Grade by Grade
B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Visual Arts: Lines, Shapes and Texture

D1.3 D1.4 D2.2About 45 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can use a variety of lines (thick, thin, dotted, dashed, zigzag, wavy) to show ideas and feelings.
  • I can find and draw composite shapes, and symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes and forms.
  • I can tell the difference between real texture and drawn (illusory) texture.
  • I can make a crayon etching by scratching through a surface.

Words to know

variety of line
Many different kinds of lines: thick, thin, dotted, dashed, zigzag, wavy, curly.
composite shape
A shape made by joining two or more shapes, like a house made of a square and a triangle.
symmetrical
The same on both sides of a middle line, like a mirror image.
asymmetrical
Not the same on both sides.
real texture
How something actually feels when you touch it: smooth, bumpy, rough, soft.
illusory texture
Texture that is drawn or painted. It looks rough or fuzzy, but the paper is flat. Also called visual texture.
crayon etching
Art made by covering bright crayon with dark crayon or paint, then scratching lines through it.

Remember from Grade 2

You drew horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, made symmetrical shapes by folding and cutting, and drew textures like fur and bark.

This year, you will use a variety of lines on purpose, find composite and asymmetrical shapes, and learn a cool new technique: crayon etching!

Lines have personality

Take a pencil and draw a line that feels calm. Now draw one that feels angry. Now one that feels silly.

Did you draw a smooth line, a sharp zigzag and a loopy curl? Lines can show feelings and movement without a single word.

A crayon etching with rainbow spirals, zigzags and loopy lines scratched through black, next to a wooden craft stick.
A crayon etching: bright crayon covered with black, then scratched with a craft stick. Find the calm spirals, the sharp zigzags and the silly loops. AI-generated image
thickthindottedzigzagwavydashed
A variety of lines: thick, thin, dotted (top row); zigzag, wavy, dashed (bottom row).
LineWhat it can show
thickstrong, heavy, important, close to us
thinlight, delicate, gentle, far away
dotted or dasheda path, footprints, a sewing stitch, falling snow, something hidden
zigzaglightning, excitement, anger, a fast or bumpy movement
wavywater, wind, hair, a calm or dreamy feeling
curly or swirlysmoke, wind, curls, a magical or busy feeling
What different lines can show

Lines in famous art

  • In The Starry Night (1889), the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted the night sky full of swirling, curling lines. The sky seems to move and glow.
  • Norval Morrisseau, an Anishinaabe artist from northern Ontario, painted animals and people with thick black outlines and lines that connect them. His style is called Woodland art.
  • Japanese artists drawing with ink and brush use thick and thin lines in one stroke by pressing harder or lighter.

Composite, symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes

A composite shape is made by joining shapes. A simple house is a square (or rectangle) plus a triangle. A snowman is three circles.

  • A symmetrical shape is the same on both sides of a middle line. Many buildings and butterflies are symmetrical.
  • An asymmetrical shape is different on each side. A sailboat with its sail on one side, a tree bent by the wind, or a wave are asymmetrical.

You can find both kinds in the human-made environment (buildings, cars, chairs) and in the natural world (leaves, animals, rocks, clouds).

symmetricalasymmetrical
Left: a composite house (a rectangle plus a triangle) is symmetrical along the dashed line. Right: a sailboat with its sail on one side is asymmetrical.

Real texture and illusory texture

  • Real texture is what you feel. A clay mug is smooth. A pine cone is rough and bumpy. A wool mitten is fuzzy.
  • Illusory texture (also called visual texture) is drawn or painted. A drawing of tree bark can look rough, but when you touch the paper, it's flat!

Artists make illusory texture with lines and marks: short lines for fur, dots for sand, overlapping curves for fish scales, wavy lines for wood grain.

Crayon etching: scratching to make lines

Etching means making lines by scratching through a surface. In a crayon etching, you:

  1. Colour a whole small card with bright crayons, pressing hard.
  2. Cover it completely with black crayon (or black washable paint mixed with a drop of dish soap, then let it dry).
  3. Scratch a drawing through the black with a wooden craft stick, an unfolded paper clip or a toothpick.

The bright colours glow through every scratched line, like fireworks in the night sky!

Worked example

Example: Talking about line in The Starry Night

Let's analyze how Van Gogh used line, like an art expert.

  1. Describe: The sky has swirling, curling lines. The tall cypress tree in front has wavy, flame-like lines. The village has short, straight lines.
  2. Analyze: The swirls make the sky look like it is moving. The straight lines make the village look still and quiet.
  3. Interpret: Maybe the artist wanted to show that the night sky feels alive and full of energy, while the town sleeps.

Van Gogh used a variety of lines: swirling lines for a moving, magical sky and calm straight lines for the sleeping village. The contrast helps tell the feeling of the painting.

Just for fun

Joke: What did the zigzag line say to the straight line?

"Loosen up! A little excitement would do you good!"

Worked example

Example: Planning a crayon etching of a snowy owl at night

Let's choose lines and textures for a crayon etching.

  1. Feathers (illusory texture): many short, curved lines, layered like scales.
  2. Eyes: a thick circle so they stand out.
  3. Branch: rough bark made with short zigzag lines.
  4. Falling snow: dotted lines and tiny dots across the sky.
  5. Wind: a few swirly lines.

We used five kinds of lines to show feathers, eyes, bark, snow and wind. The scratched lines will glow on the dark background like a moonlit night.

Hands-on activity

Crayon etching

You need: a small piece of thick paper or card (about the size of a postcard), crayons including black, a wooden craft stick, an unfolded paper clip or a toothpick, and newspaper to cover the table.

  1. Colour the whole card with patches of bright crayon. Press hard!
  2. Cover everything with a thick layer of black crayon.
  3. Plan your picture with a variety of lines: thick, thin, dotted, zigzag, wavy.
  4. Scratch your drawing. Add illusory texture like fur, feathers or bark.
  5. Feel the card. Can you feel the scratched lines a little? That's a tiny bit of real texture!

Safety: a grown-up should unfold the paper clip and supervise the pointed tool. Scratch away from your body, and keep the tool away from eyes. Crayon flakes go in the garbage, not in mouths.

Your turn

1

Draw or describe four kinds of lines.

2

Which line best shows lightning?

3

What is a composite shape? Give an example.

4

Is a butterfly symmetrical or asymmetrical?

5

A drawing of a fluffy cat is on flat paper. Is the fluffy fur real or illusory texture?

6

Name one thing at home with real smooth texture and one with real rough texture.

7

What are the three steps of a crayon etching?

More practice: warm-up

1

Which line looks more delicate: thick or thin?

2

True or false: A snowman is a composite shape.

3

Which kind of texture can you feel with your fingers?

4

Which line could show footprints in the snow?

5

Is a tree bent by the wind symmetrical or asymmetrical?

More practice: on your own

1

You are drawing a calm lake at sunset. Which kind of line would you use for the water? Why?

2

Name one symmetrical human-made object and one asymmetrical natural object.

3

How could you draw illusory texture for a porcupine's quills?

4

Why do the lines in a crayon etching look bright?

5

Look at this description: A drawing of a cactus with thin dotted lines for spines, and a thick outline. Which two kinds of line did the artist use?

Challenge

1

Plan a crayon etching called "Winter Storm". Name three kinds of lines you'd use and what each shows.

2

Is the CN Tower in Toronto, seen from the front, closer to symmetrical or asymmetrical? Explain.

3

A friend says: "Texture only matters in sculpture, because you can't touch a drawing." Do you agree? Explain.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which line shows lightning best?

2.

A house drawn as a square with a triangle on top is a ___.

3.

Which is asymmetrical?

4.

A drawing of rough tree bark on flat paper shows ___ texture.

5.

In a crayon etching, the picture appears when you ___.

6.

In The Starry Night, swirling lines make the sky look ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 3 students use the elements of design to communicate ideas (D1.3): a variety of line, composite shapes, symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes and forms in both the human-made and natural world, and real versus illusory texture, including etching by scratching through surfaces (D1.4). They also explain how artists use these elements (D2.2).

How to help:

  • Go on a "line walk" outside: find zigzags (fences, stairs), waves (water, hills) and dotted lines (road markings, footprints).
  • Sort objects at home into symmetrical and asymmetrical.
  • Do a "touch vs. look" game: a real pine cone next to a drawing of one.

Common difficulties:

  • Pressing too lightly with the bright crayon in an etching, so nothing shows. Encourage heavy, waxy colouring.
  • Thinking illusory texture is "fake" or wrong. Explain it is a clever artist's trick.

Safety: supervise pointed scratching tools (paper clips, toothpicks); a wooden craft stick is the safest choice. Cover the table; wash hands after.