Contour Line (4)

Contour drawings are used to follow edges of forms and describe their outlines.


This is a contour line drawing. All of the lines describe shapes and the beginning and ending of each of the shapes. It shows absolute accuracy within the composition.


This contour line drawing depicts the beginning and end of each form along with giving it shape. The lines describe where the ridges of the glasses are along with some of the decorative details.


This hand form is a contour line drawing unlike the earlier hand in the Line as Shape post. In this hand, there are many details as to where the wrinkles are along with veins and fingernails. There still is not any shading or color to give the composition more detail.

Line as Emotion (3)

There are many types of line in art that convey different types of emotion



In this picture, the jagged lines are sharp creating an angry feel to the line. The wavy lines are loose and free creating a relaxed feel. The bold line on the far left creates a sense of strength while the thin line beside it creates a sense of weakness beside the bold line.


In this Van Gogh, the lines are loose and wavy creating a relaxed feel to the whole composition.


In this Japanese print, the lines of the waves are sharp and rigid, making the emotion of the composition tense. The sharp points of the boats and the points of the foam are sharp and evoke a menacing emotion to the viewer.

Line Direction (2)

Line helps our eyes move through an image. This is one of the many functions of line.

This is a road in the New Mexico mountains. The road starts in the left corner where our eyes automatically go to. As the road moves, so does your eyes making them move through the photograph. As the road ends, your eyes move to the horizon line and follow that line.


This is a drawing of a roller coaster. Your eyes start at the left and follow the pole up the line and around the twists and turns the coaster creates. Simplified, the line is continuous and moves your eye throughout the composition.

Line as Shape (1)

Line can describe shape so we can recognize objects. It can enclose an object, both outer and inner, and groups a composition as well.

This continuous line creates the shape we recognize as a hand. There is not any dimension to the hand or any mass to it. Despite all this, it can be seen as a hand.


Here is another example. Looking at the picture, we know the shape the line creates is a horse but there is not any mass or texture of the horse. There is not any color either. This line encloses the horses body.

Unity with Variety (23)

Unity with variety: subtle differences within a composition. This can include size or differences of line.

This is an example of unity with variety because of the differences, or variety, of color but the repetition of the shape of the ice cream scoops. Other variety evident in this photo is the berries placed throughout the ice cream. The various red pieces lead your eyes throughout the composition so that you see all the ice cream. The variety of the color unifies this composition together along with the repetition of the shape and the fluidity of implied line.

Unity through Continuity (22)

Unity through Continuity: the visual relationship between two or more individual designs

This is an example of unity through continuity in how all the socks are of the same basic design (shape of the sock) but are different in their own color or patterns. All the socks look the same but each has its own unique pattern that separates them from the socks beside them.

Unity through Continuation (21)

Unity through Continuation: means that something "continues." This could include a line, edge, or a direction from one form to another. Your eye gets carried throughout the composition smoothly.


This composition is an example of continuation. Your eye flows from one form to the next because of the line flow throughout the composition. Also, there is a continuation of fluidity in the line. There are not any straight lines. All of them are fluid with motion.

Unity through Repetition (20)

Unity through Repetition: something simply repeats in various parts of the design to relate the parts to each other


This picture represents unity through repetition. The same four faces, John, Paul, George, and Ringo, are repeated while the colors are different. The repetition of the faces creates unity within the composition created by Warhol. The color variation gives it variety.

Unity through Proximity (19)

Unity through Proximity: putting elements close together in order to make separate elements look as if they belong together



This picture is an example of unity through proximity because all the objects are close together to where when you look, they are unified as a group. They look as if they belong in a group because they are placed so close together. Your eyes move throughout the image without resting on one piece in specific.

Visual Texture (18)

Visual Texture: the impression of texture is purely visual. This means it cannot be felt or enjoyed by the sense of touch. This visual texture is created by our eyes.

Here are some examples.



I used the top two pictures in my other blog for tactile texture. The reason I am using these same pictures is to establish the difference between visual and tactile texture. Instead being in the present to experience tactile texture, we can look at pictures of tactile texture. This "looking at pictures" is called visual texture. In the above picture, our eyes see the different values created by light so as to show a texture our eyes can almost feel.


Our eyes see the texture of the tree and help us to imagine how it would feel against our hands. We see the shadows light has created in order define the texture our eyes see.

Tactile Texture (17)

Tactile Texture: texture that can be felt
An example of tactile texture would be sculpture, architecture, or even painting.

Here is a sculpture made entirely out of pieces of tire. The many strips create a pattern which unites the sculpture but also creates a surface that you could feel. The many grooves of the tracks in the tires and also the spaces between the pieces lets your eyes feel the sculpture along with your hands.


Here is an example of architecture and painting with texture. This is actually a ceiling that was speckled. This is created by dabbing an instrument in paint and then pressing it against the ceiling to create a textured ceiling. Again, when you see this a pattern is evident along with the need to touch and discover what the surface feels like.

However, these two pictures are not tactile. This is because when you look at these pictures you cannot touch them as you would be able to in person. These two pictures would be visual texture.

Pattern and Texture

Pattern: repetition of a visual element or module in a regular and anticipated sequence

A good example of a pattern is the project we are currently working on in my design Art 130 Design class. We have to take a pattern found in nature such as animal print or the bark of a tree and create our own pattern from the resource. The two resources I created my patterns from are rain drops on a window and a giraffe print.


Here is the giraffe picture I used as my resource. From this, I took simple shapes and arranged them into a pattern.


Here are the raindrops on the window. I did the same as I did with the giraffe resource by taking the simple shapes of the drops and arranging them into a pattern.


Here are two of many patterns I created from the resources. The pattern on the top is from the giraffe. I took the shape of the spots and simplified them. Also, I took the starburst pattern from inside the giraffe's spots. The pattern on the bottom comes from the rain on the windowpane. I used the simple shapes of the drops along with the shadow they created. I added a bit of flair to the pattern with the crossing lines so as to make the pattern original.


Texture: surface quality of objects that appeals to the tactile sense

A good example of texture would be the bark of a tree. While looking at a picture, you may feel as if you can reach out and touch it. Texture can almost always be seen as a pattern but it is not the same the other way around. You may see a pattern, such as the two I created above, and not feel a need to touch it.

Line as Value (6)

Value: a measure of relative lightness or darkness

By placing a series of lines next to each other, an artist can create visual areas of gray. These areas of dark and light make a shape change into 3-D instead of 2-D.

There are different ways to produce this 3-D effect. There is cross-hatching and hatching. Hatching is a bunch of parallel lines placed next to each other to increase the density of the area. Cross-hatching increases the density of an area except the lines aren't parallel but instead cross each other.


Here is the contour of a circle. It looks flat without any value.



Here is a circle with cross-hatching and a circle with just hatching. Notice that once you add the value, it creates a 3-D illusion.


Above is a value scale using cross hatching. This is the range of value that cross hatching can reach.

Artists and cartoonists use cross hatching in many of their works.

Because of the restrictions of ink on newsprint, it was hard for cartoonists to create a value for their cartoons. They discovered the use of cross hatching and hatching and use it create a broad range of values.


Above is a Rembrandt composition in which he used cross hatching and hatching to create the many values used throughout the composition.