We all know about continuous line drawing in some way, as an exercise from school or just for fun, but can it also be a part of amazing and popular art? In this article you will get wiser on that subject!
Continuous line drawing has been here for a long time, but more as an exercise or as a foundation for a lot of amazing artwork. But lately this technique has become more and more popular among artist, to use as specific artwork. Keep on reading and find out more about this amazing way to make art!
What is continuous line drawing?
Continuous line drawing - also called one-line drawing - is a drawing where the artist never lift the marker from the paper. The artist will pick a place to start, and draw something with only one unbroken line. It is usually an exercise used for kids or to make an artist more aware of the details, to improve skills in observation and hand-eye coordination. The artist Paul Klee describe this technique as following;
“A line drawing is like taking a dot for a walk” - Quote: Paul Klee (1879-1940)
But how can one line be art?
When continuous line drawing is used as an exercise the artists look at an object or use their imagination and draw what they see in one unbroken line. There can be a lot of one-line sketches on one piece of paper and they can be quite interesting to look at. More and more people have fallen for this technique, because it can be fun to do, but also because of its fascinating outcome. As an example you can go check out Hildegarde Handsaeme’s work on Artboost.com.
How does it work exactly?
To make a one-line drawing, there are at least 3 guidelines to follow. Everyone has the ability to make one, as art is subjective to the individual. You just have to follow these guidelines and you will have yourself a continuous line drawing:
- Make only one unbroken line for the entire drawing. The line can be thicker or thinner along the way, but never break!
- Use tools where you can make sure it never leaves the paper until you are done! You can use both pencils, markers etc, just make sure that it moves easily, so you won't get unwanted edges.
- Look at the object and try to implement as many details as possible, both outside and inside shapes. It is also possible to draw from your imagination, but that can be harder for first-timers.
