

304.8 cm (78
120"). Niman Fine
Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Line and Value reflects little light. It has a light value if

Value is the element of art that describes it reflects a lot of light. Every time you
the darkness or lightness of an object. Value make a pencil mark on a piece of white
depends on how much light a surface paper, you are creating a line with a
reflects. A surface has a dark value if it certain value. The harder you press, the

LESSON 1 The Element of Line 75

 darker the value. A series of closely pencil (2B, 4B) makes a wide, dark line.
placed lines can create areas of dark A hard pencil (2H, 4H) makes a thin,
value. The lines may be parallel or they gray line. A crayon stroked over a rough
may cross one another. Crosshatching surface makes a broken line. A crayon
is the technique of using crossed lines for stroked over smooth paper makes a
shading. solid line.
The values that line groups create Look at the Dürer drawing in Figure
depend on four factors: the number of 4.15. Use a magnifying glass to study
lines, the size of the spaces between the the way Dürer has used line combina-
lines, the media, and the tools. A soft tions to create dark and light values.

Using Line to
Create Value

Demonstrating Effective Use of Art

Media and Tools in Drawing. Fold a
sheet of white drawing paper into nine
squares. In each square use a different
combination of parallel or crosshatched
lines to create a different value. Try a vari-
ety of pencils, from hard 2H to soft 4B
lead. Try quill pens, ballpoint pens, and felt-
tip pens. Think of some other tools and
materials to use.
Computer Option. Use the Line tool to
draw three diagonal lines (that are not
parallel) from screen edge to screen edge.
This will divide your screen into six or
seven sections. Fill each section with lines.
Vary the spacing of the lines by placing
them close together in one section and
farther apart in another. Lines can be
crosshatched. You can choose the Pat-
terns palette and fill the sections by using
the Fill Bucket tool, or create your own
patterns. Use only black and white. Notice
that the value of the area darkens as lines
are placed close together and lightens
when lines are farther apart.

Check Your
Understanding
1. How is line defined in drawing?
 FIGURE 4.15 The artist has used line to create this drawing. Identify the
areas where the artist has used crosshatching to indicate shading. What kinds
2. What are the five basic kinds of
of line variation has Dürer used? lines?
Albrecht Dürer. An Oriental Ruler Seated on His Throne. c. 1495. Pen and black ink. 30.6
3. Compare and contrast five ways that
19.7 cm (12
734). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. © 1998 Board of Trustees. lines vary in appearance in artworks.
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund.
4. Describe the crosshatching
technique.

76 CHAPTER 4 Line
 LESSON 2
The Expressive Qualities
of Line Vocabulary
contour line
gesture
D epending on its direction, a line can express different ideas or feelings.
This is why line is an important element in the language of art. Vertical
lines can make certain objects look taller. For example, vertical lines on wall-
calligraphy

paper can make low ceilings seem higher. Clothing designers use vertical
lines to make short people look taller and heavy people look thinner.

Line Movement
Vertical lines are static, or inactive. They appear to be at rest. For this rea-
son, they express stability. Artists use them to show dignity, poise, stiffness,
and formality, as in Figure 4.14 on page 75.
Horizontal lines are also static. They express feelings of peace, rest, quiet,
and stability, as in Figure 4.16. They give a feeling of permanence or solidar-
ity. Because we stand on solid horizontal ground, horizontal lines make us
feel content, relaxed, and calm.

 FIGURE 4.16 Strong horizontal lines—such as the bands of black clouds, the horizon, and the railroad tracks—
create a feeling of calm in this sunset scene. How do the verticals in this scene affect the meaning of the work?
Edward Hopper. Railroad Sunset. 1929. Oil on canvas. 71.8
121.3 cm (28 14
47 34). Collection of the Whitney Museum of American
Art, New York, New York. Josephine N. Hopper Bequest.

LESSON 2 The Expressive Qualities of Line 77

 Because curved lines change direc-
tion, they express activity. How much
activity they express depends on the
type and direction of the curve. The less
active the curve, the calmer the feeling.
Spiral curves wind around a central
point. They are hypnotic and draw the
eye to their center. Curved lines are
often used in decorative arts to suggest
a feeling of luxury, as in Figure 4.17.
Diagonal lines express instability, ten-
sion, activity, and excitement, as shown
in Figure 4.18. Since they can appear
to be either falling or rising, they some-
times make a viewer feel uncomfort-
able. Artists use them to add tension or
to create an exciting mood. However,
when two diagonals meet and seem to
support each other, as in the roof of a
 FIGURE 4.17 Notice the many different kinds
house, they appear more stable.
of curves the artist used to create this luxurious gate-
way. Identify any straight lines. Follow them through Zigzag lines create confusion. They
the work. Do they stay straight? Can you think of are extremely active and may evoke
adjectives to describe the many types of curves used
in the artwork?
feelings of excitement (Figure 4.19,
page 80) and nervousness. The degree
Albert Raymond Paley. Portal Gates. 1974. Forged steel, brass,
copper, and bronze. 230.5
182.9
10.2 cm (9034
72
4). of intensity is indicated by the direction
Renwick Gallery, The National Museum of American Art,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. of the zigzag. Zigzags that move hori-
zontally, such as those across the top of
a picket fence, are less active than the
irregular zigzags of a streak of lightning.

Using Imagination to Draw

Lines Expressively

Applying Your Skills. Choose two Choose the medium you think will work
words from the following list: best. When you are finished, write the
swimming burning praying words on the back of each paper. Ask your
rocking flowing jumping classmates to look at the lines and guess
marching running growing which words you have illustrated.
dancing crawling laughing
Computer Option. Use the Line tool to
wagging writing flying
make two drawings using lines. Let one
On separate sheets of paper, illustrate
drawing illustrate quiet, calm piano music,
the words you have chosen by using line
and let the other illustrate loud rock music.
movement only. Do not draw objects.

78 CHAPTER 4 Line
 FIGURE 4.18 In this painting, every line that should be static is diagonal. Look at the window, the lamp, the rug,
the floor planks, and the fiddler’s bench. The diagonal lines fill the work with a sense of excitement. Not only the people
but also every corner of the room seems to be alive and dancing to the music of the fiddler.
Thomas Hart Benton. Country Dance. 1929. Oil on gessoed canvas. 76.2
63.5 cm (30
25). Private collection. © T. H. Benton and R. P.
Benton Testamentary Trusts/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

LESSON 2 The Expressive Qualities of Line 79

MEET THE Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1917. When he was
ARTIST 12, his family moved to Harlem in New York City. The move would have a great
JACOB impact on his growth as an artist.
LAWRENCE The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s had attracted many talented minority
artists from all over the world, and many still remained in Harlem during the
1930s. These artists served as Lawrence’s inspiration.
Lawrence sought every opportunity he could to learn about art. He listened to
the Harlem artists as they talked in their studios. The 135th Street Public Library,
which he visited often, always had pieces of African sculpture on display. His
many trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art gave him a strong background in
art history.
Lawrence became fascinated with black history and its heroic figures. He took
as his subjects such important people as Toussaint L’Ouverture, Harriet Tubman,
and Frederick Douglass. Lawrence often found he could not express all he
wanted to say in just a single picture. Therefore, he often made series of paint-
American, 1917–2000 ings to tell the whole story. In this way, he used his art to convey his ideas about
the heritage of African Americans.

 FIGURE 4.19 The artist has used line to show the movement of the children. Look at their arms, legs, and feet.
What kinds of lines do you see? How has Lawrence used line to create a feeling of movement and excitement?
Jacob Lawrence. Children at Play. 1947. Tempera on Masonite panel. 50.8
60.9 cm (20
24). Georgia Museum of Art, University of
Georgia, Athens, Georgia. Eva Underhill Holbrook Memorial Collection of American Art, Gift of Alfred H. Holbrook.

80 CHAPTER 4 Line
Contour Drawing
A contour line defines the edges and
surface ridges of an object. A contour line
also creates a boundary separating one
area from another. Learning how to
contour draw will add to your drawing
skills as well as to your ability to observe
and understand objects. See the exam-
ples in Figure 4.20 and Figure 4.21.
When drawing contours, let your
eyes follow the contour of the object
you are drawing. Move your pencil at
the same speed as your eyes. Do not
lift the pencil from the paper. The line
should be continuous. Draw the line
slowly and with care. Concentrate in
order to draw accurately. See Technique
Tip 1 on page 428 in the Handbook for
help in making contour drawings.
 FIGURE 4.20 Andrews has used a contour line to
draw a memory of his past. His mother insisted that the
children dress up for Sunday church services. How does
he use line to emphasize the ill-fitting clothes?
Benny Andrews. Mom and Us. 1972. Pen and ink drawing.
45.7
30.5 cm (18
12). Collection of the artist.

FIGURE 4.21 Student work. Notice how

the line flows through this hospital scene. Look
at the difference between the busy zigzag lines
that describe the wrinkles in the sheet and the
few lines that define the person’s face.

Contour Line
Drawings

Creating Visual Solutions Using Computer Option. Sit at your com-

Direct Observation. Set up a group of puter, turn sideways, and look down. Use
three shoes in an interesting, overlapping the Line tool to draw your feet, legs, and
composition. Arrange them at different free hand. You may start at the feet and
angles so you can observe them side- work your way up toward your lap, or
ways, head-on, from the top, and from the vice versa. Use the mouse just as you
back. Use a black marker to do a contour would use a pencil. Be sure to start your
line drawing of all the shoes. Use only drawing near the edge of your screen so
line. Do not color or shade the drawing. you will have room for the entire picture.
Use line to add details such as laces,
stitches, patches, and holes.

LESSON 2 The Expressive Qualities of Line 81

 FIGURE 4.22
Andrews captures Gesture Drawing
the excitement of
the jazz sounds of A gesture is an expressive movement.
Thelonious Monk The purpose of drawing gestures is to
with gesture lines.
Compare and
capture the feeling of motion. A gesture
contrast Andrews’s drawing uses very little detail. (See
use of line in this Figures 4.22 and 4.23).
work to the lines
in Figure 4.20. Lines showing gestures are drawn
Benny Andrews.
quickly. They should be sketched freely
Thelonious at The Five and loosely—even recklessly—in order
Spot. 1958. Pen and
ink drawing. 27.3
to capture movement. (See Technique
20.6 (1034
818).
Collection of the artist. Tip 2 on page 428 in the Handbook.)
Unlike contours, they represent the
interior of an object. Your gesture draw-
ings may look like scribbles at first, but
this is acceptable. Concentrate on show-
ing position and movement.

 FIGURE 4.23 Creating Gesture

The artist used
a brush and paint Drawings
to create this
gesture oil sketch.
Compare and Creating Visual Solutions Using
contrast the use of Direct Observation. Make a series of
line in this sketch gesture drawings. Classmates should take
with Figure 4.22.
Describe the turns posing for one another. Start with
similarities and thirty-second poses. Shorten the time by
differences
between the two five seconds for each pose until the pose is
works of art. Does held for only ten seconds. Have the model
this painting have twist, turn, bend, and kick, trying to avoid
more detail?
doing the same thing twice.
Audrey Flack.
Self-Portrait: The
Memory. 1958.
Computer Option. Choose a round,
Oil on canvas. 127
medium-size Brush or Pencil tool. Sit at
86.4 cm (50
34).
Miami University Art the computer station, turn sideways, and
Museum, Oxford,
Ohio. Gift of the artist. look at other students who are modeling
for gesture drawing. They will be changing
positions every 20 or 30 seconds. Try to
capture the feeling of motion, not detail.
Change color each time the model
changes positions. Some of your drawings
will overlap.

82 CHAPTER 4 Line
Calligraphic Drawing
The word calligraphy means beauti-
ful handwriting. Calligraphy is often
associated with Asian writing and art.
In China and Japan, calligraphy is used
to form characters that represent the lan-
guage. However, characters are more
than just a letter of the alphabet. They
are like pictures. They can represent an
idea, an object, or a verbal sound. The
Chinese and Japanese use the same
types of calligraphic lines and brush-
strokes in their paintings (Figure 4.24).
In fact, in the Chinese language, the
words writing and painting are repre-
sented by the same character.
Calligraphic lines are usually made
with brushstrokes that change from
thin to thick in one stroke. To make a
very thin line, use the tip of the brush.
As you press on the brush and more of
it touches the paper, the line becomes
wider. (See Technique Tip 3 on page
428 in the Handbook.)

Calligraphic  FIGURE 4.24 The long, flowing leaves of the orchid plant in the
left corner of the painting are made with one flowing brushstroke.
Lines Where do you see other objects made with a single brushstroke?
Shitao. Qing Dynasty. c. 1700. Orchids, Bamboo, and Rock. Hanging scroll. Ink on
Applying Your Skills. Practice making paper. 72.4
51.1 cm (281⁄2
201⁄8). Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Arthur M. Sackler,S1987.206.
calligraphic lines with ink or watercolor
paint. Use round, pointed brushes, both
thin and thick. Also, try bamboo brushes.
Next, use a watercolor brush and ink or
watercolor paint to make a series of five Check Your
calligraphic studies of one natural object, Understanding
such as a leaf or a vegetable. 1. Select and analyze artworks in this
Computer Option. Research either lesson to form a conclusion about
Egyptian hieroglyphics or Southwestern the meanings of vertical and hori-
pictographs to gain information about zontal lines.
“picture writing.” Create your own pic- 2. How are contour drawings and ges-
ture writing by making up symbols. Use ture drawings different?
any computer tools and options available. 3. What type of artwork is often associ-
Remember that the Cut and Paste ated with calligraphy?
options are helpful when you want to
repeat a symbol without redrawing it.

LESSON 2 The Expressive Qualities of Line 83

STUDIO
PROJECT Wire Jewelry
4–1
Historical and Cultural
Context
Iris Sandkühler is a San Francisco-
based artist. The necklace in Figure 4.25
is an example of Sandkühler’s fine
craftsmanship. Silver wires form an
intricate net around hanging beads of
colored glass and a rich, green mineral
known as malachite.
Sandkühler was born in Bingen, West
Germany, in 1958. Her family immi-
grated to Maine when she was seven
years old. As a young adult, she
attended Ohio State University. After
obtaining a bachelor’s degree in sculp-
ture and glass, she went on to earn a
master’s degree in mixed media drawing
and painting. After graduation, she
 FIGURE 4.25
honed her jewelry skills at the Jewelry
Iris Sandkühler. Viking Net Chain Necklace. 2001. Silver wire, malachite, and glass.
43.2 cm (17) long. Private collection.
Arts Institute in New York City. Her
unique jewelry has been exhibited in
Berlin, Tokyo, and in galleries through-
out the United States.
SUPPLIES Notice how the loops and lines of
wire in the Viking Net Chain Necklace
Assortment of wire: steel, copper, brass, and
color-coated wires of various gauges
create implied lines. These lines lead
the viewer’s eyes across the necklace.
Needle-nose jewelry pliers and wire cutters The hanging glass forms also create an
Hammer and anvil block implied line that moves the eye rhyth-
mically across the strand.
Sketchbook and pencils

Jewelry findings: ear wires, pin backs, watch cord, etc.

Jewelry files (half-round needle files)

What You Will Learn
You will design and create a design for
Steel wool and/or emery paper
a practical application—a wearable piece
Brass and copper cleaner (optional) of wire jewelry such as a pin, pendant,
necklace, ring, hair ornament, bracelet,
or pair of earrings. The wire may be
bent, twisted, looped, and so on. How-
ever, only these “cold connections” are
allowed—no solder or glue. You will be

84 CHAPTER 4 Line
working with line in space. Your design
may be nonobjective or represent an Evaluating Your Work
object, person, place, or thing.
 DESCRIBE What wire-forming techniques
(wrapping, weaving, linking, forging, and so
Creating on) did you use in the creation of this object?
Practice shaping a length of steel wire If fasteners or jewelry findings were neces-
with a pair of pliers. What can you do sary, are they a part of the design? Is your
with the wire? Try spiraling, coiling piece representational or nonobjective? If it
around a pencil, and flattening (forging) is representational, what object, animal, or
the wire with a hammer on an anvil person did you use in your design?
block. An anvil is a flat-topped block of
iron. Experiment with techniques for  ANALYZE Compare and contrast the differ-
connecting wire pieces by twisting, ent kinds of lines you used in your design.
weaving, wrapping, and linking. List them. How was working with line in
After experimenting, sketch a series three dimensions different from making the
of five to ten line drawings of the type drawings in your sketchbook?
of object you wish to create, using the
 INTERPRET What is the function of your
skills you were able to master during
wire jewelry? Interpret your artistic deci-
your practice session. Take into consid-
sions. What idea, feeling, or mood does your
eration any findings, or fasteners, that
work convey to the viewer?
are necessary.
 JUDGE Is your piece of jewelry aesthetically
Step 1 Make a practice model in
successful? Which of the three aesthetic the-
steel wire of your best design. Planning
ories would you use to judge your work? Is it
is the key to success. Solve all the prob-
a practical piece of jewelry? Is it comfortable
lems that present themselves before
to wear? Is it too heavy? Does any of the
beginning with the more expensive
wire scratch skin or snag fabric?
wires. For example, a fastener may need
to be fashioned as part of the design for
a necklace or bracelet.

Step 2 Carefully work with the

pliers on the brass, copper, and color-
coated wires, as these metals are softer
and will scratch and scar more easily
than the steel. All the scratches made
during the construction will need to be
removed with steel wool or emery
paper to complete the project. Good
craftsmanship, the care with which an
object is completed, is an essential part
of the finished project.

Step 3 Complete the project by

sanding away any stains or scratches,
rounding sharp ends with a file, and  FIGURE 4.25A
attaching findings such as ear wires, pin Student work.
backs, and clasps.

STUDIO PROJECT Wire Jewelry 85

STUDIO
PROJECT Nature Tapestry
4–2
Historical and Cultural
Context
The wool and cotton tapestry in
Figure 4.26 is by Josep Royo, who was
born in Spain in 1945. The work is based
on—and is a tribute to—a painting by
another Spanish artist and personal
friend, Joan Miró. Miró was influenced
by many different twentieth-century art
styles. One style reflected in this work is
Cubism. Cubism was an approach to art
in which natural forms were broken
down and reorganized to present a
unique perspective. Notice the title of
the tapestry in Figure 4.26. Can you find
the outline of the woman in this abstract
work? How many different shapes has

FIGURE 4.26
the artist used in reassembling this fig-
ure? How many colors has he used?
Josep Royo. Woman (after
Joan Miró). 1977. Wool
and cotton tapestry. 10.5

6 m (34’ 7”
19’ 10”).
National Gallery of Art,
What You Will Learn
Washington, D.C. Gift of
Collectors Committee and You will design and weave a small
George L. Erion.
tapestry using a cardboard loom. Your
work will be an abstraction of an object
SUPPLIES from nature. You will begin by drawing
Natural objects: flowers, shells, seedpods, plants,
the contour of one object. You will then
feathers, and so on divide the shape into an assortment of
geometric and free-form shapes. You
Sheets of 6
8" paper
will create visual movement by using
Pencils and markers or crayons different colors for the resulting internal
Cardboard for loom, at least 8
14"
areas.

Ruler and scissors

A variety of fibers: yarns, embroidery floss,

Creating
textured yarns, metallic thread, raffia, and so on Collect and bring to class natural
Two 1
8" strips of mat board
objects that have interesting lines and
shapes, such as flowers, shells, feathers,
Stitchery needle with large eye and so on. Focus on the contour of each
object. Choose one to draw.

86 CHAPTER 4 Line
 Step 1 Using direct observation,
make a contour drawing of your object. Evaluating Your Work
Divide the inner space of the object into
geometric or free-form shapes of differ-  DESCRIBE Tell what object you chose as
ent sizes, as in Figure 4.26A. Make the basis for your tapestry. Explain how
several such pencil drawings. you made your loom and prepared it for
weaving.
Step 2 Select your best drawing.
Transfer it, using a marker or crayon, to  ANALYZE Compare and contrast your use
a sheet of 6
8-inch paper. Choose a of lines and color. What type of lines did
color scheme that will lead the viewer’s you use to divide the shapes? What colors
eye around your object. Each shape did you choose? Did you vary the values of
should have a single color. You may colors placed side by side?
repeat a color, but no shape should have
 INTERPRET Give your tapestry a title that
the same color as its neighboring
sums up what you think it expresses. Be
shapes.
prepared to justify why you have given it
Step 3 Make your loom. (See Tech- this title.
nique Tips, pages 437–438.) Tape your
 JUDGE Were you successful in completing
completed design on the cardboard
a tapestry that matched your original design?
under the warp (vertical) threads, leav-
Which aesthetic theory would you use to
ing 21/2 inches at the bottom. Use a strip
judge your work? Explain.
of mat board as a header at the bottom
of the loom by weaving a tabby pattern
(see page 438) starting over/under.
Weave a second mat board strip, starting
under/over, above the first one, creating
a straight edge to begin.
Step 4 Weave 1/4 inch of plain tabby
up to the design, using a color that will
match the bottom of the design. Begin
weaving the tapestry. Follow your
design. Keep the outside finished edges
straight by not pulling the weft (hori-
zontal threads) tight. Do not stop or
start new threads on the side edges. As
you change yarns, leave 11/2 inches of
thread. When you are finished, use a
stitchery needle to pull the thread tails
through the weft along a warp thread.
Step 5 When the tapestry is com-
plete, cut the warp threads and tie every
 FIGURE 4.26A
two warp threads together securely by
using an overhand knot. Pull the knots Student work.

together close to the weaving.

STUDIO PROJECT Nature Tapestry 87

STUDIO Digital Image
PROJECT
4–3
Using Line
Historical and Cultural
Context
The painting in Figure 4.27 is by
twentieth-century Uruguayan-born
Spanish painter Joaquin Torres-Garcia.
Torres-Garcia spent 40 years living in
the United States and Europe before
returning to Uruguay in 1934. This
painting makes use of a style of art the
artist termed Constructive Universalism. In
it, a grid system is used for arranging
symbols into compositions. Examine the
painting, taking note of the vertical and
horizontal lines. What symbols do you
see? Do you think the lines symbolize
 FIGURE 4.27 anything? What do the diagonal and
Joaquin Torres-Garcia. New York City: Bird’s Eye View. 1920. Gouache and
curved lines express?
watercolor on board. 33.6
48.6 cm (1314
1918). Yale University Art
Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut. Gift of Collection Société Anonyme.
© 2003 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VEGAP, Madrid.
What You Will Learn
In this lesson, you will create a digital
SUPPLIES
image that emphasizes the expressive
Sketchbook and pencils qualities of a particular line. You will
Digital or conventional camera begin by taking a photograph in which
a single type of line dominates. The line
Scanner (optional)
may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal,
Computer equipped with advanced paint or or curved. Using computer painting
photo-editing software tools, you will emphasize the expressive
Printer qualities of this line by altering its color,
value, texture and/or width.
Photo quality paper (optional)

88 CHAPTER 4 Line
Creating Evaluating Your Work
Review Lesson 2 briefly. Look around
your environment for examples of lines  DESCRIBE What subject did you choose for
that express a specific feeling or emo- your photograph? What type of camera did
tion. You might select the delicate you use to take the photograph?
curves on the petals of a flower or the
graceful ripples on the surface of a  ANALYZE Compare and contrast your use
pond. Make sketches of these and simi- of line and emphasis. What type of line is
lar observations. Emphasize the line or emphasized in your photograph? What
lines that dominate. changes to these lines did you make?

 INTERPRET Were the lines in your photo-

Step 1 Take several digital pho-
tographs of settings similar to those graph adequately expressive? What feelings
described above. If a digital camera is or emotions do they express? How did you
not available, use a regular camera. emphasize them? Give your digital image a
Scan your images into the computer. title.

 JUDGE Were you successful in creating the

Step 2 Import your digital images,
and view them. Select the one in which feeling or emotion you wanted to empha-
the lines are most evident and expres- size? What would you do differently if you
sive. Note: Be sure to save or convert this were to redo this assignment? Which of the
file in a format that will permit it to three aesthetic theories would be best to
open in your computer’s paint or photo- judge your finished image?
editing application.

Step 3 Open the file. Crop any

unnecessary edges or images that will
detract from the expressive nature of
the lines being emphasized.

Step 4 Use the Line Properties

menu or tool to experiment with chang-
ing the color, value, texture and/or
width of the line or lines. You may also
select filters such as Emboss, as in the
student artwork shown on this page. If a
Preview feature exists in the software,
use it to examine and calibrate the
effect. (Usually, this is done by means of
a slider indicating percentages.) Other-
wise, simply use the Undo command to
eliminate undesirable effects.

Step 5 When you are satisfied with

the results, print a copy of your work.
 FIGURE 4.27A
Student work.

DIGITAL STUDIO PROJECT Digital Image Using Line 89

STUDENT
ART
PORTFOLIO
Line
As you have discovered in this chapter, there are many
types and uses of line in art. Examine the student artworks
on these pages to:
Compare and contrast the use of line. How do the lines lead your eyes
into, around, and out of the visual images?
Select and analyze what media were used and how your peers created
lines with these media.

Activity 4.28 Implied line. This artist has used implied

line to lead your eyes to the central form in the weaving.
What shape is this form? Identify the implied line.

Activity 4.29 Line movement. Compare

the watercolor in Figure 4.29 to Figure 4.18
on page 79. Describe the similarities between
the uses of line movement in both works.

 FIGURE 4.28

Student work. Untitled. Tapestry weaving made from

fiber and embroidery floss.

 FIGURE 4.29

Student work. Untitled. Watercolor, pen and ink on paper.

90 CHAPTER 4 Line
 Activity 4.30 Line and pattern.
Crisscrossed lines have been used
to create a pattern in this artwork.
Compare and contrast the use of
line and pattern in this work with
another work on these pages.

 FIGURE 4.30

Student work. Sweet Kisses. Acrylic on canvas.

Activity 4.31 Interpreting line.

The artist has included horizontal
lines of text in this illustration.
Identify other kinds of lines. Then
interpret what idea or feeling the
lines express.

 FIGURE 4.31

Student work. Altered Expressions.

Watercolor, pen and ink on paper.

ART To view more student artworks,

visit the Glencoe Student Art
Gallery at art.glencoe.com.

For Your Portfolio

A visual journal can be
Evaluate Personal Artworks. As you add to your
used to record your
portfolio, include artworks that demonstrate use of
explorations and obser-
the elements of art. Each entry in your portfolio
vations. As you study line,
should be marked clearly for identification. Make sure
take notes and create
each piece includes your name and the date you com-
sketches. For example,
pleted the artwork. Any notes about the artistic deci-
you may wish to record
sions you made are valuable and should be kept with
the various kinds of line
your artwork. Make it a point to use the names of the
you see as you ride in a
elements of art as you write about your artwork.
car or on the bus.

STUDENT ART PORTFOLIO Line 91

  FIGURE 4.32

Utagawa (Andō) Hiroshige. Plum Garden at Kameido (Kameido Umeyashiki) from One Hundred Views of Edo,
View 30. 1857. Woodblock print. 33.9
22.5 cm (1313
878). Gift of James A. Michener, 1991.
Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii.

92 CHAPTER 4 Line
Critiquing the Artwork Andō Hiroshige
1797–1858
1 DESCRIBE What do you see?
Read the credit line.
What media have been used to create this work of art?
List everything you see in this work. To organize your
thoughts, start with the objects that are closest to you
and gradually work your way to the background.

2 ANALYZE How is this work organized?

This step deals with the composition or formal
qualities of the work. This is a clue-collecting step
about the elements of art.
Compare and contrast the different kinds of line
(vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, and zigzag) in
this work. List at least one location for each line type
you identify.
Utagawa Kunisada. Memorial Portrait of
Andō Hiroshige. 1858. Woodblock print.
Do you see any line variations—such as length, width,
and texture—in this work? List at least one location for
each variation you identify.
Andō Hiroshige was born in
Form a conclusion about which type of line dominates. Edo (present-day Tokyo). When
Hiroshige was orphaned at the
3 INTERPRET What message does this artwork
age of 13, he inherited his father’s
communicate to you?
position in the Edo fire brigade.
Now, you will combine the clues you have collected
For many years, he studied paint-
and your personal ideas to form a creative interpreta-
tion of the work. ing and held the fireman position.
In 1812, he took his teacher’s
Why are the people so small? Why do you think they
name, Utagawa, which was a sign
are separated from some of the trees by a fence?
of graduation.
Analyze the meaning of this work. What does this
Hiroshige combined tradi-
work say about the relationship between people and
tional Japanese techniques with
nature?
Western perspective techniques
Write a brief paragraph or a poem that expresses the to create naturalistic landscapes.
message you believe this print communicates.
His masterful scenes of nature
4 JUDGE What do you think of the work?
are inhabited by people in har-
mony with their surroundings.
Now, it is time to decide whether this is a successful
work of art. Hiroshige’s poetic, gentle prints
appealed to everyday people who
What is your reaction to this work? Did it make you
easily appreciated his message.
think?
Do you think it is successful? Why or why not? Use
one or more of the aesthetic theories of art explained
in Chapter 2 to defend your judgment.

Art Criticism in Action 93

What’s My Line?
Artist Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) was famous for his line
drawings and caricatures of famous people. In a TIME
interview, he discussed his career and work habits.
Q. How old were you when you realized you
could draw?
A. I don’t remember doing anything else. I can’t do
anything else. That’s one of my limitations.
Q. Why did you move toward drawing rather
than becoming a painter, for example?
A. I started out as a sculptor,
actually. And I found that it was
impossible to make a living. So I
became a painter and went to Paris.
Q. What turned you away from
painting?
A. Line. I discovered line, and I fell in love
with it. I still find it fascinating how a line can
communicate. It expresses everything that
I want.
Q. How would you describe your work habits?
A. I work seven days a week until around 5:00 P.M.
Q. Does drawing ever feel like work to you?
A. No, it’s a luxury. Work is something you don’t
like to do.

TIME to Connect
Artists capture and express physical characteristics ABOVE: Elvis Presley
in his blue suede
through drawing. Writers do the same with words. shoes.
Choose a personality from the world of music, TV, TOP: Al Hirschfeld,
sports, or film. Analyze photos of the person. self-portrait at
age 99.
• Draft a descriptive paragraph so that a reader is
able to “see” the person you are writing about.
• Edit your writing. Try to improve the wording
and refine your style.
© 2001 Al Hirschfeld. Drawings
• Share your work with the class. Does your reproduced by special arrangement with
Hirschfeld’s exclusive representative,
paragraph enable your classmates to The Margo Feiden Galleries Ltd., New York.
www.alhirschfeld.com
picture the personality?

94 CHAPTER 4 Line
 CHAPTER
4 REVIEW
Building Vocabulary Thinking Critically About Art
On a separate sheet of paper, write the term 16. Analyze. Study Figure 4.1 (page 68) Fig-
that best matches each definition given below. ure 4.14 (page 75), and Figure 4.19 (page
1. An element of art that is the path of a 80). What is the common thread that links
moving point through space. the three works?
2. The amount of space an object takes up in 17. Compare and Contrast. In what ways
one direction. are Figure 4.20 (page 81) and Figure 4.22
3. A line that shows or creates the outer (page 82) similar? In what ways are they
edges of a shape. different? Consider the element of line and
4. A series of points that the viewer’s eyes the subject matter in your comparison.
automatically connect. 18. Historical/Cultural Heritage. Review
5. The element of art that describes the dark- the Meet the Artist feature on page 80.
ness or lightness of an object. Identify themes from Jacob Lawrence’s cul-
6. The technique of using crossed lines for tural heritage shown in Figure 4.19.
shading.
7. A line that defines the edges and surface
ART
Most fine artists use
ridges of an object. line to create their
8. An expressive movement. artworks. Fine artists
9. A term meaning beautiful handwriting. range from sculptors
to painters to installation artists. Visit
Reviewing Art Facts art.glencoe.com to compare and contrast
this art career with other career opportunities.
Answer the following questions using com-
plete sentences.
10. Give an example of an implied line.
11. How does a two-dimensional object differ Linking to the
from a three-dimensional object? Performing Arts
12. Compare and contrast the five basic kinds Explore the use of line in
of lines. dance as shown in the perfor-
13. Name five major ways in which lines mance of “Danza de la Reata”
can vary. by Ballet Folklorico de Mexico in the
14. What are the four factors that affect the Performing Arts Handbook on page 416.
value of a group of lines? One example of the element of line is the
use of the lariat, or lasso, during the perfor-
15. Name the kind of line that conveys insta-
mance. Identify other examples.
bility, tension, and action.

Chapter 4 Review 95