What is single line drawing?
First designed by Picasso, the whole process is such that the whole drawing is done in one continuous stroke (line) without lifting the pen/pencil off the paper. Also known as continuous line drawing, it is usually a minimalistic style (black and white) that does not involve many colours. The effects namely come from the background and the line, without adding other aspects.
How do I get started?
Have an end goal in mind, and plan your route. You are not supposed to lift your pencil off the paper. Instead, think of ways to reach your end goal, to connect the two end points together, to complete your artwork.
Materials Needed For Single Line Drawing
According to Singapore artist Celine Chia, these are her recommended items for line drawing :
Pencil – sketching pencil, 2B and above. It is entirely based on the artist’s preferences. Avoid using mechanical pencils as they are not suitable for drawing purposes. Mechanical pencil runs out of lead easily before the completion of the line of art. When you need to stop to refill the lead, it defeats the purpose of line drawing. Hence, it is not ideal for drawing this particular art style
Pen – Micron pens as it ranges from o.o1 mm to 1 mm. If you want to vary its thickness, there is the brush pen series that you could experiment with too, which generally gives you more freedom to apply more pressure on the canvas. This allows the artist to control the thickness of the stroke and place emphasis on various focal points.
All these materials can be bought in local art supplies stores and bookstores.
Steps to Single Line drawing ?
Place emphasis on the thickness of the lines. For minimalistic line drawing, one would use simple lines. It’s an art style that’s perfect for beginners who are just starting off and exploring their creativity. An example that Celine recommends is to start with a flower. Start with one point and try to get the end result without lifting the pen off the paper.
For those more experienced artists, you can explore darker and thicker lines through applying more pressure (if you’re using markers). Proportions matter a little more in the portraits. Line Drawing in Singapore is pretty much free and easy, pick up a pen or pencil and start doodling! Practice makes perfect so get started today!
What are some resources I can seek out?
You can search ‘line art’ on Pinterest or check out our youtube channel below for a full walkthrough. The following is a quick guided approach to line drawing of a flower:
If you have any questions, feel free to leave in the comments below or dm us through our socials !
