CHAPTER 4

MARK MAKING AND CONTOURS

A finished drawing contains hundreds, if not thousands, of individual lines and marks. Even though each line is a very small part of a larger whole, each individual stroke has the power to evoke emotion, convey tactile information, or communicate a sense of depth and volume. How you make your lines and marks says just as much about you as an artist as what you choose to draw. In this chapter we will explore the power of lines and marks and how they communicate with viewers.

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When we view drawings up close, mark making takes on a life its own. The lines and marks look like works of abstract, expressionist art. Even though these lines appear abstract, they still communicate with viewers. Every line has a set of qualities or characteristics that can evoke ideas and emotions in the viewer. Soft and subtle lines can bring a sense of calm. Dark, hard, and angular lines can create a sense of tension and even hostility. Quickly drawn calligraphic lines can evoke a sense of joy and excitement.

Line quality is similar to tone of voice. When we speak, how we say something is just as important as what we say. When we draw, how we make lines and marks is just as important as what we draw. All too often aspiring artists draw boring, uniform lines that sit idly on the page. Instead, we want to take full advantage of the possibilities of mark making by varying our line quality as often as we can.

Drawing with a uniformly thick, dark line is like speaking in a monotone voice. Instead, we want our lines to look the way an expressive voice sounds. We want moments that are visually quiet and others that appear loud. We want our lines to appear soft when appropriate and at other times harsh or aggressive. We want our lines to communicate with viewers with a sense of drama.

Each line has a minimum of two functions. The first function is to help describe the objective form of our subject. The second is to communicate something about our subject. This can range from an emotion to a tactile sensation.

Our lines communicate with a viewer whether we intend them to or not. Let me give you an example. Beginners commonly draw outlines of their subject by tiptoeing around the edge with their pencil, making short, stubby strokes, each one overlapping the one preceding it. This kind of line communicates timidness to the viewer and ignores the unique characteristics of the subject. These kinds of lines tell the viewer that the artist is scared of messing up and is clinging to the edge of the subject for dear life.

Compare this to a line drawn quickly that changes from hard and dark to light and soft. This kind of line soars over and through the subject, communicating confidence and freedom. It can also describe the tactile qualities of a subject.

Before we explore how lines communicate information, let’s first explore what a line is.

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For the purposes of drawing, we will define a line as any path the eye can follow. This means a line can be continuous or it can be broken. For example, a dotted line provides a clear path for the eye to follow even though it is made up of separate dots.

Lines can come in many variations. Here are the primary types of line variations we can use when drawing.

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Short/Long

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Dark/Light

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Thin/Thick

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Hard/Soft

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Straight/Curved

These different types of lines can be combined in an infinite number of ways. Even a single stroke can change as it moves across the paper. Before we learn to communicate with lines and marks, we first need to explore mark making on its own.

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