Drawing with Confidence, Part 2: The Language of Line
A single line can become an expressive journey
Image by ALEKSEY MILEKHIN
Drawing with Confidence is a free online art course. Develop your drawing skills through playful exercises and thoughtful experimentation. Overcome barriers to self-expression and embrace the joy of mark making.
Part 2 — Key concepts we’ll explore:
Different types of lines: straight, curved, zigzag, broken, etc.
Line weight and pressure variation
How line quality affects emotional response
Tools and their impact on line characteristics
Explore Line Quality, Weight, and Expression
Lines are the fundamental building blocks of drawing, and the quality of your lines can dramatically change the feeling and meaning of your drawing.
Line Vocabulary
Contour lines: Define the edges and boundaries of forms
Gesture lines: Capture movement and energy
Hatching/cross-hatching: Create tone and texture through parallel/crossing lines
Implied lines: Suggested but not actually drawn
Expressive lines: Communicate emotion through quality and character
Line Quality Exploration
With your drawing supplies, experiment with creating:
Lines that vary in contour (solid, broken, dotted)
Lines that vary in gesture (slow, deliberate to quick, spontaneous)
Lines that vary in hatching (one-way, cross-hatched)
Lines that vary in presence (light to heavy)
Lines that show different expressions (angry, calm, excited, shy)
Notice how the physical act of making different lines changes your body’s tension, breathing, and mood. A slow, deliberate line requires physical and mental engagement, which is different from a quick, spontaneous one. The lines you make are an extension of your physical and emotional state.
Reflection Questions
Consider your creative process. Which line qualities feel most natural to you? Which feel challenging or unfamilar? What might this reveal about your general approach to creative work?
Confidence Boost
Your lines tell stories only you can tell. They tremble, dance, or march with purpose—each reflecting something uniquely yours. When you find yourself seeking ‘perfect’ lines, pause and ask: what would happen if I let my line be authentically mine? In my drawing classes, the most compelling artwork often comes from students ready to embrace the quirks in their work, not fight against them.
Image by Nwar Igbariah
Exercise: Continuous Line Portrait
Draw a self-portrait without lifting your pencil from the paper. This exercise builds hand-eye coordination while freeing you from perfectionism. The constraint of the continuous line forces you to think differently about how forms connect and flow into each other.
Materials
Drawing paper (at least A4 / 9 x 11 inches)
Pen or marker (something that can't be erased)
Mirror
Instructions
Set up a mirror or photo reference of yourself
Place your pen on the paper and look away from the paper to your reflection in the mirror
Draw your self-portrait without lifting your pen from the paper or looking down at the page at any point
Move slowly and deliberately, focusing on truly seeing your features
If you reach the edge of the paper, continue from another point but without lifting the pen
Complete at least 3 continuous line portraits (5-10 minutes each)
Tips
Don’t aim for a perfect likeness—embrace the distortions that occur
Focus on major features and transitions between them
If you ‘make a mistake’, simply continue—there’s no going back in continuous line drawing
Try varying your line speed to create different qualities
Reflection
How did your approach change between the first and last portrait?
What was most challenging about maintaining a continuous line?
Did you discover anything surprising about your face through this close observation?
How does the expressiveness of the continuous line portrait compare to more conventional drawing methods?
Art in Focus
Paul Klee (1879-1940)
Paul Klee, Was läuft er? (Why Does He Run?), 1932. Etching. Source
Swiss-German artist Paul Klee famously described drawing as ‘taking a line for a walk’. His playful, often childlike approach to line transformed modern art’s understanding of drawing.
Klee believed that a line had its own life and momentum—that once begun, a line could lead the artist to unexpected places. His works often appear deceptively simple but contain complex rhythms and subtle variations.
In his teaching at the Bauhaus, Klee encouraged students to explore the expressive qualities of a line before attempting representational drawing. His pedagogical notebooks remain influential in art education today.
Hilma af Klint (1862-1944)
Swedish artist Hilma af Klint created pioneering abstract works decades before abstraction was recognised as a movement. Her work demonstrates how lines express spiritual and scientific concepts through geometric precision and organic flow.
Af Klint’s lines connect the seen and unseen worlds, often forming spirals, circles, and intricate diagrams that map cosmic relationships. Her methodical yet intuitive approach to drawing resulted in compositions that feel simultaneously mathematical and mystical, with lines that guide the viewer through complex visual systems and symbolic vocabularies.
Connection to Your Practice
Paul Klee and Hilma af Klint demonstrate how a line can be playful and profound. Their work shows that lines need not be tied to strict representation to convey meaning and emotion.
Exploration Activity
Create a drawing inspired by Klee’s concept of ‘taking a line for a walk’ or Klint’s intuitive explorations. Start with a single line and let it lead you across the page, responding to its direction and energy without planning the outcome.
Drawing with Confidence
References
Cramer, C. and Grant, K. (n.d.). The Bauhaus, an Introduction – Smarthistory. [online] smarthistory.org. Available at: https://smarthistory.org/the-bauhaus-an-introduction/.
Hilma af Klint Foundation. (2022). Home - Hilma af Klint Foundation. [online] Available at: https://hilmaafklint.se/.
Rewald, S. (2004). Paul Klee (1879–1940) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [online] Metmuseum.org. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/paul-klee-1879-1940.