The smell of almond and vanilla floated in the kitchen as my grand-daughter, Aislynn, (sprinkled with flour), created fun-shaped cookies. While Aislynn was inspired by the curvy shapes of cookie cutters, I was inspired by the curves of line quality.
In the painting above, notice the thick and thin black lines that outline the roses. This uneven nature of the line is intentional and is called line quality.
4 benefits of line quality:
1.Adding variety to “a line” will create more interest, movement and depth into your art piece. The round shapes of the roses give movement while the thick and thin lines add depth.
2. Above is a drawing from my first book, Beached in a Camper, where the kids are filling water balloons bombs! Feel the energy soar as heavier lines are used to draw Adam, the boy standing in front of the girl, Freckles. He's trying his hardest to save the ammunition. The bolder lines make him appear more over-powering against the girl, Freckles. Adding thick and thin lines to cartoons and illustrations will add more life to them.
3. In the outline of the musicians and instruments the line quality enhances the lyrical movement of the piece. Feel the flow as the lines lead your eye from one musician to the next.
4. Next, the birch tree – my favorite image – with it’s natural, craggy bark, just begs for great line quality. The thick and thin lines enhance the strength of nature.
4 benefits of line quality in other paintings:
The birds and trees have more depth from the thick and thin lines.
Even in paintings, the beauty of line quality is achieved and appreciated. Notice the variety to the lines of the birch trees.
Bold colors contrast nicely against the texture created from line quality. The irregular lines in the birch trees increase the energy, encouraging your eye to stay longer on the painting.
