Sketch Book for the Artist

LINE VERSUS TONE

In linear drawings, thicker lines appear to stand forward.

while thinner lines recede. In a tonal drawing, lighter surfaces

stand forward while darker surfaces recede. This fundamental

opposite is a reason why linear and tonal drawing does not

always combine well in the same image. There is no obligation

to add blocks of tone to a linear drawing. Often doing so

will spoil your work. If you wish to make a tonal drawing,

start out with one.

Tonal width

These black and white bands are of equal thickness on

either side of their central division. Observe how each

white band appears thicker than its black counterpart,

In this tonal image we read white as fatter than black.

Apparent lengths

These optical illusions show how lines of identical length can be made

to look quite different from each other by the addition or association of

other lines. Two horizontal lines of equal length are made to look longer

and shorter, respectively, by directed arrows (A). An upright line stands

in the center of a horizontal line. Both are identical in length, but the

upright one looks taller (B). Short horizontal lines of identical length

are made to look different by converging lines beside them (C).

LIGHT

AND

ILLUSIONS

Linear distance

These two jugs have been drawn with lines of differing

thicknesses. The jug drawn with a thin line appears farther

away than the jug drawn with a thicker line. In this linear

drawing we read thick as closer and thin as farther away.

Bending straight lines

Seven parallel lines are made to tilt toward and away from each other by

numerous short strokes crossing them diagonally (A).Two relatively thick

parallel lines are made to bend away from each other as they pass in front

of an array of converging fine lines (B).You may experience something

similar happening when you make single-point perspective drawings with

a large number of converging rays behind your horizontals.