Line drawing and the simple shapes
are what make up all of our drawings
It may seem obvious but line drawing is the basis for all our art. But, in order to draw the pretty lines that describe our subjects we have to learn how to control our pencil. The best way to do that is to practice drawing lines and simple shapes.
In order to draw even a simple subject you need to be
able to draw a wide variety of lines and shapes. Our goal with this lesson is
to learn how to draw beautiful lines and simple shapes.
I know this sounds simplistic but it might be more challenging than you think. I want you to be able to draw razor straight lines, clean circles and ovals, elegant squares and triangles, and voluptuous curves. I want you to have total control of your pencil.
If you can master these lines and shapes you'll find that drawing becomes much easier. You'll be able to concentrate on your subject instead of fighting with your pencil.
Let get to it!
The lines
There are 5 basic lines I want you to master. They are...
- long vertical lines
- long horizontal lines
- long diagonal lines
- gentle curved lines
- complex curved lines
Here is a practice page of straight lines.
Try to draw straight lines in all kinds of different directions. Experiment holing the pencil with both the underhand and writing method. Keep practicing until you feel comfortable drawing straight lines.
Here is a practice page of some curvy lines.
Draw long curvy lines in all kinds of different directions. When you feel confident with that try to create more complex curvy lines. Remember this is only practice, try to have fun with it.
The simple shapes
There are 4 simple shapes and variations of the simple shapes that I want you to master. They are...
- Squares, and rectangular shapes
- Circles, and oval shapes
- Triangles, and triangular shapes
- Hybrid shapes, (or abstract shapes)
Here is a practice page of the simple shapes.
In this excercise I want you to get comfortable drawing the simple shapes. Focus on connecting the ends of your lines together. Don't worry if your shapes aren't perfect, just be patient with yourself. That's the whole point of practice.
Here is a practice page of abstract shapes.
Now we get to be a little creative and artistic. Create a lot of interesting unique shapes. Use straights and curves and let your hand go wild. Just focus on trying to draw clean connected lines. And Have Fun!
Now that you're a wiz at line drawing and the simple shapes let's take it to the next level and learn a few warmup exercises you can do before you start your drawing practice. I think you're going to like them.
Lesson 3: Abstract drawing warmups
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