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Basics of Line Art Drawings

Kashmira Lad
It requires practice and dedication to produce great works of art, as we can see from the masterpieces created by most of the world's renowned artists. Here are some basic guidelines for line art drawing that will help you master this art in a systematic way.
As quoted by Pablo Picasso: "Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun." Art has developed and evolved over the years, and has seen many phases and styles of expression.
The line art is the basic for any artist. If you study the works of great artists, you would realize the perfection of their line work, or the way the forms are drawn, whether realistic or abstract, is impeccable. Lately, we have seen the trends of art change the focus over different things, such as, colors, expression, composition, and style. The concepts and trends in art have also been a reflection of what happens in society.
Beginners need to consider a lot of things before they embark upon a new painting or a work of art. They need to have a briefing about the importance of line drawings.

Setting the Foundation

  • Slow and steady. That's how it should be, when it comes to mastering your line drawing.
  • When you plan to practice the line art, you need to save a special time slot, as this will keep you from being distracted by anything else. For this, you also need to choose a place that is away from all daily activities, where you can sit peacefully for the required amount of time. Start with a proper schedule, and maintain it every day. You can start with 1 hour a day for the practice of drawing.
  • When you start, you need to choose models that are simple. You need to select subjects that are plain and easy to study. It is important to practice these with proper guidelines till you master the basics. Later, you can go to complicated subjects.
  • When you begin with your basics, remember, you need to practice every basic and fundamental line, and also the perspective. You also need to revise, what you have learned on the previous day. When you master the basics, you can try to produce some more detailed drawings.
  • When it comes to sketching, it needs a skilled eye and coordination, so that, you can first observe, and then record it with the use of your pencil. The pencil becomes the medium through which, images are transferred on paper.
  • Avoid the use of rulers and such other equipment that tend to make you lose your natural flow of the hand for line drawing.
  • To practice and improve on your line art, you need some expert guidance. Try to get some guidance in this direction.
  • Adhere to the rules of the basics of line drawing, and use the fundamentals of drawing until you have mastered them. You can experiment with newer ideas and concepts only after these basics are mastered.
  • Try to know about the art of shading as well. This will help you know and understand the various types of shadows and highlights of the subject. Knowing this would help you follow the tones, and draw the subject in an accurate manner. Once you have learned this form of drawing, knowing how to observe and study the subject will help you in improvising on your skills.
  • When it comes to line drawings, your skill also goes in coordination with the amount of practice. You have to learn to develop both, to really understand the more complex subjects you may have to handle later on.
  • You must always start your line art work with basic outline. You may need to keep these lines light, and then work on them in detail.
  • When you start working on the lines, you can modify the way you hold your pencil.
  • This would help you get variations in the way you draw, and add depth to the drawing. Once you have finished the basic drawing, you can use different angles of your pencil to fill in the shades of the subject. This can also be done in variations to give a life-like feel to the drawing.
With the help of these steps, you can definitely go a step closer to produce your work of art. Remember, only practice can make you perfect.