Short Thick Body Type Drawing

Last Updated on March 17, 2022

When nosotros first picked upward 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 heart from one office of a piece of work to some other. Initially a machinery for getting outlines onto paper – identifying edges – nosotros begin to applaud lines for their ain merit: celebrate their presence…whether a quiet flick of charcoal on newspaper or a streak of graphite.

This article contains exercises for Art students who wish to produce contour line drawings, cross contour drawings, bullheaded drawings and other types of line drawings. Information technology is a education aid for loftier school Fine art students and includes classroom activities, a complimentary downloadable PDF worksheet and inspirational artist drawings.

Bullheaded Profile Drawing

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

Bullheaded Cartoon Exercises: Bullheaded drawing is an excellent way to start a high school Fine Art programme. Cartoon wobbly lines that bear footling resemblance to the called object is relaxing and stress-free. Often, a classroom bubbling with laughter at the unexpected results. Blind cartoon stretches the arms and soul; eases y'all into observational drawing without fear.

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

Gesture Drawing / Timed Drawing / Move Drawing

Definition: A gesture drawing is completed quickly – oftentimes in short timed durations, such as twenty, 30, 60 or xc seconds – using fast, expressive lines. Gesture drawings capture basic forms and proportions – the emotion and essence of a subject – without focusing on item. Due to their rapid completion, they are a great manner to tape move and activity, every bit well as increase your drawing speed, confidence and intuitive mark-making skill. Gesture drawings are best completed with smooth, hands 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, exist assuming with mark-making, and not worry about mistakes. As with blind drawings, gesture drawing is an ideal warm-upward activity.

Gesture Drawing Exercises: When you begin investigating your subject affair in the initial stage of a high school Fine art programme, information technology tin exist helpful to make several first-hand gestural drawings. The best of these can be selected for your concluding portfolio (taking advantage of a photocopier or digital camera to reduce in size, if necessary). A small notwithstanding life scene tin can be depicted simply equally easily as a large moving form.

A gesture cartoon past Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn:

This gestural drawing by Rembrandt is completed using cerise chalk on rough, textured paper. With just a few expressive lines, nosotros instantly recognise the scene: two women pedagogy 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: low-cal lines practical initially, with darker lines and hints of detail all that are needed.

Continuous Line Drawing

Definition: A continuous line cartoon is produced without always lifting the drawing instrument from the page. This means that, in improver 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 avert the temptation to erase lines, it can be helpful to complete a continuous line drawing with an ink pen, varying the line weight, every bit needed, to indicate perspective and areas of light and shadow. Like the cartoon methods described above, this cartoon method develops conviction and cartoon speed, and encourages your eyes and mitt and brain to work together. Continuous line drawings piece of work best with in-depth observation of your bailiwick, 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 Cartoon Exercises: This drawing method is great for sketchbooks and cartoon from life. It can be an excellent starter activity, with drawings completed on large, cheap 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, United kingdom:

This cute sketchbook folio contains several continuous line drawings, drawn from first-hand observation.

Contour cartoon

Definition: A contour cartoon shows the outlines, shapes and edges of a scene, but omits fine particular, surface texture, color 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 particular; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the minor details.

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

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

A contour drawing by Ultima Thule:

Modern line drawings by Ultima Thule: there is a slick contrast in this drawing between the sharp blackness lines and the dripping green. The awarding of colour to 1 area creates a dramatic focal point.

Cross contour drawing

Definition: A cross contour drawing contains parallel lines that encounter the surface of an object (or radiate from a key bespeak), such as those that announced on a topographical map or a digital wireframe. The lines tin 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 fatigued closer together in the altitude and further autonomously in the foreground. In this type of drawing, the illusion of three-dimensional book is created entirely with line.

Cantankerous Profile Drawing Exercises: This is an excellent way to proceeds familiarity with the volumes and three-dimensional forms in your project, producing belittling cross profile drawings that are suitable for sketchbooks or early on preparatory sheets.

Cross contour cartoon of a crush by Matt Louscher:

This fragile cross contour cartoon helps to communicate the bumpy surface of the beat out. Note how the shell pieces that are furthest away from the viewer are thin and low-cal, whereas those that are closest are darker and thicker. Notation besides how the management of the contour lines relates to the shape of object that is drawn, with lines projecting outwards from the heart of the crush.

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

Hands are a nifty subject for a cross profile line cartoon exercise. Easily can create interesting, complex, curving shapes, equally in the examples to a higher place, and are readily available for first-paw observation. Annotation how the density and weight of the line likewise helps to communicate areas of light and shadow.

Cantankerous profile drawings by Daniel Servin (left) and Alfred Manzano, completed while studying AP Studio Fine art at Mt Eden High Schoolhouse in Hayward, California, Usa:

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

A wireframe profile cartoon exercise by Yr 9 student Seonmin Lee from ACG Parnell Higher, Auckland, New Zealand:

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

Planar analysis drawing

Definition: A planar analysis drawing simplifies complex curved surfaces into apartment planes, using straight lines. This process helps students to remember 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 peachy introductory drawing practise, especially if you are moving towards Cubism or abstracting scenes into geometric form.

A planar analysis portrait completed past a pupil of True cat Normoyle:

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

Wire sculpture drawings

Definition: Wire tin can be cut and aptitude into shapes with pliers to create 3-dimensional 'drawings', frequently resulting in a work filled with flowing, curved lines. These wire sculptures can be attached to a 2-dimensional frame or a apartment surface, hung in the air, or be left gratis-standing, irresolute in advent every bit a viewer moves around the room. Due to their flexible nature, wire sculptures often move slightly in the current of air, calculation an extra interactive element to the work.

Wire Sculpture Line Drawing Exercise: This is an fantabulous action for middle school students and for high schoolhouse students, if it relates specifically to your projection (and does non interfere with postage requirements, for those who need to postal service piece of work away for assessment). Small wire experiments, using low-cal-weight wire, can too 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 piece of work from (this could also be an before observational drawing) makes the process of transferring from two-dimensional to three-dimensional much easier.

Hatching, cross hatching, and other line techniques

As well as representing contours, line can besides be used to employ 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 practical may remain constant inside a cartoon, or information technology may alter in response to the angle and direction of the forms. For instance, cross-hatching may menses effectually the surface of an object in a similar direction as cantankerous contour lines. These techniques are also a great mode to create the illusion of texture (see our article about observational drawings).

Line Techniques Worksheet: The worksheet below has been provided by the Student Fine art Guide for classroom use but and may be issued freely to students (credited to studentartguide.com), likewise equally shared via the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. Information technology may not be published online or shared or distributed in whatsoever other fashion, equally per our terms and conditions. The total size printable worksheet is bachelor by clicking the PDF link below. This worksheet is suitable for eye school students, or senior students who have not had prior experience with line techniques.

This worksheet introduces a range of line cartoon techniques and encourages students to invent their own (such every bit using the get-go letter of their name). It allows students to practice using these techniques and to apply tone to a range of simple geometric objects.

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

An Indian Ink nevertheless life drawing past Kirana Intraroon, completed while in Year ten at ACG Strathallan College, Auckland, New Zealand:

In this ink drawing, a small-scale grid experimenting with dissimilar line techniques has been included in the pinnacle left of the work. Some of these take been selected to apply tone to the work, carefully replicating reflection and shadow. This image was completed using a sharpened bamboo stick dipped in black ink.

An A* GCSE Art sketchbook page by Samantha Li:

In this sketchbook folio Samantha imitates and analyses a line drawing by Vincent van Gogh, discussing the suitability and appropriateness of each technique. Note that when learning from artists, it is rarely necessary to slavishly copy an entire work; replicating small pieces (as in this example) is often all that is needed.

A concluding GCSE Art piece past Hannah Armstrong:

This enormous pen cartoon of a Baryonyx dinosaur measures one.two x 2.one metres, and took over 70 hours to consummate. It was the dramatic decision to a Twelvemonth eleven high school Art project.

Artist line drawings

Hither is a drove of line drawings from famous and less well known artists, to inspire high school Fine art students and teachers. This section is continually updated. Savour!

Pablo Picasso:

Line drawings by Picasso: a series of drawings showing the progression from realistic form to a few curving lines. Tone and detail have been eliminated: the bull stripped back to its essence.

Andy Warhol:

Pop artist Andy Warhol is famous for his brightly coloured silkscreen artworks; however he was also a rampant drawer – oftentimes filling sketchbooks. He won many prizes for the drawings he produced in loftier school. The illustrations shown above – comprising of slightly smudged and blotchy black lines – accept Warhol's typical off-beat out style. They were completed using a basic printmaking technique: pressing sheets of newspaper into a wet ink cartoon, transferring the paradigm to the second sheet.

David Hockney:

Famous creative person David Hockey has produced many line drawings – frequently portraits. He draws in silence, with precision and care, moving a black ink pen across the newspaper apace. This portrait – a snapshot into Hockney'due south life – is entitled 'Eugene and Henry'.

Vincent van Gogh:

Most famous for his post-impressionist paintings, Vincent van Gogh also produced over a thousand drawings. In this pen and pencil line drawing, 'Cottages With a Woman Working in the Foreground', nosotros see the stylistic swirling of line in the trees and clouds that is so characteristic of his well-known paintings. Capturing the swirling of the trees and the move of the clouds, van Gogh represents the calorie-free falling across the textured mural with quick, confident mark-making.

Leonardo da Vinci:

These precise anatomical line drawings by famous artist Leonardo da Vinci prove the internal structure of a human scalp, skull and centre. Facial proportions are carefully mapped out and documented in the image to the right; the drawings surrounded by annotation and enlarged details.

Aaron Earley:

Cross-contour line drawings by Aaron Earley: graphite lines of diverse weights trace over the contours of the face, clearly conveying emotion, despite the lack of tone and detail.

Peter Root:

Gimmicky line drawings by Peter Root: a series of straight graphite lines is used to create a curvaceous, flowing abstract form.

Maurizio Anzeri

Contemporary artwork by Maurizio Anzeri: a portrait overlaid by a mass of stitched radial lines, veiling the paradigm within.

Tornwing:

Cantankerous contour line drawings by Tornwing: black lines of dissimilar thicknesses menses around three-dimensional forms. The stiff contrast in this drawing creates a striking graphic prototype.

Karolina Cummings:

Gestural line drawings by Karolina Cummings: dramatic and vivid, capturing form in rapidly scrawled, fluid line.

Daniel Mathers

Scribbled line drawings by Daniel Mathers: an explosion of insanity with a blackness pen.

Roz McQuillan:

Sensitive line drawings by Roz McQuillan: the contrast between the rendered siamese cat and the white cat formed (formed from a few lite lines) draws you in to this quiet embrace.

Wang Tzu-Ting:

Pencil drawings by Wang Tzu-Ting: an overlapping sequence of drawings, using lines that guess tonal boundaries, set on a running wash of acrylic. A stunning image.

Nina Smart:

Painterly line drawings by Nina Smart: what appears to be an abstract artwork of smudged and messy paint lines is, upon closer inspection, an accurate and well-proportioned horse. This piece of work was created using a large pipette, cling wrap and a pallet knife.

Andy Mercer:

Expressive line drawings by Andy Mercer: this mixed media drawing contains a mass of lines that create the illusion of a busy city scene – a tangle of architectural course.

Vital Photography:

Line drawings by Vital Photography: this paradigm has been pared back to its most basic – lines representing the edges of form. Without whatsoever background to speak of, this drove of marks is enough to communicate a message with ease.

Doug Bell

Scribbled line drawings by Doug Bell: a portrait beautifully crafted from a tangle of lines.

Matthew Dunn:

Line drawings by Matthew Dunn: graphic in nature, this monkey appears to exist hacked from a wooden board or lino cut. White scrawls on a black footing; open up oral fissure with horror.

Rod McLaren:

Line drawings past Rod McLaren: I well-nigh didn't give this drawing another glance – only for some reason I was transfixed by this black scribble, especially when I saw it was chosen 'underground train drawing'. There is wonder in it. And naught. Endless swirls of nothing.

Andreas Fischer:

Line drawings by Andreas Fischer: the earth it turns: thick, colourful, globular painterly lines.

Nicholas Weltyk:

Blind line drawings by Nicholas Weltyk: a wobbly yet controlled continuous line defines form in this emotive drawing.

Swoon:

Street art by Swoon: a tightly woven mesh of newspaper cut lines.

Liliana Porter:

Experimental line drawings by Liliana Porter: perhaps this person is scrawling across the heaven; perhaps they are holding onto a mammoth scribble in the way one might concur onto a wild balloon. Either way, this drawing is typical of Liliana Porter's artworks. Fun, heady and cool.

Hong Chun Zhang:

Line drawings by Hong Chun Zhang: this huge hair drawing hangs downwardly the wall and drapes across the floor. Impressive in scale, this cartoon is the ultimate depiction of long, tightly braided line.

Bruce Pollock:

Line drawings past Bruce Pollock: finely interlocking mesh of lines creates an intricate and mesmerising pattern.

David Eskenazi

Line drawings by David Eskenazi: the boundaries of space and all that is in between.

Matt Niebuhr:

Line drawings by Matt Niebuhr: a shimmer of tightly meshed smudged and erased graphite line.

Albrecht Durer:

Line drawings by Albrecht Durer: a walrus

Il Lee:

Line drawings past Il Lee: whoever knew the scribbling of a bluish biro pen could result in such magic.

Victoria Haven:

Geometric line drawings by Victoria Haven: careful, ordered lines of blue water colours (title: 'all in all is truthful') create the illusion of architectural class; twisting, turning space.

Carne Griffiths:

Line drawings past Carne Griffiths: this work is spun with lines…the fine pencil layer that teases out from below the colour; the jagged vertical drips that streak down towards the floor; the carefully etched eyebrows and lashes and hair.

William Anastasi:

Line drawings by William Anastasi: while blindfolded, Anastasi drew on a wall with graphite for an hour.

Charles Avery

Line drawings past Charles Avery: the illusory combining of hair with perspective lines vanishing towards a horizon brand for a powerful image.

Did y'all enjoy this article? You may wish to read 11 Tips for Producing an Excellent Observational Cartoon.

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for vii years, responsible for the class 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.

foxmexplace.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/line-drawings-2

Share this post