Elements of art.(LINES)

Elements of art.(LINES)

1. Contour lines

   • Example:Portrthe Morisot (1872-74) Edouard Mariet has used thick black lines to create an outine of his model. (lithograph-an image printed from oil-based marks made on a flat plate)
   • Defines shape or form of an object or show key details
   • Define space, varies weight endless possibilities of the weight, shape, orientation that give the artwork its unique feel and look.

2. Descriptive lines

   • Example: Head of a Satyr, Michaelangelo Buonarroti, c.1500-05, pen and ink on paper, Bridgeman images.
   • Tells us more about a subject. Help shapes look more three dimensional.
     • Light shade and texture

3. Expressive lines

   • Example: Man with a pipe (Portrait of Dr Gachet) Vincent Van Gough, 1890, etching, World History Archive/ Alamy stock photo.
   • Added to artwork using a range of different media such as pencil, charcoal, oil point and watercolour.
     • Different media give the lines a different quality.
       • express emotions and create mood.
         • Create a dynamic and negative effect.
           • Express a sense of softness and calm.

4. Orientation

   • Example: Design from Nouvelies Compositions Decoratives, Serge Gladky, c. late 1920's pochoir print, Bridgeman Images.
   • Refers to the directions of lines.
     • vertical, horizontal or diagonal
       • -Guide your eye around the painting and creates a sense of balance and structure. -Deliberate use of horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines can help create a focal point. -Help suggest depth and a sense of perspective.

5. Actual lines

   • Example:The scream, Edward Munch, 1895,lithograph, World History Archive/ Alarmy Stock Photo.
   • are real marks made in a composition.
   • Implied lines
     • Lines suggested by changes in colour, tone and texture or by the edges of shapes.

6. Leading lines

   • Example: Leda, Juan Gris, date unknown, gouache, pen and ink, Christie's images/ Bridgeman Images.
   • Lines that our eyes follow round a composition.
     • There are useful tools to create a visual flow or to emphasise focal points. 

7. Geometric lines.

   • Example:Painting No.11/ Compsition No.XV1/Composition 4, Piet Mondrian, 1913, oil and canvas, Peter Horre/ Alarmy Stock Photo.
   • Relate to perfect mathematical shapes and man-made objects. They are straight, regularand uniform.
     • They often follow a specific pattern and can be symmetrical or repeat in a specific way.

8. Organic lines

   • Delft Salad Oil poster, Jan Toorop,1894, lithograph, lordprice collection/alarmy stock photo. -Example
   • lines that appear natural and imperfect rather than man-made or mathematical.
     • They tend to have less structure, they can change quickly and often don't follow a particular path or route. Organic lines are curved and irregular.