A look at methods and functions of line weight in drawing.

1. Line Weight
Enlivening Drawing Through Line Variations

2. Question:
Is drawing a verb (action)
or a noun (thing)?
Answer:
It’s an action, denoted by
the -ing. Even when we
say a drawing, we are still
referencing the act or
process. When we are
working with line, we
probably want the work to
have a dynamic quality to
it since line wants to be
active, and that’s where
line weight comes in.

3. By varying the density of our
lines, from bold to subtle with
variations in between, we
enliven our lines and make
them interesting, moving, and
and engaging for the viewer.
Lines that remain static and
the same is fine for
informational drawings such as
blueprints, but in
observational contour drawing
we want our work to create
contrasting areas that lead the
eye around and creates a
hierarchy of importance within
the work. There are a few ways
this can be accomplished.

4. One method is to simply
make some lines darker than
other lines. You are already
balancing lighter lines for
proportioning and darker
lines for the objects
themselves. Now think about
varying these bold and subtle
lines within the finalized
drawing itself, where lighter
linework has a role to play but
is less aggressive than the
darker linework. A good
balance between the two can
serve multiple purposes as
we’ll see, and it will calways
create a more dynamic
composition.

5. Line weight can vary dramatically by
evolving from thick to thin. Essentially this
serves the same purpose as light and dark
by creating bolder portions of line that
contrast with more subtle lines. With this
method you can have lines actually
disappear and reappear again as if they
became so subtle they vanished
momentarily. This is what I call “lost-and-
found” line, such as in the bottom ruffle of
the skirt or in the dancer’s hair.

6. You can also vary line weight by building
up multiple lines in some areas and
leaving other line areas to a single
stroke. As with the other methods, this
creates a hierarchy between areas of
interest and areas that don’t
immediately grab the viewer but wait to
be discovered. This method is also
effective with the “lost-and-found”
technique.

7. In addition to creating dynamic
linework, varying line weight
can serve more purposes as
well. Let’s start with this still life
and reimagine it with line
weights that create different
effects. As of now, all lines are
basically the same weight. Keep
in mind that with all of these
applications, varying line weight
needs to be spread across the
entire image. What we are
going to play with is
concentrating our line weights
in different areas.

8. Note that I am using pencil
grades 5H for proportioning and
lighter lines, B for general
linework, and 4B for dark and
bold linework. Here I have
focused the bolder lines more at
the bottom of each object. This
creates a sense of actual weight
in the objects, visually pulling
them down as if they are
anchored by gravity. This effect
is enhanced with some lost-and-
found linework, such as the cap
on the round bottle. Note that I
still have light lines and bold
lines everywhere, but the
concentration of bold lines is at
the bottom of the objects.

9. If bolder linework draws the eye
first, then we can us this strategy
to create areas of emphasis, a
focal point where we want the
viewer to “enter” the image
before moving around and
seeing everything that is
presented, a front door to your
composition. Here I have focused
more line weight in the area
between the two bottles. This
creates a strong visual pull in
that area first, then the eye
begins to wander around from
there. As before, note there
there are bold lines peppered
everywhere, but the
concentration of bold lines
between the bottles becomes a
visual draw.

10. Finally, here we are using line
weight to create a sense of
space. By making the
foreground objects bolder
and background objects more
subtle, a sense that the
heavier weights are closer
emerges. Again, there are
variations in line weight
throughout, but by
concentrating heaviest lines
on the closest bottle, and
light lines on the candle (the
furthest object here), the
illusion of breaking the
surface and creating depth is
achieved.
Try some of these techniques
in your next drawing. It will
bring new layers to your
image, and will engage your
audience even more.