The dance of lines in art

How does the use of line define a painting? Lines create movement, structure, texture and direction. Contrast the quiet stillness of lines in work by Agnes Martin, with the dynamic lines and expressive mark-making of an artist like Julie Mehretu - a current favourite of mine. More often than not, the lines we put in a painting are a reflection of our human limits - our range of movements and reach, as well as a measure of our own rigidity or flow.

I remember when I took some dance classes and how clunky I felt at first. Even though I was getting the moves right, I knew I looked tentative and tight. It was confidence that really made me look like a proficient dancer. It’s just the same with our mark-making in drawing or painting. Deft, decisive work with lines creates work that has a professional air. We’re drawn to this confidence, we believe in what we see.

We can think of equivalents between dance and mark-making in painting. Think of a dance like the tango. It’s tight and technical, yet needs an assertive muscularity to look right. There’s the waltz, which is all about direction and effortless flow. If we’re hitting the dance floor for a good old boogie, it’s all about feelings, expression and not being afraid to make a statement! Can you, like me visualise the equivalents in painting?

Just as with dance, confidence with lines is simply a skill that takes practice and it’s where we’re going to begin on my next module of Adventurous Painters (head to ‘learn with me’ for more information). We’ll be looking at lines in the world around us for inspiration, including landscape, weather and journeys. I can’t wait to get started and witness some more emerging artists finding their moves!