Drawing Vocabulary

Continuous Line Drawing

A drawing done in which the pencil is never lifted from the page.

Contour Drawing

A drawing the uses lines to define the outer edges and interior surface details of an object

Thumbnail Sketch

A planning sketch usually done very quickly and on a small scale to determine the arrangement and placement of the objects in an artwork.

Still-Life

A representation of inanimate objects, as a painting of a bowl of fruit.

Value Scale

A shading diagram that shows all the shades from light to dark available for use in a drawing.

Cross-Hatching

A technique for shading using parallel lines that cross over other parallel lines.

Abstract

A term generally used to describe art that is not representational or based on external reality or nature.

Blind Contour

Done by looking intently at the edge of an object, but never looking at the paper while the pencil moves.

Form

Element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses space.

Gesture Drawing

Gesture drawing is done quickly and its purpose is to capture the essence and movement of a subject, rather than to present a realistic rendering of details.

Implied Texture

Texture that is created to look like something it is not, is called visual or implied texture.

Cross-Contour Lines

While contour lines describe edges, cross-contours describe form and volume. These lines can follow planes of form, moving around and across objects as well as through them.

Organic Shapes

are associated with things from the natural world, like plants and animals.

Stippling

is the creation of a pattern simulating varying degrees of solidity or shading by using small dots.

Chiaroscuro

is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition

Geometric Shapes

such as circles, triangles or squares have perfect, uniform measurements and don't often appear in nature.