Dots and lines

Key terms

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an element
a pixel
composing a picture
pointillism
a (brush)stroke
outline
a medium
shade / shading
line art

Using dots to create a picture

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Each picture is made up of either dots, lines or surfaces – or any combination of these. The most basic elements of creating a picture are dots – but how to create a full picture using nothing but dots? You might be familiar with the way modern computers and screens work. Every digital picture is made of pixels, tiny coloured squares. The smaller the squares (or pixels), the clearer the picture, as you can see from the photos below. The amount of pixels is usually shown in the image information as ppi (pixels per inch). A clear, professional quality image is at least 300 ppi.

But this way of composing a picture was not invented during the digital era. Artists have used it as a way of making art for a long time. The technique of creating a picture using only dots or small coloured areas is called pointillism. Pointillism was a popular technique in the late 19^th and early 20^th Century. The idea is to apply small dots or strokes of different colours close together, so that when you look at the picture from a distance, the colours blend together.

Georges Seurat, 1884. Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Check out these contemporary artists who use the idea of pointillism and dots in their art today!

Sami Lukkarinen
who creates "pointillist" paintings from social media photos

Miguel Endara
who draws huge drawings using millions of tiny black dots
Video: The Making of "Hero"

Federico Pietrella
who uses date stamps to create "pointillist" artworks

Think 1.1 Look at the following pictures. What can you see? What is pictured here? What colours have been used? Write down or discuss with a partner. To see a "pointillist" image more clearly, you might try to take a step backwards. Can you see better now? Take a peek at the answer key to see what the original photographs look like.

Create 1.1 Create your own "pixellated" art!

Choose an image. You may take a photo, or use an existing image.
Print it out and draw a grid over it, or use photo editing software to create a grid. The more squares you have in your grid, the clearer the image will be! A good amount might be 10x15 squares or something similar.
Draw a grid of the same proportions on paper.
Look at each of the squares. What is the dominating colour of that square in the original image? Paint in the colour on your paper. Alternatively, you might use cutouts of magazines or coloured paper to fill in the squares!

Different types of lines

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Along with dots, lines are one of the most basic elements of visual art. The word refers to any mark between two points. Lines can be straight, curved, vertical or horizontal. Lines can be used to draw outlines or to create movement. Most of us have drawn something using only lines. In fact, when you are writing, you are using lines! The key to making lines work well is to know the medium you are using. If you use a pencil, you will need to know how to hold it, how to apply just the right amount of pressure and how to move your hand – it might sound like a lot, but it is quite simple! If you have extra time, you can watch the video below to find out more about using a pencil!

How to Hold and Control Your Pencil

Fun facts: Some pencils are harder, some are softer. With a soft pencil, you can easily get darker shades. The softness of a pencil is indicated with letters and numbers - take a look at your own pencil! Chances are, it says "HB" on the shaft. This is the softness of a standard writing pencil. Soft pencils are named with a number and the letter B - the bigger the number, the softer the pencil. So 2B is quite close to HB, while 8B is very soft and dark.

Line art can refer to any piece of art in which the main components are lines - so no shading, or texture. A fun way of making line art is trying to hold the pencil down - so have it touching the paper at all times! Some very famous artists such as Pablo Picasso or Rembrandt have done line art in this way.

Test 1.1 Test out drawing using only dots or lines. Pick a subject – it can be something in the classroom or in your bag. First, make a small pencil drawing in your sketchbook or on a small piece of paper using only lines – so no shading! The key is to trace the shape of the object. Remember to look at the object and trace the lines as you can see them, not the way you think they are supposed to look!

Next, you can test out different ways of drawing: hold the pencil against the paper without lifting it up, use only your left hand, draw with your eyes closed!

Objectives (NCC 2014)

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Think 1.1 (O1, O2, O8) Making observations on a picture and discussing with a partner or in a group. Understanding the basic idea of pointillism and the technique.

Create 1.1 (O1, O3, O4, O5, O7, O9) Turning observation into creation. Understanding how pixels work, and figuring out the idea of pointillism. Practicing colours through either paints or coloured paper. Encouraging sharpness of visual observation. Starting creative work from a self-selected image.

Test 1.1 (O3, O4, O5, O9) Testing a historically important technique based on earlier observations. Trying out new things, exploring the technique, finding new ways of visual production.

Sources

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Honour, H., and Fleming, J. (1999). A World History of Art.
National Gallery of Art. (2020). The Elements of Art: Line. https://www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/line.html. Visited 15 October 2020.

Images:

1 Georges Seurat, 1884. Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
2 Albert Edelfelt, unknown (part of sketchbook). Image courtesy of Finnish National Gallery.