Line Assignment

Due: February 18th

Line has infinite possibilities in art. Whether we are looking at the detailed sketchbooks of Michelangelo or the monumental sculptures of Richard Serra, the importance of line cannot be overemphasized. In these drawings we will explore line and it’s expressive qualities.

Choose an image that appeals to you. This image will be drawn on your Bristol pad, so you may want to choose an image that is large, or can be blown up for ease of transfer to the page. The image needs to be a photograph that focuses on a single subject, and the subject needs to be more or less centered on the page. The subject can be anything: a car, a person, a dog, a building, etc. Make sure the image is a photo, not a cartoon, drawing, or digitally created picture and that the image has a definite focus, without a lot of peripheral information.

From this image we are going to create two drawings. The first will be divided up into 4 equal quadrants. Each quadrant will deal exclusively with one of these types of line:
Vertical
Horizontal
Diagonal
Dots (pointillism)

Each quadrant should demonstrate a firm understanding of the type of line while being distinctly different from the adjacent quadrants, and creative exploration in translating the line from the image to the drawing.

The second drawing will be of the same image, and will utilize all of the previous techniques, while incorporating implied line, contour line, and crosshatching (for texture). In this drawing individual line qualities must be apparent, and an understanding of how different lines work together to create a unified image.