Drawing & Painting

Line, shape and colour in artwork

Line, Shape and Colour

Drawing uses lines to create shapes and pictures. Lines can be straight, curved, zigzag or wavy. Shapes are areas enclosed by lines — circles, squares, triangles. Colour adds mood and interest. Artists use these elements to express ideas and feelings.

Example

Drawing Activity

Draw a landscape using different lines: • Straight lines: buildings, fences • Curved lines: hills, clouds • Zigzag lines: mountains, grass • Wavy lines: water, smoke Use warm colours (red, orange, yellow) for a sunset scene or cool colours (blue, green, purple) for a night scene.

Note

Remember

Primary colours (red, yellow, blue) can be mixed to make secondary colours (orange, green, purple). Every artwork starts with lines and shapes. Practice makes your drawing improve — observe carefully and draw what you see, not what you think you see.

Key Vocabulary

LineA mark made by moving a point across a surface

ShapeA flat area enclosed by lines (circle, square, triangle)

ColourWhat we see when light reflects off objects (red, blue, etc.)

SketchA quick, rough drawing to capture an idea

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