How To Draw Dynamic Lines

Lines are the basic building blocks of art, be it drawing, painting or even simply sketching. It is not a easy as putting down one line after another to create an object, because the your picture will appear static and uninteresting.

You would want the 3D objects to still look believable on the 2D paper. Luckily, there are some quick and easy tips and tricks you can apply to draw dynamic lines, regardless of the subject matter.

Firstly, you need to pay attention to the quality of your lines. If you draw multiple lines, the final picture will appear sketchy.

Unless that is your aim, do try and practice to draw confidently in a single stroke. It does not matter if you have to draw slower than usual in order to do this. It also does not matter if the final picture looks “funny.” Each practice will improve your technique and confidence, and with time, the picture will look less squiggly and more accurate.

One shortcut to do this is to use a light table. Draw in your usual sketchy style, and then trace the picture on a new paper with single, solid strokes. If you are drawing digitally in a program like Photoshop, simply lower the opacity of the sketch layer and draw the line art in a new layer.

Secondly, you need to vary the weight of the lines. Drawing with only 1 type of line will give a monotonous, boring look to the whole picture. This is especially true if you are working on line arts, without any color.

When creating the line art, keep in mind that your lines need to have depth, motion and weight, in order to attract attention from the viewer. Give a sense of motion by drawing thin, fleeting lines to indicate movement.

Similarly, objects with thick lines appear solid and unmoving, which is excellent for still life. One trick to draw with lines is by first drawing the whole picture in thin lines, and later add various thickness to the lines.

Lastly, keep in mind of the perspective. Generally, since the objects in the background will appear less detailed and less distinct, you can reflect this by drawing thinner lines to convey the illusion of distance. Likewise, give the objects in the foreground more solidity by drawing it with various thick lines, not only because it is closer to the viewer, but also to bring the focus to it.

Although the main subject need to have thicker lines as compared to the background, a single line weight is dull, so remember to vary the lines well. You can also opt to draw only one thick line around the contour of the main subject, as to create a sense of drama.

All the tips and tricks in the world will not help you to improve your drawing skills if you do not try it, so you need to practice, practice and practice. Get a paper out now and try to draw the object in front of you. Notice the object’s relation to the background, and relay that on the paper by creating illusions of space with lines. Happy drawing!