THE ART OF LINE — ARTWALK
Explore line at your own pace.
Welcome to The Art of Line, a different way of approaching drawing through attention, observation, and movement.
The exercises are presented in sequence, each exploring a different way of experiencing line. You may follow them in order, skip ahead at any time.
Take your time. Pay attention to how you SEE, FEEL, and MOVE, rather than how well you draw.
Stay as long as you wish, and feel free to ask Jan for guidance at any time.
Ready? Choose an exercise below and begin.
01 · LINE: THE FEEL OF LINE
Let’s start with a line.
Pick up your pencil and let it move freely.
• Let your line travel across the paper — slowly at first.
Feel the pencil touching the surface.
• Now play with it:
Go light → then strong
Slow down → then speed up
Turn → curve → wander → change direction
• See what your hand wants to do.
• Don’t worry about making a picture — just enjoy the movement and notice how each change gives the line a different feeling.
• Fill the page and see what happens!
▶ Watch the demo if you wish
02 · THE FLOW OF LINE
Let your lines connect.
This time, explore how a line can flow through movement.
• Imagine each line as a blade of grass.
• Let your pencil land gently on the paper, then
move upward in one smooth motion.
• As the line reaches the top, gently lift your
pencil away.
• Try it again. Change the length, direction, and
curve.
• Let some grasses lean, some bend, and some
cross.
Keep the movement flowing. Don’t worry about making perfect grass — feel the movement of each line.
Fill the page and let your grasses grow!
▶ Watch the demo if you wish
03 · FIVE QUALITIES OF LINE
How many ways can a line speak?
A line can feel very different depending on how you make it.
Let’s play with three qualities:
1 · Light & Delicate
Let the pencil barely touch the paper. Move
slowly and let the line take its time.
2 · Solid & Strong
Add pressure and give your line more
weight.
3 · Sketching Line
Let your hand move lightly and freely,
building the line with repeated strokes, as if
your pencil is forming the object.
Try drawing the same object in each of these three ways, then compare your drawings when you’re finished.
Notice how changing your pressure, speed, and movement changes the character of your line.
Which line feels most like you today?
▶ Watch the demo if you wish
04 · OBSERVE WITH LINE
Let your eyes lead your hand.
Choose an object in front of you.
• Place your pencil on the paper.
• Look carefully at the edge of the object and
choose a place to begin.
• Slowly move your eyes along the edge.
• As your eyes move, let your pencil move with
them.
• Keep your eyes on the object — don’t look at
your paper.
Take your time. Let your eyes and hand travel together.
When you reach the end, look at your drawing.
It may look strange —
This isn’t about making an accurate drawing. It’s about discovering how closely you can look.
▶ Watch the demo if you wish
05 · CONTOUR & PARTIAL CONTOUR LINES
Let your eyes lead your hand.
Choose a simple object.
• Look carefully at its edges and changes in
direction.
• Let your pencil follow what your eyes notice.
• You don't have to draw the whole object at
once.
• Allow the line to stop, begin again, overlap,
or leave spaces.
• Look back and forth between the object and
your drawing as you work.
Don't worry about making a perfect outline.
Let the line describe what you notice.
▶ Watch the demo if you wish
06 · DRAWING WITH MUSIC
Let the music move your line.
Put on the headphones, pick up your pencil, and press PLAY.
• Listen for a moment before you begin.
• Let your pencil respond to what you hear.
• Follow the rhythm — fast, slow, steady,
unexpected.
• Feel the energy — light, strong, quiet, bold.
• Let your line move, pause, change direction,
or start again.
There is no image to draw and no right way to do it.
let the music guide the movement of your hand.
Close your eyes for a moment if you wish. Have fun and see where your line takes you!
▶ Please ask Jan if you need help.
06 · LINE WITH CONVERSATION
Let your lines have a conversation.
In this exercise, two or three people draw together, taking turns to respond to one another’s lines.
• One person begins with a line — any line you
like.
• The other person responds with another line.
• Take turns. Let each new line respond to what
is already there.
• Your line might follow, cross, echo, approach,
move away, or create space around another line.
There is no plan and no picture you need to make.
Pay attention to your partner’s line before adding your own — just as you would listen before responding in a conversation.
What happens when two lines begin to listen to each other?
Keep going until the conversation feels complete.
▶ Watch the demo if you wish