How Much Did You Practice To Draw Straight Lines

I can't describe a directly line with a straight edge, and I'one thousand the first to admit it. Horses, aye. Fences, no, in other words. I have to practice drawing straight lines, simply actually didn't want to do it until I stumbled upon a few fun and piece of cake straight line drawing exercises.

People ofttimes comment on the time and patience needed for colored pencil piece of work. Some employ the give-and-take "wearisome" in describing the process. My response is that "irksome is in the eye of the beholder." If yous truly enjoy what yous're doing, it's non tedious.

Simply there are times when fourth dimension is of the essence, specially if you practise portrait work or are working toward a competition or showroom. Having a full armory of tools helps you make the most of your time. Ane of those tools is line control.

4 Straight Line Drawing Exercises

Following are four line control exercises that will help you better pencil control. I used a 6B graphite pencil for each of these because I enjoy the way a soft lead goes onto paper. You lot tin utilise any hardness of lead you prefer, or whatsoever dry medium you adopt. They're fantabulous exercises for colored pencil, chalk, charcoal or pastel.

Parallel Line Practice

Draw a line. Choose any pressure and value.

Draw a series of lines parallel to the first line. Make them as parallel as possible while drawing freehand. Use constant pressure.

Don't worry if the lines aren't perfectly direct or perfectly parallel when you begin. None of usa kickoff that fashion unless we utilize a directly-edge. The more often yous exercise this exercise, the straighter and more parallel your lines will become, so keep practicing and leave the straight-edge in its drawer!

Gradated Parallel Line Exercise

This exercise is much like the previous one with the added dimension of making each parallel line either lighter or darker than the i earlier.

Start with a line. Make it either very light or very dark.

Make each stroke lighter or darker than the previous stroke (depending on where y'all started) and make each new stroke parallel to the previous strokes.

Come across how much gradation you can create just with lines.

A variation on this do would exist to run across how shut together yous can make the lines and how smooth the resulting transitions can be made.

For variation, encounter how close together y'all tin make the lines and how shine the resulting transitions can be fabricated.

You lot can as well work from one color to the side by side, varying color and value.

Hatching Line Exercise

Depict a gear up of parallel lines with even pressure and line weight.

Now depict another set in an opposing direction. Don't draw through the previous set of lines. Create an border between the groups by catastrophe each line with the same amount of space between the first group of lines.

Go on adding new sets of lines in new directions.

The purposes of this do are:

Learning to draw parallel lines at different angles
Consequent pressure command
Learning to begin and end strokes precisely and consistently
Learning how changes in stroke direction affects the appearance of a drawing

Value Shift Parallel Line Exercise

Information technology never hurts to practice force per unit area application as well as line drawing. This exercise allows you to do both at the same time.

Commencement with the lightest force per unit area possible and increment to the heaviest pressure possible as you describe the line. Practise several this manner, making them every bit parallel as possible and getting the widest possible value shift without lifting your pencil from one end of each line to the other, or going over the line a second time.

After you've done a few, start with heavy pressure level and reduce pressure level as you draw the line.

A variation on this practice is to use a pencil with a slanted bespeak and modify the line width by turning the pencil as you draw.

These Straight Line Drawing Exercises will Get You Started

I highly recommend these straight line drawing exercises, as well as other types of drawing exercises. In the adjacent few weeks, I'll share a few more drawing exercises you tin utilize to warm up, improve pencil control, or just have fun.

Most of us doodle from time to time. These exercises are ideal for doodling time whether you're waiting for a dr.'south appointment, on a plane, train, or bus, or walking the pet of your choice.

They're also a great way to relax for a few minutes.

And all the while, you'll exist improving line command and finding new means to make every stroke comport it'due south full weight with your next pencil project.

Got a question? Ask Carrie!

Carrie L. Lewis

Carrie L. Lewis has been an creative person longer than she can retrieve. An oil painter from her teens, she began using colored pencils considering they were ideal for highly detailed work, and were easier to transport and utilize at horse shows. She at present uses colored pencils almost exclusively. From the kickoff, horse were a favorite subject, and she'south been an equine portrait artist for virtually of her career. When she began drawing with colored pencil (and afterwards a motion to Kansas,) she found special beauty in landscapes, and landscapes are now what she draws almost often. The rugged Flint Hills region of eastern Kansas is at the pinnacle of her list of beautiful places to visit and draw.