The line is an element of art that needs to be understood and considered as an important part of a work of art. Lines are everywhere. Artists should always consider the power of lines during the creative process.
Outlines
Lines create boundaries and divisions in works of art. For example, in a landscape painting, the horizon divides the earth from the sky.
Types of Lines
A line may curve, be squiggly, have points, be straight, wide, narrow, barely visible, diagonal, horizontal or vertical. The famous artist Joan Miro used lines in a variety of ways in his compositions.
Line Drawings
Images may be comprised solely of lines. Line drawings are a form of art that use lines only.
Line as Shape
Lines that intersect create shapes. In abstract art, the line may be used to define a shape.
Movement
A line can move the viewer's eye within the work of art. The swirls in Van Gogh's Starry Night move the viewer's eye around the composition.
Emphasis
Lines may be used to emphasize important elements within a composition. When lines are pointing towards an object in an image, this would be an example of emphasis.
