The Expressive Qualities of Drawn Lines

Line is the most expressive of the formal (form-based) elements of design.

Drawing, of course, revolves around using lines and tonal areas to communicate form and space.
 
Line is an elemental component of art and design. In drawing and some painting, edges and contours are described with lines.

Line is defined as the pathway taken by an object in motion;  it’s the connection between two or more points (points are indicators of position in space); therefore line is always directional. 
 
Directionality — referring to the path taken by a moving object —  is inherent in lines, even those that are not visible. Compositional stress can be diagrammed with line— horizontal, vertical, cruciform, radial, diagonal. Whenever we perceive direction, line is present whether it’s visible or invisible. Where line is present, movement is present. Drawn lines are created through movement from the starting point to the ending point. You can’t draw a line without using movement.
 
While there are actually three categories of line — inscribed, implied, and psychological — this article focuses on the use of inscribed line, which is defined as visible, drawn, made by mark making. 

Characteristics of drawn lines

How you use line in your drawings and paintings, and what types of lines you use, affects the responses of your viewers. In technical drawings lines are intended to inform and instruct but not evoke emotional responses. Lines used in illustrations and visual storytelling are generally more expressive to achieve an emotional connection. You give lines meaning depending on how you use them:
 
Verticals express stability, dignity, formality. Because of their inherent direction verticals lift the eyes and contradict gravity. Weighted vertical lines communicate strength and grandeur. Heavy lines are perceived as inherently masculine. 
 
Thin, lightweight lines are perceived as delicate and feminine. In small scale reductions thin lines will disappear.
 
Horizontals are understood as passive, quiet, restful. We are horizontal when we sleep, thus there’s a natural association of relaxation and horizontality. Horizontals imply horizon, open spaces, expanses of water. In contrast they can also be used to denote speed and momentum. We humans more easily follow side-to-side movement — we scan the open space or horizon, we look sideways or over our shoulder to detect any threats and if it’s safe to change lanes when driving. 
diagram of different qualities and characteristics of drawn lines, by Alvalyn Lundgren
Diagonals (obliques) are inherently unstable. Any include suggests movement, and anything tilted or tipped is perceived as unbalanced or imbalanced — a potential threat. Diagonals also are characteristically “faster” than horizontals or verticals, possessing more visual energy.
 
Crossed diagonals and opposing diagonals suggest conflict and opposition. They can also provide strong support (geodesic domes, lattice, reinforcement for concrete), and impenetrability, as in a chain link fence.
 
Jagged lines imply difficulty, roughness, brokenness (as in a shattered glass vase), and brutality.
 
Zigzags are more ordered and controlled than jagged lines, and express excitement and energy. Depending on the degree of irregularity, they can express anger.
 
Flowing lines with slow curves, as in S-curves, suggest beauty, softness, elegance, gracefulness. They can be somewhat passive depending upon the rate of curve. They always suggest movement and are generally understood as feminine in character.
 
Sharply-curved lines indicate violent or sudden change, but also can communicate joy and liveliness.
 
Broken lines can suggest nervousness or insecurity, timidity. Breaking a line in any orientation weakens its effects.
Line clusters create staccato rhythms. They increase movement, rhythm and energy.
 
Equally spaced lines, especially when equally weighted, become monotonous and boring. Highly controlled, we can seldom find meaning in them except to observe their precision. Consider the meaning of a sheet of lined or gridded paper. It calls out for us to write or draw something.
 
Radiating lines moving from a center point outward are perceived to have a spiritual quality and often denote the sun’s radiant energy, but also communicate divergence, dispersion, explosions.
 
Converging lines are opposite in direction from radiating lines. They move toward a center point and bring our awareness to that point.
 
Orthogonal lines in perspective drawings suggest receding movement leading away from the viewer toward the horizons. They imply deep space.
 
Lines that diverge, and in a V, open up, expand, and call our attention to the negative space they embrace.

Line is an element of two-dimensional space

In reality, line doesn’t actually exist. It’s a two-dimensional element, and we live and move and have our being in three-dimensional, volumetric space. Those things that appear as lines in real space — blades of grass, flower stems, twigs, hair, wrought iron fences, rope swings — are not actual line but linear forms. Line exists in the two-dimensional realm of drawing, graphic design, illustration, photography.
 
Line that closes on itself creates a shape, which is also a two-dimensional-only element. 
 
It requires knowledge and creative wisdom to use line in the right way for the right reasons. The choices you make about the lines you use depend on what you desire to communicate.
© Alvalyn Lundgren. All international rights reserved.

Alvalyn Lundgren

Alvalyn Lundgren is a creative entrepreneur, podcaster, and author who has been freelancing for more than 40 years. She is the founder of Alvalyn Creative, a strategic creative consultancy focusing on brand strategy, visual design, and illustration for businesses, organizations, and independent authors. She is also the founder of several educational initiatives: Freelance Road Trip, Occuprise Network, and Alvalyn Creative Academy, and teaches part time in professional design programs with UCLA Extension and ArtCenter Extended Studies. She resides in southern California. She is the creator of Freelance Road Trip — a business school and podcast for creative freelancers. She teaches design and design practice in certificate programs and independently. Her new book, "Freelancing By Design: Essential Strategies and Proven Tactics To Build a Thriving Freelance Business From Your Creative Work" releases on July 1, 2026.