assignment line drawing

The 7 Elements of Art

Introduction

Every time you create an artwork there are 7 elements, or components, that your artworks consists of. More often than not we just take these elements for granted, or don't even give them a second thought.

They are however critical to the success of your artwork. By keeping them in mind as plan and create your artwork, you will end up with a much better artwork.

One that will be easier to look at as the person's eye will flow through your artwork more fluently. You will have control over how their eye moves through your painting - you will be able to lead them through the painting.

This is just one of the benefits of knowing the 7 elements of art. Let's dive right in by looking at what these 7 elements are:

What are the 7 Elements of Art?

The seven elements of art are line, shape, form, space, value, color and texture. These elements are the essential components, or building blocks, of any artwork. Any good artwork should consist of these 7 ingredients.

Element 1 - Line

Line is the most basic element of art. Without line the other elements couldn’t exist so let's start here and then we will gradually go more advanced.

A line can be thought of as a moving dot. If the dots overlap, it’s a solid line, if they don’t it’s a dotted line. A line has a beginning and an end and by its existence, creates an edge.

If a line joins up it forms an outline (also called a contour). An outline creates a shape.

Lines can be:

Long or short

Thick or thin A thick line gives emphasis and advances while a thin line recedes.

Straight Straight lines on the other hand are more mechanistic and dynamic and rarely found in nature.

Curved Curved lines change direction gently with no sharp angles and suggest comfort and ease to the viewer. Curved lines most often relate to the natural world.

Zigzag Zigzag lines alter direction fast and create feelings of unrest, turmoil and movement.

Diagonal Diagonal lines, give movement and dynamism to a composition.

Horizontal Horizontal lines create the feeling of stability and calm.

Vertical Vertical lines give the impression of height and strength and often have a spiritual connotation.

Imaginary Lines can be imaginary or implied; for example line of sight can be a very strong albeit invisible line along which the viewer’s eye travels. Also a pointing finger can send the viewers eye on a journey through the painting.

Three Dimensional Lines alone can also be used to create a three dimensional effect, (depth, in a 2-dimensional artwork. Hatching lines (straight or curved) are used to turn shape into form using value as seen the works of the masters like Rembrandt.

In summary lines can:

• Describe 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional forms
• Create feelings of movement and emotion
• Create value and thereby show the direction of light
• Change 2-dimensional shapes into 3-dimensional forms with value
• Depict texture

Element 2 - Shape

When a line meets up to enclose a space, a shape is formed.

Shapes can be:

Geometric or organic.

Shapes are 2-dimensional, i.e. they have height and width but no depth e.g. a square. The best way to remember the shape element is to think of an outline.

Positive or Negative Shapes

The object you draw on your page is a shape enclosed in a frame. This frame may be a box you drew to designate the edges of your drawing area or the edge of the page if you didn’t draw a box. The object you draw is the positive shape. The rest of the space in your box (or if you didn’t draw a box then the rest of the page) is called negative shape.

Element 3 - Form

Form is the next step up from shape as we now add depth to it to create a three dimensional form.

A square (shape) vs a cube, a triangle vs a cone etc. etc. Form encloses volume i.e. height, width as well as depth.

In drawing and painting form can only be implied because they are 2-dimesional (flat) media. Artists must use tricks to fool the viewer’s eye so as to create the illusion of the third dimension i.e. depth. This is known as Trompe l’oeil and is achieved using tools like value (shading), colour and contour lines.

Here you can see how shading has been used to create the illusion of 3-dimensional objects on a flat wall:

Like shapes, forms can be geometric or organic.

Organic forms are common in nature while geometric forms are more characteristic of architecture and man-made items. Nature however also uses geometric forms on occasion. Examples are crystals and honeycombs.

Element 4 - Space

Space is what lies between, around or within an object.

To show space in a 2-dimensional medium the artist must use techniques to create the illusion of space between items that are in reality on a flat surface.

How do artists create this feeling of space between objects?

Overlapping

When an object is drawn or painted on top of another object the viewer’s eye interprets this as one object being in front of another implying there must be a space between them.

Objects higher up in the picture plane will seem to the viewer’s eye to be further away than objects placed low down in the picture frame.

Smaller objects look as if they are further away than larger objects. Notice how much smaller the house is in relation to the flowers.

The further away an object, the less detail is visible to the viewer. By purposely reducing the amount of detail in an object it will appear further away than an object with greater detail.

Colour and Value

Objects in the distance usually appear cooler (bluer) and lighter in colour. Close up objects appear warmer and darker in value.

Perspective

Can be used to create the feeling of depth on a 2-dimensional surface. The most commonly used perspective types are linear and 2-point perspective.

Negative Space

Space can be either positive or negative in the same way as shapes can.

Negative space is all around the object, which is the (positive space) subject of the painting.

Negative space is very important and an artist must plan the negative space as carefully as the main subject.

Is there enough negative space to give the subject room to “breathe” or does it appear boxed in?

Negative space can be cut to a minimum or eliminated entirely for a very close up and intimate focus on the subject.

It can be greater on one side than the other, or greater at the top or bottom.

All choices which will affect how the viewer sees the overall composition.

Element 5 - Value

Value is how light or dark something is.

There is a scale of light and dark from pure white through to pitch black. The value of a colour depends on how light or dark it is compared to the value scale.

Getting the values right is more important than getting the colours right in painting. Value is what makes it possible to show 3-dimensional forms in a 2-dimensional surface.

By increasing differences in value, contrast is increased as well. A highlight will look brighter when surrounded by a dark value. Decreasing contrast will make objects visually recede into the picture plane and draw less attention.

The focal point of a painting is where you want to add the most contrast as this high contrast automatically draws the viewer’s eye.

If a painting is done on the lower (darker) edge of the value scale it is called a “low key” painting. Low key paintings give rise to a heavy, mysterious, dramatic, sometimes brooding feeling in the viewer.

By contrast “high key” paintings take their range of values from the upper end of the value scale and create emotions of lightness, quickness, spirituality etc.

Most paintings however use the full range of values from light to dark.

Value is what artists use to portray light and form. The further from the light the darker the value.

How value changes determines the form of an object.

If there’s a gradual transition in value it conveys to the viewer that the surface is gently rounded. This is called a soft edge.

If however there is a rapid transition between values it means there is an edge. This is called a hard edge.

Value is also used to create shadows which show light direction and anchor the object, preventing it from appearing as though it is floating.

Element 6 - Colour

Colour is created when light is reflected into the viewer’s eye.

In art, colours are arranged on a colour wheel. The colour wheel was developed by Isaac Newton who took the colour spectrum and bent it into a circle.

The colour wheel shows primary colours, (colours that can’t be mixed), secondary colours (made by mixing two primaries) and tertiary colours (made by mixing a primary and secondary colour).

Colour theory helps the artist to mix desired colours from primary colours. It’s only a theory and can’t be proven but it is nevertheless useful to the artist. Colour theory is based on the colour wheel, colour value and on which colours work well together - also called colour schemes.

There are various colour schemes which define the primaries. The most common is the Red, Yellow, Blue model. Another popular scheme uses Cyan, Magenta and Yellow as the primaries. There are several other and each works well in different situations.

Colour is described by its hue – red, green etc. (Hue the name we give a colour.)

A colour has intensity called chroma, also known as saturation, brightness or purity. The more pure the colour is (less of other colours mixed in), the more intense or saturated it is. In painting only small amounts of saturated colours are usually used as accents. Too much saturated colour can give a garish result. The chroma of a colour is not the same as its value.

Colours also have value. Value is how light or dark the colour is, as discussed in Element 5 above. Each colour falls on the value scale from light to dark. Yellow would be near the top (light end) of the scale while purple would be found near the bottom end. To change the value of a colour you follow the Colour Mixing Rules .

Art supply stores sell interactive colour wheels which are essential to the artist working with colour. I recommend this Color Wheel .

Element 7 - Texture

Actual texture is the way an object feels to the touch.

Drawing or painting texture on a 2–dimensional, flat surface is a challenge for artists. The artist must instead convey the illusion of the actual texture to the viewer on the flat surface.

How this is done is by the careful use of value and specific marks / brush strokes which then mimic the actual texture.

Every textured surface reflects light in a very particular way. Think of the difference in texture between a chrome ball and a concrete ball. The artist, through careful observation and the use of light and dark values, recreates this actual texture visually on the picture plane.

You can follow our tutorial in Drawing Weathered Textures to get a feel for how this is done.

It is possible to create actual 3D texture on a flat surface by the addition of texturing compounds which create a raised surface. Impasto paste is one way or you could even add sand etc. to the paint. Even thick paint will leave the texture of the brush marks for the viewer to see.

You can follow our tutorial on Texture Painting Techniques to see how you can add texture to your canvas.

It is also possible to create patterns by the repetition of shapes that creates 2D texture. This is often used in Op Art. (Optical Art).

I think you will agree that you have been using many of the seven elements throughout your artworks without even realising it.

Now that you are however aware of these elements, you can look out for them as well as look out for ways to incorporate more of them into your artworks.

This will add extra depth, dimension, texture and interest to your artworks, taking them to a whole new level.

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Line Drawing: A Guide for Art Students

Last Updated on September 1, 2023

When we first picked up a pen or pencil and started making marks on paper, we began with line. Whether self-taught, through trial and error, or guided by others, we learned how line defines form, creates structure, divides a frame, traces contour, creates tonal variation (cross-hatching, for example) and leads the eye from one part of a work to another. Initially a mechanism for getting outlines onto paper – identifying edges – we begin to applaud lines for their own merit: celebrate their presence…whether a quiet flick of charcoal on paper or a streak of graphite.

This article contains exercises for Art students who wish to produce contour line drawings, cross contour drawings, blind drawings and other types of line drawings. It is a teaching aid for high school Art students and includes classroom activities, a free downloadable PDF worksheet and inspirational artist drawings.

Blind Contour Drawing

Definition : A blind contour drawing contains lines that are drawn without ever looking at the piece of paper. This forces you to study a scene closely, observing every shape and edge with your eyes, as your hand mimics these on paper. The aim is not to produce a realistic artwork, but rather to strengthen the connection between eyes, hand and brain: a reminder that, when drawing, you must first learn to see.

Blind Drawing Exercises : Blind drawing is an excellent way to start a high school Fine Art programme. Drawing wobbly lines that bear little resemblance to the chosen object is relaxing and stress-free. Often, a classroom bubbles with laughter at the unexpected results. Blind drawing stretches the arms and soul; eases you into observational drawing without fear.

READ NEXT: How to make an artist website (and why you need one)

Gesture Drawing / Timed Drawing / Movement Drawing

Definition : A gesture drawing is completed quickly – often in short timed durations, such as 20, 30, 60 or 90 seconds – using fast, expressive lines. Gesture drawings capture basic forms and proportions – the emotion and essence of a subject – without focusing on detail. Due to their rapid completion, they are a great way to record movement and action, as well as increase your drawing speed, confidence and intuitive mark-making skill. Gesture drawings are best completed with smooth, easily applied mediums (chunky graphite pencils, charcoal sticks, pastels, soft brushes dipped in Indian ink, for example), without the use of an eraser. They are often completed on large, inexpensive sheets of paper, where you can move your arm fluidly, be bold with mark-making, and not worry about mistakes. As with blind drawings, gesture drawing is an ideal warm-up activity.

Gesture Drawing Exercises : When you begin investigating your subject matter in the initial phase of a high school Art programme, it can be helpful to make several first-hand gestural drawings. The best of these can be selected for your final portfolio (taking advantage of a photocopier or digital camera to reduce in size, if necessary). A small still life scene can be depicted just as easily as a large moving form.

A gesture drawing by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn :

A gestural figure drawing by Chelsea Stebar :

Continuous Line Drawing

Definition : A continuous line drawing is produced without ever lifting the drawing instrument from the page. This means that, in addition to outlines and internal shapes, the pencil must move back and forth across the surface of the paper, with lines doubling back on each other, so that the drawing is one free-flowing, unbroken line. To avoid the temptation to erase lines, it can be helpful to complete a continuous line drawing with an ink pen, varying the line weight, as needed, to indicate perspective and areas of light and shadow. Like the drawing methods described above, this drawing method develops confidence and drawing speed, and encourages your eyes and hand and brain to work together. Continuous line drawings work best with in-depth observation of your subject, without interference from your thinking mind. According to Smithsonian Studio Arts :

…continuous line drawing is actually a very powerful way to create a piece that is both hard edged and fluid, representational and abstract, rational and emotional all in one.

Continuous Line Drawing Exercises : This drawing method is great for sketchbooks and drawing from life. It can be an excellent starter activity, with drawings completed on large, inexpensive paper that can be scanned / edited / cropped and used in other ways within your projects.

An A Level Art sketchbook page by  Lucy Feng  from Hereford Sixth Form College, Herefordshire, UK:

Contour drawing

Definition: A contour drawing shows the outlines, shapes and edges of a scene, but omits fine detail, surface texture, colour and tone (‘contour’ is French for ‘outline’). According to Wikipedia :

The purpose of contour drawing is to emphasize the mass and volume of the subject rather than the detail; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the minor details.

The illusion of three-dimensional form, space and distance can be conveyed in a contour drawing through the use of varied line-weight (darker lines in the foreground / paler lines in the distance) and perspective.

Contour Drawing Exercises : Using line alone eliminates the challenge of applying tone, colour and mediums; and instead focuses attention solely upon shape and proportion. After completing warm-up activities such as blind and gesture drawings, slower, more formal contour drawings can be an excellent way to begin more realistic representations of your subject matter. Used intermittently throughout projects, contour drawings can also be helpful for the student who needs to work faster .

A contour drawing by  Ultima Thule :

Cross contour drawing

Definition : A cross contour drawing contains parallel lines that run across the surface of an object (or radiate from a central point), such as those that appear on a topographical map or a digital wireframe. The lines can run at any appropriate angle (sometimes at multiple angles) and may continue across objects and into the background. Cross contour drawings typically follow the rules of perspective, with lines drawn closer together in the distance and further apart in the foreground. In this type of drawing, the illusion of three-dimensional volume is created entirely with line.

Cross Contour Drawing Exercises : This is an excellent way to gain familiarity with the volumes and three-dimensional forms in your project, producing analytical cross contour drawings that are suitable for sketchbooks or early preparatory sheets.

Cross contour drawing of a shell by Matt Louscher :

Cross contour hand drawings by (from left) Mathew Young, Ryan Acks and Lea Dallaglio while studying at the  San Jose State University , Department of Art and Art History:

Cross contour drawings by Daniel Servin (left) and Alfred Manzano, completed while studying AP Studio Art at Mt Eden High School in Hayward, California, USA:

A wireframe contour drawing exercise by Year 9 student Seonmin Lee from ACG Parnell College , Auckland, New Zealand:

Planar analysis drawing

Definition : A planar analysis drawing simplifies complex curved surfaces into flat planes, using straight lines. This process helps students to think about the underlying structure of objects and results in an analytical drawing, that is rather mechanical in appearance.

Planar Analysis Drawing Activity : This can be a great introductory drawing exercise, especially if you are moving towards Cubism or abstracting scenes into geometric form.

A planar analysis portrait completed by a student of Cat Normoyle :

Wire sculpture drawings

Definition : Wire can be cut and bent into shapes with pliers to create three-dimensional ‘drawings’, often resulting in a work filled with flowing, curved lines. These wire sculptures can be attached to a two-dimensional frame or a flat surface, hung in the air, or be left free-standing, changing in appearance as a viewer moves around the room. Due to their flexible nature, wire sculptures often move slightly in the wind, adding an extra interactive element to the work.

Wire Sculpture Line Drawing Exercise : This is an excellent activity for middle school students and for high school students, if it relates specifically to your project (and does not interfere with postage requirements, for those who need to post work away for assessment). Small wire experiments, using light-weight wire, can also be mounted to sketchbook pages.

Wire sculptures completed by the students of Amy Bonner Oliveri from Allendale Columbia School, Rochester, New York, USA:

Hatching, cross hatching, and other line techniques

As well as representing contours, line can also be used to apply tone (light and shadow) to a drawing. This can be done by altering the:

• Gap between the lines
• Lightness / darkness of the line
• Thickness of the line

There are many line techniques can be used to create tone, as illustrated in the worksheet below. Common techniques include:

• Small dashes
• Hatching (long, parallel lines on an angle)
• Cross-hatching (parallel lines at right angles)
• Stippling (dots)
• Small crosses
• Small circles

The angle that these techniques are applied may remain constant within a drawing, or it may change in response to the angle and direction of the forms. For example, cross-hatching may flow around the surface of an object in a similar direction as cross contour lines. These techniques are also a great way to create the illusion of texture (see our article about observational drawings ).

Line Techniques Worksheet : The worksheet below has been provided by the Student Art Guide for classroom use only and may be issued freely to students (credited to studentartguide.com), as well as shared via the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. It may not be published online or shared or distributed in any other way, as per our terms and conditions . The full size printable worksheet is available by clicking the PDF link below. This worksheet is suitable for middle school students, or senior students who have not had prior experience with line techniques.

Click here to open the full size worksheet as a printable PDF .

An Indian Ink still life drawing by Kirana Intraroon, completed while in Year 10 at ACG Strathallan College , Auckland, New Zealand:  

An A* GCSE Art sketchbook page by Samantha Li :

A final GCSE Art piece by Hannah Armstrong :  

Artist line drawings

Here is a collection of line drawings from famous and less well known artists, to inspire high school Art students and teachers. This section is continually updated. Enjoy!

Pablo Picasso :

Andy Warhol :

David Hockney :

Vincent van Gogh :

Leonardo da Vinci :

Aaron Earley :

Peter Root :

Maurizio Anzeri

Karolina Cummings :

Daniel Mathers

Roz McQuillan :

Wang Tzu-Ting :

Nina Smart :

Andy Mercer :

Vital Photography :

Matthew Dunn :

Rod McLaren :

Andreas Fischer :

Nicholas Weltyk :

Liliana Porter :

Hong Chun Zhang :

Bruce Pollock :

David Eskenazi

Matt Niebuhr :

Albrecht Durer :

Victoria Haven :

Carne Griffiths :

William Anastasi :

Charles Avery

Did you enjoy this article? You may wish to read 11 Tips for Producing an Excellent Observational Drawing .

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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High School Drawing Curriculum: 12 Lessons

HIGH SCHOOL DRAWING

In my teaching career I have taught a wide range of high school art courses: Introduction to Art, Drawing, Painting, Advanced 2D Design, AP Art, 3D Design, 3D Design II, and 3D Design III. I have loved teaching such a variety because it has given me the opportunity to develop and test a breadth of lesson plans. The past two years I have been working on compiling my favorite lessons into curriculum packs to sell on my TPT store. The most recent posting on my store is my semester-long high school drawing curriculum pack. I have taught every single one of these lessons (plus more that I tested, failed, and left out so you don’t have to) and these are my top twelve.

This high school drawing curriculum includes information and resources to fill every single day of the semester in your drawing class. Other than making copies of worksheets and doing a handful of demos, you don’t have to plan a thing for the semester. Each project includes a detailed lesson plan (including big ideas, essential questions, national standards, vocabulary, and step-by-step instructions), rubrics, critique information, and handouts. In addition to the project packs I have included my syllabus, get-to-know-you worksheets, a timeline, breaking down the semester into days and weeks, and supply list.

12 PROJECTS

The first project of the semester is learning the Belgian bookbinding technique and using it to create your own sketchbook. This not only saves money on purchasing sketchbooks, but it also introduces the students to book cover design and bookbinding techniques. In addition to a PowerPoint, lesson plan, and rubric, this also includes a how to worksheet and how to video. This product is sold individually here .

In every class I teach I include a weekly focus on visual journals. Each Friday students have the option to work in their visual journal, have free art time, or catch up on an assignment. By the end of the semester they must have at least 12 pages completed in their book. The PowerPoint to introduce this project, lesson plan, and rubric are included in this pack.

Before the students start longer drawing projects, they complete a shading review. Seven worksheets are included that cover graphite pencils, hatching, cross-hatching, scribbling, stippling, and a general shading worksheet. The front of the worksheets include information and the students must complete the activities on the back. This product can be purchased individually here .

The first true drawing assignment is a still life drawing. However, I put a twist on it by requiring the students to bring in objects to create the still life. Before starting the drawing, the students learn about still lifes at various periods in art history. at both traditional and modern versions of still lifes. They must apply their understanding of various shading techniques by including at least three of them in their drawing. Check out the individual link for this product here .

Once the class has a few drawing projects under their belt, we look at combining technology and art by creating their own GIFs. They must draw the majority of the design, then use various computer programs to compile their drawings, add to them, then create an animated version of them. You can read more about this project in my blog post here .

Once the students have a handle on using pencils, we move onto charcoal drawings. One of the best ways I have found to teach how to shade using charcoal is through the traditional charcoal drapery drawing lesson. A PowerPoint about charcoal, in depth lesson plan, rubric, and critique are included. You can purchase this lesson individually here .

After learning about charcoal, the students apply their knowledge to a mixed media work of art that includes shading with charcoal. For this assignment, the students must select an object and redraw it on a background layered with color and text. The object is meant to serve as a metaphor for who they are, a part of their personality, or interests. I love any cross disciplinary lessons, and this does a great job combining English and art. Check out specifics of this project here .

After completing a metaphorical self portrait, the students are asked to create an actual self portrait drawing, with a twist. The students must select a current event that interests them and reflect it through their portrait. In addition, they have to scan their faces using a copier or scanner to create an unusual and ethereal look to their portrait. They then re-draw their scanned image using pencil. This project pack includes multiple PowerPoints to introduce the project and show examples of current artists who create social and politically driven artwork. In addition to the PowerPoints are an in depth lesson plan, rubric, critique sheet, and brainstorm worksheet. Check out more here .

After working mostly in black and white, students have the chance to do a full color drawing using colored pencils. They are asked to think outside of the box and take a photograph that reflects the topic, “unexpected beauty.” They then turn the photograph into a colored pencil drawing. Colored pencil techniques are covered in the introduction PowerPoint. Check out more information about it here .

After learning about colored pencils, we start moving towards different media that still use traditional drawing techniques, such as scratchboard. Social media is the focus of the lesson and students create a scratchboard image that reflects a snapshot of their day. History of scratchboard, as well as techniques, are in the PowerPoint.  In depth instructions on how to teach the lesson are included in the lesson plan, as well as the rubric and critique sheet. This lesson can be purchased individually here .

Printmaking is a natural next step after learning about scratchboard. The basic concepts are similar, removing highlighted areas and leaving dark areas. For this assignment, students create a portrait out of a linoleum block. They use traditional relief printmaking techniques to create at least 5 quality prints and one print must be colored in using colored pencils. In addition to a PowerPoint, lesson plan, rubric, and critique sheet, this also includes a handout on which colors to use to create a range of skin tones and a worksheet to test various color combinations. An in-depth look at this lesson will be coming soon. In the meantime, check out the product listing here .

The final lesson in the curriculum is to design your own project. The students can try out a technique or material they didn’t get a chance to or redo a project they liked or could improve on.

It took me years to develop this curriculum and it is very gratifying to see it all compiled in one place. Check out the individual product links above or check out the entire curriculum here . You save $16.00 by purchasing it as a bundle pack. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and my latest TPT product. Help me spread the word about art education, lessons, and art in general by sharing with others.

Check out more visual journal blog posts  here . Shop my education resources  here . Don’t forget to follow me on  Instagram  and  TikTok  for weekly visual journal demos. Until next time!

4 responses to “High School Drawing Curriculum: 12 Lessons”

This looks very helpful. Thank you!

You’re welcome! Reach out anytime with questions or comments!

Could I get a copy of the worksheets? [email protected]

Hi, Stacy! The worksheets can be purchased in my drawing curriculum or individually. If you want to purchase individually let me know which worksheets you are interested in and I can share links! You can look at the drawing curriculum here: https://lookbetweenthelines.com/product/visual-art-drawing-curriculum-12-lessons-for-18-weeks-of-high-school-art/

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Line Drawing: A Guide For Art Students

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When we first picked up a pen or pencil and started making marks on paper, we began with line. Whether self-taught, through trial and error, or guided by others, we learned how line defines form, creates structure, divides a frame, traces contour, creates tonal variation (cross-hatching, for example) and leads the eye from one part of a work to another. Initially a mechanism for getting outlines onto paper – identifying edges – we begin to applaud lines for their own merit: celebrate their presence…whether a quiet flick of charcoal on paper or a streak of graphite.

line drawing – a student guide This article contains exercises for Art students who wish to produce contour line drawings, cross contour drawings, blind drawings and other types of line drawings. It is a teaching aid for high school Art students and includes classroom activities, a free downloadable PDF worksheet and inspirational artist drawings.

Blind Contour Drawing Definition: A blind contour drawing contains lines that are drawn without ever looking at the piece of paper. This forces you to study a scene closely, observing every shape and edge with your eyes, as your hand mimics these on paper. The aim is not to produce a realistic artwork, but rather to strengthen the connection between eyes, hand and brain: a reminder that, when drawing, you must first learn to see.

Blind Drawing Exercises: Blind drawing is an excellent way to start a high school Fine Art programme. Drawing wobbly lines that bear little resemblance to the chosen object is relaxing and stress-free. Often, a classroom bubbles with laughter at the unexpected results. Blind drawing stretches the arms and soul; eases you into observational drawing without fear.

A warm-up activity in which students were asked to create blind contour line drawings of shell (teaching exemplar by the Student Art Guide). These blind drawings were included in the first preparatory sheets submitted by CIE IGCSE Art and Design students.

Gesture Drawing / Timed Drawing / Movement Drawing Definition: A gesture drawing is completed quickly – often in short timed durations, such as 20, 30, 60 or 90 seconds – using fast, expressive lines. Gesture drawings capture basic forms and proportions – the emotion and essence of a subject – without focusing on detail. Due to their rapid completion, they are a great way to record movement and action, as well as increase your drawing speed, confidence and intuitive mark-making skill. Gesture drawings are best completed with smooth, easily applied mediums (chunky graphite pencils, charcoal sticks, pastels, soft brushes dipped in Indian ink, for example), without the use of an eraser. They are often completed on large, inexpensive sheets of paper, where you can move your arm fluidly, be bold with mark-making, and not worry about mistakes. As with blind drawings, gesture drawing is an ideal warm-up activity.

Gesture Drawing Exercises: When you begin investigating your subject matter in the initial phase of a high school Art programme, it can be helpful to make several first-hand gestural drawings. The best of these can be selected for your final portfolio (taking advantage of a photocopier or digital camera to reduce in size, if necessary). A small still life scene can be depicted just as easily as a large moving form.

Rembrant gesture drawing This gestural drawing by Rembrandt is completed using red chalk on rough, textured paper. With just a few expressive lines, we instantly recognise the scene: two women teaching a child to walk.

A gestural figure drawing by Chelsea Stebar:

Completed while studying Animation, this gesture drawing captures a clothed figure. Note the variation in line weight: light lines applied initially, with darker lines and hints of detail all that are needed.

Continuous Line Drawing Definition: A continuous line drawing is produced without ever lifting the drawing instrument from the page. This means that, in addition to outlines and internal shapes, the pencil must move back and forth across the surface of the paper, with lines doubling back on each other, so that the drawing is one free-flowing, unbroken line. To avoid the temptation to erase lines, it can be helpful to complete a continuous line drawing with an ink pen, varying the line weight, as needed, to indicate perspective and areas of light and shadow. Like the drawing methods described above, this drawing method develops confidence and drawing speed, and encourages your eyes and hand and brain to work together. Continuous line drawings work best with in-depth observation of your subject, without interference from your thinking mind. According to Smithsonian Studio Arts:

…continuous line drawing is actually a very powerful way to create a piece that is both hard edged and fluid, representational and abstract, rational and emotional all in one.

Continuous Line Drawing Exercises: This drawing method is great for sketchbooks and drawing from life. It can be an excellent starter activity, with drawings completed on large, inexpensive paper that can be scanned / edited / cropped and used in other ways within your projects.

An A Level Art sketchbook page by Lucy Feng from Hereford Sixth Form College, Herefordshire, UK:

Contour drawing Definition: A contour drawing shows the outlines, shapes and edges of a scene, but omits fine detail, surface texture, colour and tone (‘contour’ is French for ‘outline’). According to Wikipedia:

The purpose of contour drawing is to emphasize the mass and volume of the subject rather than the detail; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the minor details.

The illusion of three-dimensional form, space and distance can be conveyed in a contour drawing through the use of varied line-weight (darker lines in the foreground / paler lines in the distance) and perspective.

Contour Drawing Exercises: Using line alone eliminates the challenge of applying tone, colour and mediums; and instead focuses attention solely upon shape and proportion. After completing warm-up activities such as blind and gesture drawings, slower, more formal contour drawings can be an excellent way to begin more realistic representations of your subject matter. Used intermittently throughout projects, contour drawings can also be helpful for the student who needs to work faster.

Modern line drawings by Ultima Thule: there is a slick contrast in this drawing between the sharp black lines and the dripping green. The application of colour to one area creates a dramatic focal point.

Cross contour drawing Definition: A cross contour drawing contains parallel lines that run across the surface of an object (or radiate from a central point), such as those that appear on a topographical map or a digital wireframe. The lines can run at any appropriate angle (sometimes at multiple angles) and may continue across objects and into the background. Cross contour drawings typically follow the rules of perspective, with lines drawn closer together in the distance and further apart in the foreground. In this type of drawing, the illusion of three-dimensional volume is created entirely with line.

Cross Contour Drawing Exercises: This is an excellent way to gain familiarity with the volumes and three-dimensional forms in your project, producing analytical cross contour drawings that are suitable for sketchbooks or early preparatory sheets.

This delicate cross contour drawing helps to communicate the bumpy surface of the shell. Note how the shell pieces that are furthest away from the viewer are thin and light, whereas those that are closest are darker and thicker. Note also how the direction of the contour lines relates to the shape of object that is drawn, with lines projecting outwards from the centre of the shell.

Cross contour hand drawings by (from left) Mathew Young, Ryan Acks and Lea Dallaglio while studying at the San Jose State University, Department of Art and Art History:

Hands are a great subject for a cross contour line drawing exercise. Hands can create interesting, complex, curving shapes, as in the examples above, and are readily available for first-hand observation. Note how the density and weight of the line also helps to communicate areas of light and shadow.

Cross contour drawings by Daniel Servin (left) and Alfred Manzano, completed while studying AP Studio Art at Mt Eden High School in Hayward, California, USA:

These cross contour drawings were completed as part of Breadth assignments for AP Studio Art. These drawings show clever use of line thickness, with the line-weight varying in order to create the illusion of tone and show three-dimensional form.

A wireframe contour drawing exercise by Year 9 student Seonmin Lee from ACG Parnell College, Auckland, New Zealand:

Contour lines can also be a great way for students to design three-dimensional forms. These drawings were completed as part of a papier mache sculpture project, with the contour lines representing the supporting cane structure.

Planar analysis drawing Definition: A planar analysis drawing simplifies complex curved surfaces into flat planes, using straight lines. This process helps students to think about the underlying structure of objects and results in an analytical drawing, that is rather mechanical in appearance.

Planar Analysis Drawing Activity: This can be a great introductory drawing exercise, especially if you are moving towards Cubism or abstracting scenes into geometric form.

A planar analysis portrait completed by a student of Cat Normoyle:

The symmetry and familiarity of the human face makes portraiture a great subject for planar analysis; the task of converting complex three-dimensional form into flat surfaces. Note the careful attention given to the nose and lips in this example.

Wire sculpture drawings Definition: Wire can be cut and bent into shapes with pliers to create three-dimensional ‘drawings’, often resulting in a work filled with flowing, curved lines. These wire sculptures can be attached to a two-dimensional frame or a flat surface, hung in the air, or be left free-standing, changing in appearance as a viewer moves around the room. Due to their flexible nature, wire sculptures often move slightly in the wind, adding an extra interactive element to the work.

Wire Sculpture Line Drawing Exercise: This is an excellent activity for middle school students and for high school students, if it relates specifically to your project (and does not interfere with postage requirements, for those who need to post work away for assessment). Small wire experiments, using light-weight wire, can also be mounted to sketchbook pages.

Wire sculptures completed by the students of Amy Bonner Oliveri from Allendale Columbia School, Rochester, New York, USA:

This wire drawing exercise ‘using line to create space’ is completed by students within a 3D Art class, working over photographic portraits. Having a base image to work from (this could also be an earlier observational drawing) makes the process of transferring from two-dimensional to three-dimensional much easier.

Read more about Medium’s interesting 5 drawing exercises .

Hatching, cross hatching, and other line techniques As well as representing contours, line can also be used to apply tone (light and shadow) to a drawing. This can be done by altering the:

Gap between the lines Lightness / darkness of the line Thickness of the line There are many line techniques can be used to create tone, as illustrated in the worksheet below. Common techniques include:

Small dashes Hatching (long, parallel lines on an angle) Cross-hatching (parallel lines at right angles) Stippling (dots) Scribbles Small crosses Small circles The angle that these techniques are applied may remain constant within a drawing, or it may change in response to the angle and direction of the forms. For example, cross-hatching may flow around the surface of an object in a similar direction as cross contour lines. These techniques are also a great way to create the illusion of texture (see our article about observational drawings).

Line Techniques Worksheet: The worksheet below has been provided by the Student Art Guide for classroom use only and may be issued freely to students (credited to studentartguide.com), as well as shared via the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. It may not be published online or shared or distributed in any other way, as per our terms and conditions. The full size printable worksheet is available by clicking the PDF link below. This worksheet is suitable for middle school students, or senior students who have not had prior experience with line techniques.

The Elements of Art: Line

Grade Level: 1-2

Students will be introduced to one of the basic elements of art—line—by analyzing types of lines used in various works of art to help students understand how artists use line to convey movement and mood. They will then create an abstract line art piece based on an activity they enjoy to do or watch.

Frank Stella American, born 1936 Jarama II , 1982 mixed media on etched magnesium, 319.9 x 253.9 x 62.8 cm (125 15/16 x 99 15/16 x 24 3/4 in.) National Gallery of Art, Gift of Lila Acheson Wallace

Curriculum Connections

• Performing Arts
• Smart Board or computer with ability to project images from slideshow
• Variety of art media for students to choose from (suggestions: markers, watercolors, colored pencils, colored paper for collage, oil pastel, tempera paint, yarn, etc.)
• A long cardboard box
• Small balls in a variety of sizes

Warm-up Questions

If this painting could move, would it move quickly or slowly? Is there something about the lines that make you think so?

Line is a mark made using a drawing tool or brush. There are many types of lines: thick, thin, horizontal, vertical, zigzag, diagonal, curly, curved, spiral, etc. and are often very expressive. Lines are basic tools for artists—though some artists show their lines more than others. Some lines in paintings are invisible—you don't actually see the dark mark of the line. But they are there, shown in the way the artist arranges the objects in the painting.

Artist Frank Stella is a racing fan. This metal relief painting, Jarama II , is named after an automobile racetrack outside Madrid, Spain. Here, Stella used winding, curving strips of metal painted in bright, dynamic colors to forcefully carry the motion and excitement of professional racing.

Guided Practice

Lines in art express different things. View the slideshow below and have students answer the questions beneath each image:

Slideshow: Exploring Lines in Works of Art

Roy Lichtenstein American, 1923–1997 Leo Castelli Gallery (publisher) Chiron Press (printer) Brushstroke , 1965 color screenprint on heavy, white wove paper, 58.4 x 73.6 cm (23 x 29 in.) Corlett/Fine 1994, Vol. II, no. 5 National Gallery of Art, Gift of Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein

What type of line is this?

Now, look closely at these lines. Which group of words best describes them?

(1) Calm, serious, quiet

(2) Energetic, fun, dynamic

Charles Sheeler American, 1883–1965 Classic Landscape , 1931 oil on canvas, 63.5 x 81.9 cm (25 x 32 1/4 in.) National Gallery of Art, Collection of Barney A. Ebsworth

What types of lines do you see?

Where do you see the following:

(1) Solid, serious, organized, planned

(2) Silly, energetic, dynamic, in motion, chaotic

Joan Miró Spanish, 1893–1983 The Farm , 1921–1922 oil on canvas, 123.8 x 141.3 x 3.3 cm (48 3/4 x 55 5/8 x 1 5/16 in.) National Gallery of Art, Gift of Mary Hemingway

Look closely at these lines. Which group of words best describes them?

(1) Busy, topsy turvy, active

(2) Serious, calm, quiet

Morris Louis American, 1912–1962 Beta Kappa , 1961 acrylic on canvas, 262.3 x 439.4 cm (103 1/4 x 173 in.) National Gallery of Art, Gift of Marcella Louis Brenner

How is this painting different than the previous ones?

(1) In motion, festive, fun

(2) Calm, sleepy, still

Henri Matisse French, 1869–1954 Woman Seated in an Armchair , 1940 oil on canvas, 54 x 65.1 cm (21 1/4 x 25 5/8 in.) National Gallery of Art, Given in loving memory of her husband, Taft Schreiber, by Rita Schreiber

(1) Motion, festive, fun

Winslow Homer American, 1836–1910 Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) , 1873-1876 oil on canvas, 61.5 x 97 cm (24 3/16 x 38 3/16 in.) National Gallery of Art, Gift of the W. L. and May T. Mellon Foundation

Can you find the hidden lines in this painting? This painting of a fast-moving sailboat is full of diagonal lines. Why? Artists use diagonals to show energy and movement. Diagonals also lead the viewer into the painting. Try to imagine the boat without the diagonals, sitting flat on the water—horizontally—with the mast going straight up—vertically—into the sky. Would the boat be moving, or sitting still, without the diagonals?

Now, compare this boating scene to the next slide image...

Fitz Henry Lane American, 1804–1865 Lumber Schooners at Evening on Penobscot Bay , 1863 oil on canvas, 62.5 x 96.8 cm (24 5/8 x 38 1/8 in.) National Gallery of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Francis W. Hatch, Sr.

Is this boat moving fast or slow? It looks like it is standing still. Does the water seem calm or churning? How hard is the wind blowing? (No sails up = very little wind!) Are there any diagonal lines in this painting? (Very few—mostly straight lines here, vertical and horizontal. Without diagonal lines, the artist created a quiet, calm scene with a slow moving boat.)

Students will select an activity they enjoy watching or participating in that involves movement such as playing a sport, dancing, climbing a tree, biking, jumping rope, etc. They will list adjectives that describe both the activity and feelings they have while doing or viewing this activity. Then, students will write next to each adjective what type of line and color would reflect this activity best. For example, watching a ballet may be soft, thin, wavy lines in pastel colors, while jumping rope may be thick, zigzag lines in bold hues. Using Stella’s Jarama II as their inspiration, students will create an abstract line art piece in a medium of their choice that evokes the feeling of their activity. Remind students that selection of media is very important; markers create a much bolder impression than watercolors so they should think about the whole picture they wish to depict.

To accommodate visual impairments, students can use yarn and glue to create their abstract line drawings. Students can draw with glue onto a piece of paper, and then lay different types and lengths of yarn to create a raised surface drawing.

An alternative to accommodate motor control differences would be to create an abstract line drawing using a box, balls, and tempera paint. Students would place a piece of paper inside a long box, and squeeze 3-4 quarter-size amounts of tempera paint in different colors onto the paper. Students would then use balls of varying sizes and roll the balls through the paint, trying different speeds, to create lines. 

Place a piece of paper inside a box, and put 3-4 quarter-size amounts of tempera paint in different colors on the paper.

Pick balls of various sizes and have students roll the balls through the paint to create lines.

Students can try rolling the balls at different speeds to experiment with different lines.

Line Drawing with Balls

Students will then post their finished works of art for class discussion. First, their fellow classmates should guess what activity is being depicted and give their reasons for their answer: What is it about the shape of the line? the thickness? the number of lines included? the color? choice of media? Then the student artist will justify their decisions to the class.

The Elements of Art  is supported by the Robert Lehman Foundation

National Core Arts Standards

VA:Cr1.1.2  Brainstorm collaboratively multiple approaches to an art or design problem.

VA:Cr1.2.2  Make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity.

VA:Cr2.1.2  Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design.

VA:Cr2.2.1  Demonstrate safe and proper procedures for using materials, tools, and equipment while making art.

VA:Cr3.1.2  Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork.

VA:Re7.2.2  Perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics of one’s natural world and constructed environments.

VA:Re8.1.2  Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant subject matter and characteristics of form.

Borrow the DVD Making Art

Use the Drawn From Nature sketching worksheet

Use the Sketching and Sculpture activity guide

THAT ART TEACHER

Sharing my classroom with the world.

Step by Step Sketchbook Drawing Prompts

Practicing basic drawing techniques can help artists of all ages build confidence and sharpen their technical skills.

I love having my students keep a sketchbook. It’s a great opportunity for students to practice foundational skills, brainstorm artwork ideas, and write and reflect about their own artwork and the artwork of others.

It’s a great place to hit all of the standards of teaching that are NOT about producing finished artworks! I think creativity and self-expression are the pillars of a quality art education, but sometimes it’s time to focus on those drawing basics!

Here is a list of my go-to drawing sketchbook assignments. These are step by step video guided tutorials that are classroom ready or can be done at home! I love doing these in the classroom, but they are perfect for distance learning in our new reality of Covid-19.If you’re not an art teacher or in an art class, draw along with me in your sketchbook to grow your artistic skills.

How to Shade Water Droplets

Facial Proportions for Beginners

Two Point Perspective

One Point Perspective 3-D Letters

Value Scale Zentangle

Contour Drawing

How to Draw an Eye

Value Scale & Sphere Shading

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Sierra machado.

HI! My name is Sierra Machado and I am an art educator in Oklahoma. This is a creative space dedicated to the craft of teaching and art making. My goal is to inspire young artists, encourage and support fellow art educators and to push myself to create more art. View all posts by Sierra Machado

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Crazy Laura

May 2, 2023 By Bridget Hawkins This post may contain affiliate links. For more information please read my disclosure

Beginner’s Guide For Artists: Line Drawing Worksheets

Line drawing is an essential part of the creative process for many artists, from professional illustrators to aspiring doodlers. It’s a great way to refine your drawing skills and develop an eye for detail. These Line drawing worksheets are an excellent way to get started in the field of art and hone your skills. You can use an assortment of tools such as pencils, felt-tip pens, markers, and even charcoal for this exercise.

If you love line art like me, we also have Line Art Printables and Minimalist Free One Line Drawing Printables that you can use. These easy-to-print worksheets are great to bring with you on your next sketchbook journey and explore the world of line drawing.

Here are the worksheets:

Straight Lines

Download Here: Straight Lines Worksheet

First up, this one has vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and criss-cross lines. This will help you familiarize yourself with the different types of lines and how to make them. You can use a ruler first, then draw the lines freehand for this one.

Continuous Lines

Download Here: Continuous Lines Worksheet

This worksheet includes a variety of line patterns, such as zigzag, wavy, scallop, and curly lines. Engaging in this exercise will not only improve your hand and wrist control but also assist you in mastering the art of creating continuous lines. By practicing with these diverse line styles, you will develop a natural proficiency in maintaining smooth and continuous strokes.

Download Here: Scribbles Worksheet

This worksheet is a fun way to practice the basics of drawing scribbles. It involves scribbling different lines, such as crosshatching, scribble dots, zig-zag scribbles, and broken lines. Don’t be afraid to go wild and free here! Just let your pencil or pen flow freely as you draw the lines.

Related Posts:

• Free Flower Template
• Free Sun Template Outlines
• Free Flower Line Art Printables

Some Art Workbooks You Can Buy:

• Holmes, Catherine V (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 143 Pages - 07/22/2020 (Publication Date) - Library Tales Publishing, Inc. (Publisher)

• 253 Pages - 03/17/2014 (Publication Date) - Library Tales Publishing, Incorporated (Publisher)

• Dunn, Alphonso A (Author)
• 140 Pages - 08/04/2018 (Publication Date) - Three Minds Press (Publisher)

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• Design & Illustration
• Drawing/Illustration

Assignment: Create a Contour Line Drawing

This week the assignment is to work on a contour line drawing. Line is one of the fundamental drawing techniques, both traditionally, and for the vector artist. This assignment will teach you to see lines in subjects, capture them through drawing sessions, and experiment with bringing them into Illustrator, or your favorite vector program.

Today's Assignment

Today's assignment is to draw your hand as a contour line drawing. Why draw your hand? Hands are excellent drawing practice, and your non-drawing hand is always available as a reference. It will be there with you no matter where you are :)

To begin with use a pencil or pen and practice this quite a few times, over the course of multiple drawing sessions. We'll touch on the vector portion of this in another section below.

Think of contour drawing as drawing the edges of the subject. It's the outline of what you're drawing, as well as the internal edges. By drawing the edges you'll start to see the three-dimensional form of the subject. So on a hand, it's the outer edge of the hand, as well as the fingers, creases that go across the palm, or knuckles, joints might show lines, etc.

This is my left hand, one of a few I drew in a recent drawing session.

This is one of the better ones. Most of them I wouldn't want to show anyone. Don't let perfection get in the way of drawing practice. Half of my sketchbook is always filled with rudimentary practice drawings, and then some decent ones, and a couple gems.

Here are some tips for creating this contour drawing:

• Don't get too worried about drawing perfectly, as that comes with time.
• Keep your eyes mostly on your hand, and not so much on your paper.
• Don't invent, avoid meaningless lines, and try to draw accurately only the lines that run along edges.
• Use long bold lines, rather than short indecisive lines, try to keep your pencil in contact with the paper as much as possible.
• Avoid too many corrections, like erasing, or redrawing lines. I know it's tempting.
• Try capturing a bit of the whole before you get into all the detail, which is an effective strategy here.

Taking Your Contour Drawing Into Illustrator

Ideally you would have done quite a few contour drawings already on paper. Now take one you're happy with. Scan it in and place it in Illustrator. Use the Paintbrush Tool to trace over your lines. Obviously, this is more easy if you have a Wacom to draw with. I'm still trying to get used to using mine.

You may need to experiment with brush setting a bit. Try researching some of the tutorials here on Vectortuts+ and experiment with what settings and brushes fit your traditional drawing style.

If you come across any other helpful tutorials on using Illustrator's Paintbrush Tool for drawing leave a link in the comments, and indicate how it helped you. Cheryl has a great one here Create CS5 Width Profile Brushes in any Version of Adobe Illustrator CS that I plan to read again this weekend.

I'm not 100% happy with how the vector hand below turned out, but it was good practice. The settings I was using for the Paintbrush Tool redrew the line a bit too curved, which lost some of the original sketch's characteristics. I also might play more with brush thickness and read some tutorials to learn more about using the Wacom.

My left hand vectorized and then colored with mild effects.

After you've created your lines, experiment with coloring the lines, background, and adding subtle effects. It's often good to see what different feeling you can get by adding just a few changes, as shown above right.

Keep in mind the focus of this assignment isn't perfection, but to practice. To build habits and experience that help you grow as an artist.

Taking This Further

After you've draw your hand multiple times and you're getting bored with the subject, then grab some objects around the house. Coffee cups, plants, pencil holders, staplers, just about anything could make a good subject for a contour drawing.

There are of course more methods to contour drawing. Blind Contour drawing is something I recommend you try. If you were to take a drawing class the teacher would likely have you do this during an in class session. Long term it's a great way to warm up to begin a drawing session.

Blind contour drawing is a little weird, but it's a great way to get better at drawing quickly. It's the same as contour drawing, in that you're capturing edges, however you don't look at your paper - that's the weird part. So of course the final drawing won't turn out perfect (just accept that and consider this practice drawing, which it is), but you'd be surprised at some of the details you can capture while intensely focused on your subject. It really teaches you to see detail and capture it.

Share Your Work

Once you have a contour drawing you're happy with vectorize it, export a final JPG, and then share it with the community by uploading it to the Vectortuts+ Flickr group . Be sure to tag your upload as "vtassignment-contourdrawing" so we can see everyones uploads together, which will make it easier for everyone to comment on each other's work. You're welcome to link to your work in the comments below as well. I'd love to see what everyone puts together.

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How to Draw Contour Line Art: 4 Key Steps

General Education

Have you heard about contour line art but aren’t sure what it is? The good news is that you’ve likely already made dozens, maybe even hundreds, of contour line drawings throughout your life without realizing it! Contour drawing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your hand-eye coordination and drawing skills.

In this guide, we explain what contour lines in art are and how you make contour line art. We also suggest different contour drawing exercises so you can keep improving your skills.

What Is Contour Line Drawing?

Contour line art is a method of drawing where you draw only the outline of an object, without any shading. “Contour” actually means “outline” in French, which is where the name comes from. For example, if you wanted to do a contour line drawing of a pear, you’d simply draw the outline of the pear, add a stem, and stop there. Some contour drawings will include outlines of important interior shapes (such as wrinkles in cloth or objects on a bookshelf), but contour drawings will never contain shading or minute details.

Because you’re focusing on just the shape of an object and not any minor details, contour line art is a great drawing method for beginning artists as well as those looking for some quick drawing exercises. Children, as well as people without a lot of experience drawing, typically make contour line drawings without realizing it, simply because this method is one of the easiest and quickest ways to begin drawing.

However, just because contour line art is easy to start doesn’t mean it’s only meant for beginner artists or those who don’t have the skills to do more detailed drawings. Contour line art has many uses, even for highly-experienced artists. Many artists will begin a project with a contour line drawing to get a quick sense of the piece’s composition, then they’ll later go back and add more details. Contour line art is also a good way to become more skilled at replicating the outline of an object and developing hand-eye coordination (which we’ll explain more about in the next section). If you can’t create strong and accurate outlines of an object, the piece will still look unfinished or slightly “off” even if you add in lots of details and embellishments.

Professional artists have used contour art for centuries. Cartoonists often use contour art in their finished pieces, the ancient Greeks used it when decorating vases, and da Vinci frequently made contour line drawings when doing figure studies. It’s an essential skill that every artist should know and practice regularly.

The image on the left is an example of contour line art. The image on the right is NOT because it includes shading.

How to Draw Contour Lines in Art

In order to get the most from your contour line drawing practice, follow these four steps when making contour art.

Step 1: Choose What You’ll Draw and Gather Materials

For your first contour drawing, we recommend choosing just one object to draw, as this will be easier to focus on than several objects. Put the object or place your seat in a spot where you have a clear view of the object. For materials, you’ll need a drawing tool (pencil or charcoal is most common), and paper or a sketchpad. If you’re using loose paper, you may want to tape it to something so it doesn’t move around while you’re drawing. Now you’re ready to begin!

Step 2: Look at the Object

It may surprise you to learn that, when you’re drawing contour lines, you want to spend most of your time looking at the object itself, not at your sketchpad. This can be really difficult when you first start doing it, but that’s the point! Contour drawing forces you to really notice and work to replicate the outline of an object. It trains your hand to follow what your eye sees.

Start by spending about half your time looking at the object and half your time looking at your paper, and gradually work your way up to looking at the object 90% of the time. This will feel strange initially, and your first drawings will probably look a little wonky, but just keep practicing! As you develop your hand-eye coordination, it’ll feel much more natural, and your drawing skills will improve as a result.

You also want to make sure that you’re capturing as much detail of the object’s outlines as possible. If there’s a notch or a warp in the object, make sure your drawing represents that. Contour art is all about replicating the form of an object as closely as possible.

Step 3: Draw Long, Continuous Lines

Many people new to contour art begin by drawing lots of short lines because they aren’t used to not looking at their paper, and they don’t want to make too big of a mistake by drawing a long line that doesn’t follow the object’s lines.  However, you’ll improve your drawing skills more if you draw fewer, longer lines. Drawing longer lines, especially without looking at your paper, improves your hand-eye coordination and helps you become more confident when drawing.

Step 4: Go Slow and Steady

It can be tempting to rush through contour drawing exercises, especially if you’re used to drawing detailed pieces where the outline is only the first step. Remind yourself to slow down and concentrate on replicating the outline of the object as perfectly as you can.

At the same time, don’t freeze up while you’re drawing. Especially when you first begin contour drawing, you may feel tempted to take breaks to compare your drawing to the actual object. Resist this urge! Remember, you want to spend very little time looking at your paper and more time looking at the object. Just concentrate on closely observing the object, keep drawing steadily, and pause and critique your work once you’ve finished.

There’s no “correct” amount of time to spend on a contour drawing, and it’ll likely depend on what you’re drawing. However, about 5 to 20 minutes per drawing is average.

Contour Line Drawing Practice Exercises

Now it’s time to put all this new art knowledge to the test! In this section are eight contour line drawing exercises you can do to improve your drawing and observation skills.

#1: Make a Contour Drawing of Your Hand

If you aren’t sure where to start with contour line art, start with something right in front of you! Hands are a very common object to do a contour drawing of, so once you finish, you can look online or in art books for lots of other examples of contour drawings of hands to compare to your own piece. When you’re drawing, remember to aim to look at your paper only 10% of the time.

#2: Copy a Contour Line Drawing by Another Artist

If you’re still getting the hang of contour art and are not quite sure how to tackle a real-world object, start by replicating another artist’s contour line drawing. Remember to look more at the object than at your paper, and focus on replicating the lines as closely as possible.

#3: Do a Blind Contour Drawing

A blind contour drawing means that you don’t look at your paper at all--not even for a single second--from the time you begin your drawing until the time you finish. Cover your canvas or sketchpad if you need to. Expect your drawing to look a little funny, especially if it’s your first time doing a blind drawing, but this is a great way to improve those hand-eye-coordination skills and learn to really focus on whatever it is you’re drawing.

#4: Draw the Outline of an Object With One Continuous Line

This takes the concept of drawing long lines even further. For this exercise, you’ll draw the object in one continuous line, never lifting your pencil from the paper until the outline is complete. Again, these drawings will look strange at first, but as you practice, you’ll improve your drawing skills and your ability to recreate the lines you see in real life.

#5: Make Five Contour Line Drawings in Less Than One Minute Each

Sometimes you just need a quick exercise to get your creative juices flowing, and contour art, because it doesn’t get into the details of objects, is great for this. This exercise involves drawing five contour line pieces in less than five minutes. You can draw five different objects, draw the same object five times, or a combination. Because you’re only spending a minute on each object, you’ll need to be able to replicate its form quickly but accurately.

#6: Draw an Object You Know Really Well

Choose something you’re very familiar with, such as a favorite childhood toy, the dresser that you’ve looked at every day of your life, or even a pet or friend, and make a contour line drawing of the object. This may be harder than you think. Because you know the object so well, you may be tempted to add in lots of detail, but remember, contour art focuses on the outer edges of the object. This is a good way to remember what’s important in contour art and what you don’t include.

#7: Use Cross Contouring to Add Dimension

Cross-contour lines are a way to add depth to your contour drawings without adding shading. To add them, you’ll draw parallel lines that run across the object, similar to those you might see on a topographic map.  See examples here.

Cross-contour lines will help improve your observational skills and learn more about the rules of perspective by requiring you to pay close attention to the outlines of an object and how the lines run across it. The parts of the object that are closer to you will have cross-contour lines closer together, while the more distant parts of the object will have lines further apart.

#8: Draw an Object That's Upside Down

Once you’ve gotten the hang of contour line art, try drawing an object upside down! You won’t be able to rely on your memory as much since the object will be flipped, so this will exercise really force you to pay attention to the object’s form as you observe it.

Summary: Contour Line Art

Contour line definition art is a great way for any artist, whether beginning or advanced, to hone their drawing and observation skills. Contour line drawing involves only drawing the outline of an object, without any shading. When you do contour lines in art, you should spend the majority of the time looking at the object, not your paper, in order to improve your hand-eye coordination and really get a good sense of what the object looks like. Once you feel comfortable with the basics, there are many contour line art exercises you can try out to keep growing your skills!

What's Next?

Are you making an art portfolio to apply to art schools?  Check out our guide to learn everything your art portfolio must include to stand out from the crowd!

Now that you know how to create a portfolio, are you wondering what art programs you should apply to? Check out our guide on the best art schools in the United States!  

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Inspiring Creativity: 24 Line Art Activities For Kids

April 12, 2023 //  by  Seda Unlucay

From simple line exercises to intricate patterns, these 24-line art projects encourage children to explore different techniques, materials, and styles. They are designed to offer a diverse range of projects suitable for kids of all ages, skill levels, and interests. As kids experiment with various types of lines and compositions, they will develop problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and artistic confidence. Dive into these engaging line art activities and watch your students’ creativity flourish!

1. Elements of Art Scavenger Hunt

In this scavenger hunt activity, kids search for various line types in their surroundings, art galleries, or works of various artists. Children can gain an understanding of the role of line in visual art by exploring its versatility in expressing movement, structure, emotion, form, energy, and tone. 

Learn More: Childhood 101

2. Art Project with Lines

Let kids unleash their inner artist by creating shapes with repeating lines while exploring repetition in art. This simple yet effective activity is suitable for kindergarten and first-grade students, providing instant gratification while requiring minimal materials. 

Learn More: Art Is Basic

3. Line Art With Dynamic Colors

Guide children to practice scissor-cutting skills by creating various lines and shapes from colored construction paper. This fun project  encourages creativity and improves fine motor skills while teaching kids about the connection between lines and shapes

Learn More: Playdough to Plato

4. Line Art With Floral Designs 

For this simple, hands-on activity, children draw a large flower, create a border around it, and divide the background into sections with lines. They then fill each section with different line patterns or doodles. Finally, they color the flower and background using their favorite art mediums. 

Learn More: Ms. Artastic

5. Abstract Line Drawings

This directed drawing activity helps children follow multi-step instructions and develop fine motor skills. Kids begin by drawing different horizontal lines with a black marker on white construction paper. Next, they fill the paper with various lines using watercolors, creating a visual masterpiece they can show off with pride!

Learn More: Carmel Mountain Preschool

6. Geometric Simple Line Drawings

Geometric line art is a fun and educational activity where kids connect dots using a pen or pencil and a ruler to create beautiful designs with straight lines. This activity enhances their understanding of geometric shapes and requires only simple supplies and printable worksheets, making it easy to set up and enjoy.

Learn More: It’s Always Autumn

7. Name Line Art

Invite students to create personalized artwork featuring their name by experimenting with various line styles and techniques. Children will develop confidence in drawing and self-expression while learning about lines as a fundamental element in art.

8. Line Art Exercises for Art Students

The optical illusion-based hand art activity involves tracing a child’s hand on paper and drawing horizontal lines across the page, with arches over the traced hand and fingers. It’s a compelling way to develop their concentration abilities and boost spatial awareness while creating unique artwork. 

Learn More: Candace Ashment

9. Paper Line Sculptures

For this 3D, textured activity, kids work with pre-cut paper strips to create paper line sculptures. The project helps develop fine motor skills, introduces different types of lines, and teaches paper manipulation, all while exploring the concept of sculpture.

10. Line Art Collage

Students begin this striking art project by painting vertical lines on one side of a piece of paper and drawing horizontal lines on the other side. Once dry, have them cut along the drawn lines and reassemble the pieces on a black background, leaving gaps to emphasize different line types. 

Learn More: Use Your Coloured Pencils

11. Crazy Hair Line Art Portraits 

This zany and fun idea invites kids to explore various types of lines while creating self-portraits with imaginative hairstyles. Begin by introducing different line types like straight, curvy, and zigzag before having kids draw a face and upper body. Finally, have them fill the rest of the space with different types of lines to form unique hairstyles. 

Learn More: Little Dots Education

12. One-Line Drawings

Students are sure to enjoy creating colorful drawings by making one continuous line that fills the entire paper. They then trace the shapes formed and fill them with a monochromatic color scheme using colored pencils. This project helps kids understand the definitions of line and shape while providing a calming moment during the busy school day.  

Learn More: Splish Splash Splatter Art

13. Spiral 3D Line Drawing 

In this striking line art activity, kids create a radial design by drawing intersecting straight lines and arcs using a ruler and compass. They then fill the shapes with different patterns using black ink. This is a wonderful way to teach kids the concepts of symmetry and radial balance.

Learn More: YouTube

14. Draw a Line Art Turtle

Kids will love drawing these adorable turtles using a black fine-tip marker. They can experiment with various patterns to fill the turtle shell, helping to establish a sense of freedom in art, where mistakes are celebrated as part of the creative process. 

Learn More: Deep Space Sparkle

15. Kindergarten Line Art Project

Have kids draw lines with a black crayon on white paper, creating various shapes and patterns. Next, have them color some spaces with crayons and fill in areas using different types of lines, like dots and crosses. Finally, invite them to paint the remaining spaces with watered-down tempera paints or watercolors. 

Learn More: Art Lessons For Kids

16. Doodle Line Art 

For this doodle art activity, kids draw a continuous, loopy line with a black marker on white paper, creating various shapes. They then color the shapes with crayons, markers, colored pencils, or paint. This activity helps kids practice coloring within lines and can serve as a relaxing and mindfulness-based activity. 

Learn More: Craft Corner DIY

17. Graphic Line Drawings

Using markers, paper, and paint, kids create graphic squares by drawing a simple grid on paper and filling each section with various shapes, lines, and patterns. Coloring with waterproof markers or watercolor paints adds vibrancy to their artwork. The activity can be further enhanced with black construction paper strips for a more dramatic effect. 

18. Optical Illusion Art with Lines

In this line art activity , children create a series of “doodle circles” by drawing circles on paper and filling them with various patterns and designs. This activity encourages self-expression and can be completed using various art materials, allowing for diverse outcomes and plenty of artistic exploration. 

19. Draw Emotions with Lines

In this activity, kids draw emotions using lines with oil pastels on paper. They start by scribbling, imagining their hand as an animal leaving marks. Next, they select emotions and corresponding colors, then draw lines representing each emotion. 

Learn More: Thirsty For Art

20. Experiment with Line Drawing Exercises

Have kids engage in these four straight-line drawing exercises to improve their line control with colored pencils and other dry media. Kids will practice drawing parallel lines, graduated parallel lines, hatching lines, and value shift parallel lines. These exercises are fun, and easy, and can enhance kids’ creativity while improving their pencil control.

Learn More: Carrie Lewis

21. Hand Line Design Lesson

Have kids create a continuous line drawing by drawing an object without lifting the pen from the paper. They can start with simple shapes before gradually moving to complex ones. This activity encourages kids to develop observation skills, boosts creativity, and improves hand-eye coordination while offering a fun and engaging drawing experience.

22. Drawing Bottles With Parallel Lines

In this line art activity , students create a three-dimensional visual effect using parallel lines. They draw large bottles with a pencil, then use felt-tip pens in a sequence of three or four colors to fill the bottles with parallel lines. For the background, students draw curved, parallel lines with different color sequences. This activity develops their understanding of colors, and positive-negative space while creating the illusion of volume.

Learn More: Arte Scuola

23. Contour Line Rainbow Shapes

Invite students to create contour line rainbow blobs using watercolor and marker techniques. Have them start by drawing eight circles in pencil and filling them with analogous colors using wet-on-wet watercolor and marker wash techniques. After the water dries, students can trace the circles with contour lines, creating an interesting visual effect. Finally, they can add shadows with a pencil and shading stump. 

Learn More: Tabitha Ann

24. Expressive Line Art

In this line art activity, students create layered line designs by drawing various types of lines from one edge of the page to another, keeping them thin. They add more overlapping lines for depth and use paint to create a strong contrast between lines and negative space. This activity encourages spatial awareness, and pattern recognition while producing a striking result.

Learn More: Dealey Arts

Drafting Conventions: Line Types, Symbols, and Techniques

Lines and technique.

In the design industry, there are standardized line types and correct techniques to be used for producing professionally hand drafted drawings. In this chapter we will study what constitutes good drafting technique for each line type.

Line Quality

Line quality refers to how good the lines on a drawing look. When drafting, we want to achieve good line quality and have a professionally drafted drawing. All lines must be consistent and accurate. All corners need to be crisp with no gaps or extended lines. There are drafting techniques we can use to achieve professionally drafted drawings.

Line Weight

Line weight refers to the thickness of the line. Each line has a level of importance on a drawing. The thicker the line, the more important it is, and your attention is drawn to that first. This importance is often referred to as the line hierarchy. For example, a wall line should be thicker than a door swing line and the casing of a window would be thicker than the glazing in the window.

• Think thick and thin for the lines. The line should be proper thickness in accordance with its importance on a drawing.
• Good line weight can be achieved by rotating your lead holder away from you slowly with your thumb while pulling the lead holder at an angle across the vellum against the parallel bar or T-square.
• If you do not rotate your pencil the lead can become flat which creates a line that is not uniform in thickness. The goal is to have a line of uniform thickness from end to end.
• The lines should be dark with the correct thickness from end to end.
• All corners must be closed with no lines overlapping.
• Always use the eraser shield to erase any extra lines or double lines on the drawing. It helps prevent you from accidentally erasing an adjacent line and wasting time redrawing the line.
• Use your drafting brush to remove any eraser crumbs. Do not use your hand to brush them off, as this can smear the lead on your drawing. A drafting brush will help keep your drawing clean with no dark lead smudges.

Lines on a drawing have their own special meaning and purpose. Standardized line types were developed for use in the industry. These line types are referred to as the Alphabet of Lines. Each line type should exhibit a certain thickness on a finished drawing, known as line weight. The thickness relates to the importance of the line on a drawing. The typical leads used are H, 2H, 4H (2 mm), and/or 0.03 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.07 mm, and 0.09 mm. Line weight on a drawing varies from a thin line to a thicker line. The line types typically used on NKBA drawings are illustrated in Figure 1.

Visible Object Lines

Visible object lines, shown on Figure 2, define the main outline of objects. On a floor plan, items include walls, cabinets, counter, flooring, furniture, some appliances, and any other item not covered or hidden in any way. The lines for visible objects will vary in weight and thickness in accordance with the object’s importance on a drawing. Walls typically are drawn as thicker visible object lines. Lines for cabinets, fixtures, and other items are drawn with a medium thin yet dark line. Wall lines are thicker than door lines. The door line isn’t lighter but may look lighter since it is a thinner line. No matter how thick or thin a line is, it needs to be dark enough to be visible when the drawing is reproduced.

Typically a 0.9 mm lead is used to produce the thick line, 0.5 mm lead is used for a medium line, and 0.3 mm lead is used for the thinnest line. For the standard 2 mm lead holder, the H lead produces a thicker line and 4H produces a thinner line. With the standard leads, the lead necessary to produce a particular line thickness will vary with the user, tooth of the vellum (roughness), and the pressure applied while drawing. Most draftspeople use a range from H to 4H. Many prefer to use a 2H for drafting the object lines with a 2 mm standard lead holder (see Figure 1).

Fixture Lines

Fixture line is a term often used for the lines that form the shapes of kitchen, laundry, and bathroom fixtures and appliances. A fixture line is thinner than a wall line, which allows the viewer to properly distinguish between items.

Hidden Object Lines (Hidden Lines)

Hidden object lines (hidden lines) show edges and surfaces that are not visible but are hidden below a visible surface. Lines for the base cabinets are drawn as hidden object lines since they are below the counter surface. We typically do not indicate the toekick or shelving, as doing so would make a drawing too busy. The hidden line for the base cabinets on a floor plan ends where the front of the wall cabinet line begins. Objects in an island, such as cabinets and appliances that are below the counter surface, must be indicated with a hidden object line as well. A half wall supporting a counter such as an eating bar would also need to be dashed as it is under the counter surface.

Hidden lines are drawn with short dashes 1/8″ (3 mm) long. The spacing between dashes is 1/32″ (1 mm). The adjoining hidden lines must touch each other at corners and also touch the solid line if it intersects. To ensure a clear definition of lines and corners, there should be no gaps. These lines should be a medium line weight.

Overhead Lines

Overhead lines represent objects above the floor plan cutting plane line at the ceiling plane. These include items such as skylights, soffits, extensive moldings, and the like. Overhead lines are thin, dark, long-dash lines (¼″ to ⅜″ in length) to make them distinguishable from the dashed line of base cabinets or pony wall, under a countertop.

Dimension Lines

Dimension lines are used to show all of the necessary dimensions and clearances on a drawing. Dimension lines run parallel to object lines and show distances with a size dimension. On an NKBA drawing, dimension lines have the numerical dimension in the line itself. All dimensions for NKBA drawings are indicated in inches (cm) and fractions of an inch (mm). The dimensions are placed in the line and are positioned so all can be read from the bottom of the drawing. This method is referred to as “read from the bottom”. Another acceptable method for dimensioning has the horizontal dimensions read from the bottom of plan and the vertical dimensions read from the right side of the plan. This method is referred to as “read from the right.” Both methods are used in the kitchen and bath industry. In AIA standard drawings, dimensions are placed above the line. Dimension lines on NKBA drawings are spaced at a minimum of 3/16″ (5 mm) apart, with ½″ (12 mm) spacing most commonly used. Chapter 5 discusses dimensioning techniques.

The dimension line itself is drawn as a thin dark line. It is thinner than the object lines so there is no confusion between the two. The dimension line ends at the intersection point of the extension line (witness line) by 1/8″ (3 mm). Leads used are the 2 mm, 2H, or 4H, 0.25 mm or 0.3/0.5 mm. Again, for NKBA standard drawings the dimension must be placed in the dimension line and for AIA standard drawings the dimension is placed above the dimension line (see Figure 1).

Extension Lines (Witness Lines)

Extension lines extend out from the visible object line of the walls or objects and are used to terminate the dimension lines. Extension lines are thin, solid dark lines. The extension line must not touch the wall or object and should have a 1/16″ (1.6 mm) to 1/8″ (3 mm) gap from wall or object line. In the industry, a 45-degree slash is used to terminate dimension lines. Dimension lines can extend 1/8″ (3 mm) past extension lines or end at extension lines. For horizontal dimensions, the slash goes from bottom left to upper right. For vertical dimensions, the slashes go from upper left to bottom right (see Figure 1).

Centerlines

The centerline is used when dimensioning to locate the centerpoints of appliances and fixtures on NKBA drawings. This helps ensure proper installation of plumbing and electrical items. The centerline is also used to place the centerpoints of new windows on the construction plan. Centerlines are drawn with alternating long and short dashes, with a symbol at the end, identifying it as a centerline.

Cutting Plane Lines

Cutting plane lines on a drawing show where a cut or slice has been made to create a section view. The cutting plane line is a thick, dark line with arrows on the ends to show the direction where the section was taken on the drawing. The line is either a series of dashes of equal length or a series of long and short dashes. If the symbol has two arrows, it refers to a section drawing. If it has only one arrow, it refers to a detail drawing.

Section Lines

Section lines on a drawing indicate a surface that has been cut or sliced in a section view. Section lines are thin lines drawn parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle and spaced evenly at 1/16″ (1.6 mm) apart to 1/8″ (3 mm) apart. Section lines are also referred to as hatching. A section view/drawing is often used to show the interior components of an item, such as a cabinet; it can also show how something is constructed.

Break Lines

Long break lines are most commonly used to indicate where a part of the drawing was removed or not drawn in its entirety. The break line is often used on a wall to indicate that the wall continues on. Break lines can be used for many different items on a floor plan, section, or other drawings. Short break lines have the same purpose as long break lines. They show where an item on a drawing would continue on (see Figure 1).

Leader Lines

Leader lines are very useful for placing text or a dimension in a limited space on a drawing and for adding specific notes pertaining to the drawing. The leader line can be a straight line or curved. There are several acceptable types of leader lines used on a drawing.

Leader lines typically have an arrow at one end and a note for the drawing at the other end. Several types of leader lines are acceptable. The leader is a thin dark line (see Figure 1).

Construction Lines/Layout Lines

Construction lines or layout lines are very light lines that are used to assist the draftsperson with drawing and placing object lines. These lines are drawn lightly and are easily erased if necessary.

Guidelines are light lines used for architectural lettering on a drawing. These lines are drawn lightly and are not meant to be erased. A lettering guide or Ames Lettering Guide is most often used to draw these guidelines. The guidelines will regulate the height of letters so that they are consistent on a drawing. Lettering on drawings will need to vary in height depending on its purpose, guidelines will assist in properly setting those heights.

The borderline is the heaviest line found on a drawing. This is the line drawn around the perimeter of the vellum. It should be located ½″ in from the edge of the vellum. Title block vellums have the borderline preprinted. If you do not have preprinted vellum, you may draw the borderline and titleblock on every drawing sheet All drawings should have a borderline and titleblock. Figure 3 summarizes line types found on drawings.

Tips for a Professionally Drafted Drawing

Follow these tips for good drafting techniques that will result in professional-looking drawings.

• Close all gaps at corners. Drawing should have crisp corners.
• Erase any extra lines or double lines using an eraser shield.
• Rotate your lead holder slowly while drawing the line to achieve consistent line weight (thickness).
• Use appropriate line weights for line importance on a drawing.
• Lift the parallel bar when moving it so it does not smudge lines.
• Always use a drafting brush and never your hand to remove eraser crumbs.
• To prevent lines from smudging, place a piece of tracing paper over the completed part of drawing when drafting an adjacent area so your hand does not rest on the drawing itself.

Standard Symbols for Drawings

In the industry of design and architecture, standardized symbols are used to represent various elements found in drawings. These standardized symbols are understood by all trades and other individuals involved with the project. In the kitchen and bath industry, we use standardized symbols from the AIA on our floor plans and other related drawings.

Drawing standards are necessary for universal communication within the design industry. Each drawing in the set of NKBA plans has a great amount of important information needed for the design project. The symbols on a drawing represent elevation and section references, construction and building elements such as windows, doors, walls, appliances, fixtures, lighting, electrical components, flooring, and the like. Each different drawing within the set of plans has its own purpose and symbols to represent items specific to that drawing.

For example, the mechanical/electrical plan shows the mechanical and electrical components on that drawing. If these components were placed on the floor plan, it would be far too busy and could be confusing to interpret. On a construction plan, we show the symbols for walls to be removed, existing walls to remain, openings to be closed and new walls to be constructed. Construction plan symbols would be too much information to be used on a floor plan. There are symbols specifically used for floor plans, elevations, mechanical/electrical plans, construction plans, and other drawings.

Wall Symbols

Two techniques are used to draw the walls on an NKBA floor plan. The walls typically are just two thicker lines representing the sides of a wall and are not filled in, or they can be pochéd solid. The term poché (po-shay) means to draw a repetitive pattern to represent the material texture of a particular item. For example, when a wall is pochéd, it is drawn with the appropriate symbol such as a solid black wall. A pochéd wall can be filled in with lead or black ink. However, because filling in the opening by hand is very time-consuming, open walls are used most often.

In a plan, if there is a half-wall or wall that does not touch the ceiling, a note must be placed by the wall stating the height of that wall. If it is a half-wall under a surface, such as a counter, the wall would be drawn with a hidden line, with a note of the wall height.

Walls are drawn to scale, in the thickness that represents how they are constructed (i.e. wood stud walls with gypsum board cladding). Typical existing interior walls are 4½-inch (114mm) thick and exterior walls are 6-inch (152mm) thick.

The following walls symbols are typically used for construction plans. Construction plans show any changes made to the existing walls. Newly constructed walls should indicate the type of material used in construction (see Figures 4).

Door Symbols

Each door type has its own symbol that is standard in the industry. The floor plan symbols represent the type of door (i.e. pocket door, bi-fold door, swinging door, etc.) and how it opens into the given space. The door thickness, hinging (or swing), and casing should be indicated on the floor plan. The door is drawn to scale and is the same length as the opening. It is standard in the industry to draw the swing of the door on the floor plan with a 90-degree opening. The door may be drawn at a 45-degree opening if there is an adjacent door. Typically, when placing the door on a floor plan, it should open into the room and open against the wall or tall cabinet.

A door schedule is only required with new doors. The door schedule is a table that lists all specifics for doors in regard to size, quantity, hinging, manufacturer, and other important information. New doors are indicated by a letter in a circle placed inside each door opening on the floor plan and cross-referenced in the door schedule. If there is only one new door, the schedule information can be indicated directly on the floor plan in note form. Figures 13 show typical door symbols used on kitchen and bathroom drawings.

Window Symbols

Each type of window is represented by its own symbol. On a floor plan, the type of window must be indicated as well as the casing. Sills typically are not shown unless a particular interior treatment is to be used, or this information can be added in a note. An elevation shows how the window will look in two dimensions on the wall height above floor, wall space on left and right side.

For an operable window, it is optional to indicate the direction of the active panel. The active panel and direction of movement is indicated with a dashed line. Glass block is shown as a series of squares or rectangles with a listing in the specifications. Skylights are shown using long dashed overhead lines and are labeled inside the symbol. All pertinent information should be referenced at the side of the window or off to the side of the drawing, on a legend you create. Figure 14 shows typical window symbols you will find on a floor plan. Glass block is shown as well.

Stair and Ramp Symbols

Stair symbols represent the various types of stairs found in residential construction. A directional arrow placed on the stair symbol indicates the direction of the stairs. The direction either “UP” or “DOWN” is also written by the arrow. The direction would be from the given floor to the direction the stairs go. A break line often is used to indicate that the stairs continue to another floor. Most draftspeople draw all treads on the plan. Indicate the direction of the slope with an arrow leading from the main floor area to the secondary area and the word “UP” or label “DOWN” if the direction of stairs goes down from the referenced floor (see Figure 15).

Elevator Symbols

Elevators and hydraulic lifts are indicated with an “x” inside the outline of the item. The “x” is used to indicate that the unit runs through the entire space beyond the floor and/or ceiling. Include the appropriate door symbol to show the elevator opening (see Figure 16).

Kitchen Appliance and Kitchen Fixture Symbols

There are standardized symbols for kitchen appliances and fixtures. The floor plan symbols are drawn as representations of how the item looks in plan view. Some manufacturers have templates with appliances and fixtures on them. You also can duplicate images of the appliances by using shapes found on a geometric template. Figure 17 shows typical kitchen appliance symbols and fixtures found on the floor plan.

Appliances must be labeled on a drawing for identification. Typically, a circled number is placed on or by the appliance. This circled number is also placed in the specifications on the right side of the drawing with a description of the item. The number on the plan and information in the specifications must cross-reference one another. Some designers prefer to include a label with the name of appliance on the floor plan next to the item. Make sure there is enough room for the description so the drawing doesn’t become too cluttered. Chapter 5 presents additional information regarding the specifications.

Indicating the appliance door swings on the floor plan with a dashed line is optional. This technique shows the appliance door clearances within the space on the floor plan. The NKBA Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines show recommendations for appliance door clearances to create a functional workspace.

Bathroom Fixture Symbols

Bathroom spaces also have standardized symbols used for floor plans (see Figure 18). These include fixtures (i.e. lavatories, toilets, tubs and showers, fittings, grab bars, accessories, and more). The symbols are identified by a circled number and cross-referenced in the specifications on the right side of floor plan drawing or may be labeled on the floor plan if there is enough space for the lettering.

Flooring Symbols

Flooring symbols for the material used may be indicated on the floor plan. The acceptable technique is to draw a partial example of the flooring. Note that the entire space does not need to be drawn with the symbol. Rather, fade out the symbol at the edges, to end drawing the flooring symbol. Indicate the description in the specifications on the right side of drawing. If there is not enough room on the drawing to provide a good indication of the material to be used, it is best to leave the material symbol off of the drawing and to provide a separate drawing for flooring details including transitions to other types of flooring this will prevent any confusion.

Mechanical Symbols

Kitchen and bathroom mechanical plans have specific standardized symbols used to indicate the lighting, electrical, plumbing, heating, and ventilation. It is very important to use these symbols accurately because professional tradespeople must be able to interpret your drawing and install items in exact specified locations. Every symbol on the floor plan must be cross-referenced with the symbols in the mechanical legend. Although the list of symbols is extensive, sometimes with ever-changing technology, a symbol does not exist for a new specified item and a new one will need to be created. Most symbols found in Figures 22 to 26 are consistent with the AIA’s Architectural Graphic Standards Manual. However, some symbols are unique to the NKBA to keep up with changes to the products that kitchen and bath designers must specify. Occasionally you may encounter a product and may not be sure of the correct symbol. If a resource fails to provide you with the correct symbol, you may need to create your own. When creating a symbol, you must describe it in the mechanical plan legend. Do not take this as permission to develop your own set of mechanical symbols.

Keep in mind that there are several acceptable industry symbols for some items. Company protocol may dictate which one to use. The following pages include mechanical symbols seen on most kitchen and bath drawings. Next to each symbol is a description and picture of the item.

Graphic Symbols

Symbols are placed on t=he floor plan to indicate that an elevation drawing and/or a section drawing is available (see Figure 28). These symbols link drawings together. The title symbol is used for the title of a drawing. This will indicate the number assigned to the drawing.

For the elevation symbol a circle with an arrow is used. The arrow points to the wall for which the elevation was drawn and where the viewer would look. The elevation is a two-dimensional drawing and shows exactly what is placed on that wall.

The detail symbol locates the area or component that is drawn to a larger scale to show how the item is constructed. The number of the drawing and the number of the sheet where the drawing can be found are placed in the circle.

For the section symbol, a circle is used with a long line that cuts through the area where the section is. The number above the line in the circle indicates the number of the drawing. The number below the line indicates the page it is found on. The section can be located on the floor plan or an elevation depending on where the cut was made. Note the symbol for a horizontal cut and a vertical cut.

Using standardized symbols for all drawings in a set of plans helps with communication among all trades, allied professionals, and clients. The AIA has standard symbols typically used in the industry. There are some variations of certain symbols that are also acceptable in the design industry. Line quality on a hand-drafted drawing is important. Line weight helps the viewer to better understand the details of the space. A hierarchy of lines exists, along with recommended line weights. The leads designers use can vary depending on which lead better meets their needs for producing the desired line thickness.

The types of lines are standardized and must be used in their proper locations on the drawings. The centerline is very important for kitchen and bath design. It denotes the center points of appliances and fixtures necessary for proper installation.

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Lines of All Kinds

Categories *Grades 3-5 , *K-2 , *Preschool , Drawing , Painting

Home » Art Lessons » Drawing » Lines of All Kinds

Students will learn about lines as they create a colorful picture using a variety of lines.

By: Amy Brown and KinderArt

Learning Objectives:

• To introduce students to the names of different kinds of lines.
• To introduce students to the vocabulary words: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal.
• To give students the opportunity to paint with many colors within the boundaries of the lines they create.

What You Need:

• Paper 12″ x 18″
• Oil Pastels
• Tempera Paint (cakes or lique
• Line Variety Handout

What You Do:

Talk about the different kinds of lines – straight, angled, curly, etc. (see diagram)

Introduce the words horizontal (when a line runs side to side, like the horizon), vertical (when a line runs up and down) and diagonal (when a line runs on an angle).

Have the students draw different types of lines on their papers using oil pastels. Do this by saying out loud the type of line and the direction to draw the line.

When each line is complete, ask the children to switch to a new color to get ready for the next line.

Once the lines have been drawn, children fill in the spaces between the lines using brightly colored tempera paints.

About the Art Teacher

Amy Brown teaches art to students from K-5. She received a Masters of Art in Teaching in 2008 and her favorite activities outside of school are gardening, photography, reading, painting, spending time with her family. Find out more at Mrs. Brown’s Art Class.

Lesson reprinted with permission.

thank you so much for sharing your knowledge or expertise about the elements of arts. your website is very helpful good day ahead.

Thank you so much. As a 2nd/3rd grade teacher who only taught the core subjects, and has to teach ART virtually because of the pandemic, this was most helpful.

Teaching little learners lines fits well Call of the Horizon Day on July 9th – especially with understanding horizontal lines. This activity is so colorful and fun. It makes me want to break out the oil pastels and tempera paints so I can jump right in and create. Thank you for sharing your colorful and imaginative JOY!

I’m so glad you like it! Thank you for the kind words 🙂

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by JuliannaKunstler.com

Students learn about Line as an Element of Art and emotional qualities of line.

Essential questions

• Can a line represent emotions, sounds and other concepts?
• What are the two types of line?
• Does color help to express abstract concepts?

assignment details

Using only abstract lines, create a design, that would represents the following concepts:

a sound of an approaching train

a taste of a hot pepper

a smell of a fresh baked apple pie

a feeling of loneliness

a feel of a lamb skin

a sound of an alarm clock at 5:30 am

Do not draw the objects, draw sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes!

Close your eyes

Think of the first reaction to the statement.

What emotions does it evoke?

If this is a sound - what is a rhythm of it? Is there a pattern to it? Is it loud... soft... aggressive.... comforting...?

If this is a feeling or emotion - is it positive or negative? How does it make YOU feel?

If this is a taste or an abstract concept - what comes to mind when you think about it?

If you were to represent the feel of that sentence visually... what types of line would you use?

Sketch your ideas.

Use lines: thin, thick, straight, curved, solid, interrupted. Think of a rhythm, emphasis or pattern, contrast and how busy the design should be....

Then execute them using only lines.

There are no wrong answers here.... Just think...

similar assignment

Examples below are from this book by R. & J. Wilde " Visual Literacy" ISBN 0-8230-5620-1