Design Element – Line
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| Warm Up Collages - Design Element LINE |
“ A mark, long in its
proportion to its breadth, made on a surface with a pen, pencil, tool, etc.”
- Lines can be thick or thin, open or closed, curved, angular, broken or solid.
- Lines can be parallel, directional, frenetic, controlled or textural.
- Line is most often used to define shape in a two dimensional artwork.
- Line is often referred to as “the most basic element of design” yet this simple element functions in complex ways. Used effectively, line expresses a variety of verbal and visual concepts. Line works either by itself or in conjunction with other lines to communicate messages and impact audience.
- Direction
- Vertical lines suggest strength and power. An example on line direction is this grouping of tall buildings, or a single tall building - lines going upwards, visually pulling your eye up. Line can be used to suggest the path your eye should follow and where it should rest.
- Horizontal lines symbolize tranquility and rest. This state reflects objects parallel to the earth that are “at rest in relation to gravity." Examples of horizontal lines are those in ocean waves and horizons.
- Diagonal lines convey a feeling of action or direction: (Lightning)
- Weight The weight of a line conveys meaning as well. Thinner lines suggest weakness, while thicker lines convey power.
- Emotion Lines can imply emotion such as fatigue, contentment, relaxation, or frustration. Long curvy lines suggest looseness.
- Focus A line draws the audience's attention to a specific object. An example is an arrow pointing to one man in a crowd. A more subtle example is a path leading to an abandoned house.
- Texture Finally, many lines work together to form texture, providing images with more depth.
