All Lined Up: Value with Line
Lesson 3
Warm Up:
- Look at this illustration
- Write down 3 bullet points you notice about the line the artist used
- Practice trying to recreate some of the line work you see in the illustration in your sketchbook
Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash
Framley Parsonage - Was it not a Lie?,1860. John Everett Millais (d.1896) and Dalziel Brothers
Objectives:
I CAN:
- Learn how lines create value
- Practice creating value with line
- Learn how value and line work together to create the illusion of form
- Practice creating value and form with line
- Apply the things I have learned about line to a drawing
Lets look At Another Example
Value With Line
Value is another one of the Elements of Art, it has to do with the lightness or darkness of a color. Most people think of the word "shading" when they think about value in art.
Line can be used to create the illusion of value. This is especially important when it comes to drawing with ink, including pens and markers. It is also important in printmaking methods like etching and lithography, as well as in reductive techniques like scratchboard.
Shading In Ink With Line
One of my Inktober sketches from 2019
Example of Etching on Copper Plate
Photo by Central School Project of Brisbee, AZ
Scratchboard Portrait With Value
Example by my former student Krista (She received first place in 7th grade for this piece at a local show)
Value Scale:
A Value scale is a series of spaces filled with various shades. This can be black and white or of a color. A value scale serves as a guide to create a range of values.
How Do You Use Line To Create Value?
Shading Spheres
Here's A Good Resource For Drawing In Ink
Practice:
On our handout we will practice creating a cylinder form in ink.
Combining Knowledge
In our earlier lessons about line we worked on drawing both hands (contour line) and apples (cross contour). Today we are going to combine these subjects, as well as the kinds of lines we have learned to work with and use the shading in line methods to create value in our drawing.
We will start with pencil and lightly sketch out the forms before shading. Make sure your proportions are right before you ever shade or detail.
Are You Tired of Hands And Apples Yet?
If not...you can always try to draw the other two images and see which one feels easier to you. You could try it with different line shading methods. Download this handout to help you with this practice.
Enrichment: Continuing To Develop With Lines & Shading
Fabric Folds
One of the best things to practice learning to shade, with line or in pencil with blending and pressure is folds in fabric.
Albrecht Dürer
Considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer was known as a painter and printmaker. He created detailed woodcut prints where he had to use line to shade. Creating the illusion of folded fabric, like you see in this image, takes practice. Look at how line creates both the shape and the shadows.
Independent Work:
Choose to work on either drawing folds, or shading forms with lines. I suggest working in ink or colored pencil to become for confident.