Line
Content
Artists develop distinctive drawing techniques which help viewers identify them. Lismer’s rolling, curving, almost curly line, whether in a drawing or a painting, is the clue. He often depicts the tangled, dense detail of the forest, or the confusion of objects piled on a seaside dock. Look at Forest Scene to see how well this kind of line describes the trees and their foliage, as well as the forest floor.
Arthur Lismer (1885 – 1969) Forest Scene, n.d. Ink on paper 44 x 35 cm Gift of the Women’s Gallery Committee, 1970
LINE
Judy Lowry’s mark-making is more varied than that of Lismer. In her piece German Suite I, there are areas of extreme density of line and areas where the lines provide shadows, giving us the contours of the land. Her most emphatic lines capture the lightning bolt which slashes diagonally across the piece. For a moment, concentrate your view on the white, not the black of this piece. Judy tells us that this is key to her drawing technique. Burtynsky’s Rock of Ages, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry #4 is a photograph. Can you explain why it is a good example of the use of line?2
Harold Town (1924 – 1990) Grace Slick, One Eye, c.1969 Lithograph 50 x 34 cm Gift of Mrs. C.G. Fleming, 1970
Judy Lowry (1949 -) German Suite I, 1992 Graphite on paper 69 x 100 cm Gallery purchase with funds from the estate of Lois Dowkes, 1993
Art is Elementary, My Dear
An educational exhibition about the Elements of Art using works selected from the Permanent Collection March 8 – April 21, 2002 A project of the Education Team Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery in Owen Sound 2002
Ed Burtynsky (1955 -) Rock of Ages, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry # 4, Barre Vermont, 1992 Chromogenic colour print 89 x 71 cm Gallery purchase with the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program, 1996
Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery 840 First Avenue West, Owen Sound, Ontario. N4K 4K4 www.tomthomson.org
1. Different drawing tools produce different quality of line. 2. It shows all the natural lines found in/on the rock.
LINE
Line is perhaps the most basic means of visual communication. It is a mark made on a surface when some tool is drawn across that surface, and may be defined as the visual path left by a moving point. Lines have certain physical characteristics. They have length and width. They may be straight, curved or zig-zag, direct or meandering, horizontal, vertical or diagonal. A line may have colour, and texture, and be light or dark. The instrument which makes the line contributes to its characteristics: a pen, a brush, a needle, or a finger will each produce a different quality of line. A rhythmical or flowing line is sometimes referred to as a calligraphic line, after the art of beautiful handwriting. Just as each individual has unique handwriting, so each artist develops a personal style of line. The characteristics of a line may convey a particular emotion. Therefore line has expressive properties. In addition to their expressive properties, lines have numerous functions in design. For example, they may be used to create shapes, to convey the illusion of texture, to produce areas of shadow. They may suggest directional movement, or focus the eye on a certain area of composition. Line is most often associated with the graphic arts of drawing and printmaking.
Let’s have a look at how line has been used by artists in the exhibition. In his print, GraceSlick, One Eye, Harold Town uses a flowing line to describe the face of his subject. How quickly that line moves to capture her face! He also devotes attention to her eye -- giving his piece a strongly defined focal point.
Harold Town (1924 – 1990) Grace Slick, One Eye, c.1969 Lithograph 50 x 34 cm Gift of Mrs. C.G. Fleming, 1970
How does George Hawken’s use of line in his etching called Virginia Woolf compare to Town’s portrait?1
George Hawken (1946 -) Virginia Woolf 12/50, 1976 Etched print 30 x 43 cm Gift of the Women’s Gallery Committee, 1976
Questions to think about when looking at LINE: What kinds of lines are there? (curved, jagged, thin, thick, zig-zag) In which direction do they go? (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, circular) Are some lines thicker that others? Where and why? How does a specific line make you feel? What message does it communicate?
David Craven’s use of line in Politico VIII is much more varied in character. He uses thick and thin lines, strongly drawn ones, as well as some which have been partly rubbed away. Craven’s lines remind us of an exercise in geometry, where the drawer takes several tries to get it right. In both pieces, the artists have used simple lines to suggest complex images.
David Craven (1946- ) Politico VIII, 1977 Oil stick, charcoal, pastel on paper 120 x 120 cm Gift of Stephen B. Smart, 1994
Arthur Lismer (1885 – 1969) Forest Scene, n.d. Ink on paper 44 x 35 cm Gift of the Women’s Gallery Committee, 1970
LINE
Judy Lowry’s mark-making is more varied than that of Lismer. In her piece German Suite I, there are areas of extreme density of line and areas where the lines provide shadows, giving us the contours of the land. Her most emphatic lines capture the lightning bolt which slashes diagonally across the piece. For a moment, concentrate your view on the white, not the black of this piece. Judy tells us that this is key to her drawing technique. Burtynsky’s Rock of Ages, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry #4 is a photograph. Can you explain why it is a good example of the use of line?2
Harold Town (1924 – 1990) Grace Slick, One Eye, c.1969 Lithograph 50 x 34 cm Gift of Mrs. C.G. Fleming, 1970
Judy Lowry (1949 -) German Suite I, 1992 Graphite on paper 69 x 100 cm Gallery purchase with funds from the estate of Lois Dowkes, 1993
Art is Elementary, My Dear
An educational exhibition about the Elements of Art using works selected from the Permanent Collection March 8 – April 21, 2002 A project of the Education Team Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery in Owen Sound 2002
Ed Burtynsky (1955 -) Rock of Ages, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry # 4, Barre Vermont, 1992 Chromogenic colour print 89 x 71 cm Gallery purchase with the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program, 1996
Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery 840 First Avenue West, Owen Sound, Ontario. N4K 4K4 www.tomthomson.org
1. Different drawing tools produce different quality of line. 2. It shows all the natural lines found in/on the rock.
LINE
Line is perhaps the most basic means of visual communication. It is a mark made on a surface when some tool is drawn across that surface, and may be defined as the visual path left by a moving point. Lines have certain physical characteristics. They have length and width. They may be straight, curved or zig-zag, direct or meandering, horizontal, vertical or diagonal. A line may have colour, and texture, and be light or dark. The instrument which makes the line contributes to its characteristics: a pen, a brush, a needle, or a finger will each produce a different quality of line. A rhythmical or flowing line is sometimes referred to as a calligraphic line, after the art of beautiful handwriting. Just as each individual has unique handwriting, so each artist develops a personal style of line. The characteristics of a line may convey a particular emotion. Therefore line has expressive properties. In addition to their expressive properties, lines have numerous functions in design. For example, they may be used to create shapes, to convey the illusion of texture, to produce areas of shadow. They may suggest directional movement, or focus the eye on a certain area of composition. Line is most often associated with the graphic arts of drawing and printmaking.
Let’s have a look at how line has been used by artists in the exhibition. In his print, GraceSlick, One Eye, Harold Town uses a flowing line to describe the face of his subject. How quickly that line moves to capture her face! He also devotes attention to her eye -- giving his piece a strongly defined focal point.
Harold Town (1924 – 1990) Grace Slick, One Eye, c.1969 Lithograph 50 x 34 cm Gift of Mrs. C.G. Fleming, 1970
How does George Hawken’s use of line in his etching called Virginia Woolf compare to Town’s portrait?1
George Hawken (1946 -) Virginia Woolf 12/50, 1976 Etched print 30 x 43 cm Gift of the Women’s Gallery Committee, 1976
Questions to think about when looking at LINE: What kinds of lines are there? (curved, jagged, thin, thick, zig-zag) In which direction do they go? (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, circular) Are some lines thicker that others? Where and why? How does a specific line make you feel? What message does it communicate?
David Craven’s use of line in Politico VIII is much more varied in character. He uses thick and thin lines, strongly drawn ones, as well as some which have been partly rubbed away. Craven’s lines remind us of an exercise in geometry, where the drawer takes several tries to get it right. In both pieces, the artists have used simple lines to suggest complex images.
David Craven (1946- ) Politico VIII, 1977 Oil stick, charcoal, pastel on paper 120 x 120 cm Gift of Stephen B. Smart, 1994
