OK so in this lecture we're going to talk about line so the whole section is about the different elements
that make up a schedule and what you need to know in order to create a good one.
So first one obviously is going to be line when we're sketching we're not painting with values like
we would if we were actually creating a full fledged painting right.
Normally if we're painting we use different values to make up and indicate where the top and bottom
and side of different things are based just off of their value.
OK but when rescheduling that's what we do.
We use mostly Line.
Now in real life if we look at a photo of something there's not really any lines in real life right
there just edges.
But it's not a hard black outline around everything we see in real life.
If you look at your hand there's no actual lines on it right.
It's not like we see this all along the outside of our hand.
When we look at it now it's just there.
Right.
And of course things have an edge but that's not the same as a line.
Sketching is made up completely out of line.
So understanding how to use it and what it is.
Things like that are going to be really helpful.
Now I had art teacher one time that said a line is just a dot that went for a walk and that's pretty
much what it is.
It's putting your pencil down on your surface and then just dragging it.
That's a line.
OK.
Now there's different ways that we can use line to indicate an idea.
It's pretty amazing considering that in real life we don't actually see lines that when our brain sees
an image composed of different lines that we can look at it.
And even though there's no value involved and just line we can look at it and without seeing a real
photograph.
Our brain can recognize what something is even though there's no actual photo right.
Just like in real life there's no lines and drawing is lines we could still tell what it is.
Right that's the eye.
OK so we need to learn how to use that to our advantage.
OK we'll come back and talk more about that.
Keep that in mind.
So this is a sketch I did of this go creature man.
So there's some different elements of line that we want to talk about.
OK.
The first one is line.
Wait.
OK.
And we're adding some examples on this to show you what I mean by line wait line way is how thick or
thin a line is.
So if something has a heavy line way it's going to look like this.
It has a thin line way it look like this.
OK.
And depending on which one to use is going to send a different message right.
Heavy line weight can be used to really help signify and show the outline of something or set something
back in space.
If I use the heavy laneway all along his head would help us know that this was in the foreground of
the image right.
This was in front of everything else.
OK.
Really helps pull it forward.
OK.
Also one way is can be used to help indicate shadow.
So in this there's no values right there's no highlights no shadows or anything like that.
But the heavier line we use the more that it indicates the shadow.
So for example you could see appear on the on his left eye that brow ridge has a lot heavier line way
than some of the other parts of the image like say the top of his horns up here.
Right.
Same with his other eye that top bridges pretty dark because I'm trying to indicate that his eyes set
back in his head a little bit right.
Same with underneath his cheekbone.
The line way is a lot heavier because I want to signify that this is a drop off right like an edge can.
So what's the do.
Another example to show appear on his horn on his right horn.
I'm going to add a little bit of wind way underneath this edge here so that our brain knows that that
kind of twist there will do the same thing on either side right.
So wherever there would be more likely to be a little bit more shadow that's where you can put a heavier
line weight and signify that it's a little darker under there.
We can do the same thing over here on his face.
I've kind of done that already with his mouth a little bit.
Right.
These horns here though.
Same thing.
Additionally you can have line fade out right especially in parts where it gets really light so you
can see here on his head the line gets really thin and really light because that's where most of the
light is going to be hitting.
If it is really dark up here it wouldn't really have any direction of light but because it's light up
there the lines really thin and it's darker on the bottom it kind of makes it feel like it's lit even
though we haven't used any value.
Right.
So really focus on because you don't have to put a ton of focus on it but be conscious of it right.
Be aware.
What is your line.
Like don't just draw the same line thickness all the way around unless that's the look you're going
for like maybe a coloring book but when you're sketching we're going to want to use line weight because
that's going to help us convey form and different things like that.
So really important line.
Next thing is straight versus curved lines.
Right.
You don't want to just use all curvy lines everywhere all the time you don't only want to use straight
lines but you kind of want to get a balance of them right.
So on the outside edge right here for example of his horn straight line on both sides right in the middle
straight line for the most part right.
This edge is pretty straight.
K. contrasts it however with the curves on the inside.
Same with these horns it's really curved right.
That contrast is very pleasing to the eye.
And you want to try and do that consciously when you're drawing so right.
So when you're doing sketches you want one side to be relatively straight while the other side to be
curved some sort.
Right.
It creates a really nice dynamic that looks really appealing.
Between those two concepts.
That's most of what you're going to need to know when it comes to line.
Just keep in mind that not everything needs an outline.
Right.
Sometimes stuff can just fall off and disappear.
For example in his eye socket here we know that this texture right here on his head.
This stuff all this is supposed to be kind of like a hard bony surface.
Right while inside of here in his eye.
It's fluffy.
Now we know that somewhere along here there's going to be a transition between bone and flesh but there's
not going to be a hard ledge like there is up here on the top of his eye.
So that doesn't mean I need to draw a line to outline everything like that and make him look like he's
wearing a mask or some sort of raccoon.
Right.
The line just fades right this bony ridge it just comes down and then when it gets to here it just fades
away which is totally OK.
Right you don't need a line for everything.
Some things can just be invisible.
Right.
They're implied.
So even though we don't see it it's implied that the line continues here that there's a transition there.
OK.
So keep that in mind and you can do that and a lot of areas especially areas that are in really bright
light.
You know sometimes for example if we want to draw a ball.
OK.
So we have a ball over here and I only want to use line to convey it then I would put the heavy line
over here on this side right and then I would have it come up here and almost completely fade away.
Nothing right there.
Right.
And then I would draw the shadow in and this line way with that but fading away the top the ball helps
us kind of get an idea of the shadows even though we didn't really use that as we kind of sketch.
We kind of hatched in a shadow down here.
But even without that there's not any hatching on the ball right to let us know where the Shadows lie
but because we love that line we fade away to nothingness right.
It's not like without this being connected right.
If we connected this all the way you can tell it's a ball but if you take it away it's not like we're
like What is that.
It's not just a big floating see.
No you could still tell obviously it's a circle.
Right.
We can look at it and imagine that it continues and finishes a circle.
So you don't always need to finish the outline.
Sometimes it's better to just let it be an implied or suggested line.
So that's it for a line and I'll see you guys in the next lecture.