Masters of Lines: Egon Schiele and Ralph Steadman
Added 2024-04-12 21:00:04 +0000 UTCAs I said before, the lines an artist uses will inform the character and emotion of their art.
So look at different artists you like and specifically notice and try to identify the types of lines that they use in their work.
For examples I’ll use Egon Schiele and Ralph Steadman.
In this gouache and pencil piece by Schiele, notice how many different types of lines he is using but how harmonious they are together.
There are long wavy lines for the legs, subtle variations of thickness within the lines, note the loose but controlled zig zags and wavy lines in the dress, the variation between hard and soft edges, the darker lines around the hands that don’t overpower it because they have soft edges.
In this drawing, Ralph Steadman uses these wild gestural lines for the motion of the characters, and the plates on the table but contrasts it with moments of precise straight lines and geometric circles, Also notice the variations of the different thicknesses of the lines.
When looking at art, notice how lines contribute to the overall effect that that work has on you as a viewer.
Try and use words like fluffy and tender or violent and unhinged to think about these lines rather than drawing jargon like soft and tapered.
Do the same thing with your line exercises too, what emotions and character do the lines convey by themselves and when working together?
Start thinking of lines as an emotional language of drawing.
