What do diagonal lines mean in art

The surface quality of an object that we sense through touch. All objects have a physical texture. Artists can also convey texture visually in two dimensions. In a two-dimensional work of art, texture gives a visual sense of how an object depicted would feel in real life if touched: hard, soft, rough, smooth, hairy, leathery, sharp, etc. In three-dimensional works, artists use actual texture to add a tactile quality to the work. Texture depicted in two-dimensions Artists use color, line, and shading to imply textures.

In this painting, the man's robe is painted to simulate silk. The ability to convincingly portray fabric of different types was one of the marks of a great painter during the 17th century. Surface texture The surface of this writing desk is metallic and hard.

The hard surface is functional for an object that would have been used for writing. The smooth surface of the writing desk reflects light, adding sparkle to this piece of furniture. The Elements of Art. Wall Clock , French, — Landscape with a Calm , Nicholas Poussin, — Saint Bavo, Haarlem , Pieter Jansz. Saenredam, Cabinet , French, about Holmes, about Arles: View from the Wheatfields , Vincent van Gogh, Studies for a Ceiling Decoration , Charles de la Fosse, about Rearing Horse , Adriaen de Vries, — Gold Wreath , Greek, — B.

Saint Mark , French, about Christ Crowned with Thorns , Gerrit van Honthorst, about The Annunciation , Dieric Bouts, — Portrait of Agostino Pallavicini , Anthony van Dyck, — Desk , French, — Line A line is an identifiable path created by a point moving in space. Shape and form Shape and form define objects in space. We use lines to organize, connect, and separate information and design elements. You can use lines to convey movement and create texture. Lines provide emphasis and define shape.

They can be used to convey mood and emotion. Think of any website and all the places lines are or could be used. When you align elements of a design you create an implied line that organizes and connects those elements. You can further emphasize the relationship with a real line. You add borders around various elements in your design to group them and clear separate them from other elements on the page. Lines are used to divide header from content and content from footer.

Grid lines might even be the structural glue holding your entire design together. Design is controlling space and lines are often used to define that space. We can use real or implied lines in combination with the gestalt principles of continuity, uniform connectedness, proximity, parallelism, common region, and even closure.

Lines are an essential building block in our visual vocabulary. Combined with shapes, color, value, texture, space, and form they give us a visual grammar which we can use to communicate.

They seem simple. If we wanted them to, lines could create the surface and represent the scratch. Something as simple as a line can have an endless combination or variety and through that variety convey different meanings, concepts, themes. Even more when we combine lines into patterns we can convey additional information and meaning.

Download a free sample from my book, Design Fundamentals. Drawing with lines and dots can go as far as your imagination and creativity can take you. You can express moods, feelings, and bring things to life.

Different days you will find yourself expressing different feelings. Beauty is aways in the eye of the beholder,very true. I marvel at some of the designs I see in books and online that use only the most simple forms. They were just meant to be examples of different shapes.

An arrow usually represents direction. Art is absolutely one of the most loved things to do when we were children. However, little did we know its meaning was and how it would navigate so may wonderful things we know and see? I am convinced that lines are important especially when we all use symbols to communicate. A sociologist is the first one to tell anyone that symbols a universal conversation. Did the meaning even matter when we were kids? I agree lines are an important of visual communication and good to understand so we can better communicate with those viewing our designs.

Thanks nilaxi. It should be ready in a few weeks. It is good things you have this site its really help me in motivating my students in line sketching. What is LINE in art? Wikipedia has a pretty good description:. Line is an element of art defined by a point moving in space. It is probably the most fundamental of the elements of design as it is usually the starting place for much of artistic creation.

Lines can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved. They can be any width or texture. And can be continuous, implied, or broken. To make a summary, it is how you draw lines in your painting. What are they implying? The J. It has many diagonal lines. Does it give you a certain feeling? This is a good example of a horizontal line, the "calm feeling" that comes with a horizontal line. This painting has strong vertical lines, to keep your eye moving back to the camper.

Lines are often used in design for decoration, or to imply structure and strength. This high back Argyle Chair Charles Rennie Mackintosh, has short horizontal lines and two thick vertical lines that make the chair appear strong and sturdy.

The thinner lines at either side of the back add a feeling of lightness and elegance.