13 Types of Lines and How to Use Them

Your project is to draw every day for 2 weeks! I’ll drawing along with you and posting at proko.com/lines
Lines! They’re a lot more complicated than you think and in this lesson, we’ll break down the different types of lines you can use and how you might use them when drawing. It’s important to understand that every line you draw has a shape, value (how light or dark the shape is), and edge (the transitions of the borders). With lines you can represent ideas about objects in space and even convey emotions! If you enjoy this lesson and want to learn even more about lines and other drawing fundamentals check out the premium course - proko.com/drawing
00:00 - Intro
02:15 - Different Ways We Use Lines
05:03 - Lines Represent Ideas
06:04 - Line & Emotion
09:14 - Conclusion
09:50 - Challenge
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ABOUT PROKO:
Instructional How to Draw videos for artists. My drawing lessons are approachable enough for beginners and detailed enough for advanced artists. My philosophy is to teach timeless concepts in an entertaining way. I believe that when you are having fun, you learn better. I take pride in producing high-quality videos that you will enjoy watching and re-watching.
CREDITS:
Artist | Instructor - Stan Prokopenko (www.stanprokopenko.com)
Producer - Stan Prokopenko, Sean Ramsey (www.peoplewhodrawstuff.com), Script - Stan Prokopenko
Production Assistance - Stephen Clark (www.peppermintgentleman.com), Sean Ramsey
Editing - Sean Ramsey, Stan Prokopenko
Additional model images from Satine Zillah (www.proko.com/@satinezillah/t..., 3D.SK (www.3d.sk/)
Cartoon Animations - Cody Shank (codyshank.com/)
Publishing - Alex Otis, John Birchall
Music Used with Permission
Intro - The Freak Fandango Orchestra
Additional music by Epidemic Sound

[@ProkoTV]

Your project is to draw every day for 2 weeks! I’ll drawing along with you and posting at proko.com/lines

[@phyynarts666]

Aye Aye O Captain! My Captain!

[@umatveg]

Stan, I think someone is using your logo to scam people on this very thread, I had a message offering a giveaway.

[@ilovelemons4902]

@@umatveg Yes, that happended to me as well. I thought it was proko but it's someone just using the name

[@amixofgeekcontent]

But how do I use lines to convey certain emotions? You only touched on this very briefly. I need more examples to get an idea of where to start, please.

[@IsisRaAmun]

Sometimes I stress about not making 'enough' progress, not having started drawing earlier in my life - and I forget that art is fun, but your videos always remind me. Thank you!

[@wennyyo9090]

Fun-damental :)

[@IsisRaAmun]

@@wennyyo9090 Yes! I really didn't mean "fun" in a kind of superficial way.

[@sejalb725]

Just shut up and draw is my motto

[@forthekingd0m444]

John3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

[@vijay32570]

Fun in da mental 😮

[@gaonsky]

The Artist mentioned at 7:25: 1. Heinrich Kley 2. Bernie Wrightson 3. Glen Keane 4. Tim Burton 5. Claire Wendling 6. Egon Shiele 7. Aaron Blaise 8. Eliza Ivanova 9. Kim Jung Gi 10. Charles Schulz 11. George Herriman 12. Bill Watterson 13. Charles Gibson 14. James Montgomery Flagg 15. Karl Kopinski 16. Jeff Watts

[@zroh_in]

Thanks 😊

[@strangefury7174]

Thank you!)

[@SashaBBG]

Where is Albrecht Dürer 🙃?

[@rogersbryant1507]

Im 30, and i started drawing as soon as i picked up a pencil. I often stagnate and feel like my progress is either lessened or I feel as though i should be better considering when I started drawing. I've always been self taught, learning tracing at first, then free hand copying images, and usually only drawing anime, cartoons, or a fusion of realism and cartoon faces. Your videos just inspired me to learn more realism and practice more often.

[@alexmccaleb2152]

See now THIS is the foundational information that changes an artist from the inside out. Great show, Stan. The introduction alone about lines "like Whaaat?!" Is super refreshing confirmation.

[@madiko]

Dear Stan. I have been following your progress for ten years now and I am so happy for you that all your efforts have been paid out. It's wonderful to see the lightness and self-confidence you have reached. Furthermore you improved your mastery in explaining you insights in such a compact, well-paced, insightful, esteeming way, it's a pleasure to watch. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 😘

[@creatingcomics6235]

Awesome! I've been working with line weight and this really hits that study home! Great video man as always!

[@phyynproductions]

an invaluable resource, I've been trying to put together a concrete plan to overcome some obstacles and start my own stories and studio, I cant thank you, your team and the wonderful guesting and things you've introduced me to on my art journey I cant even fathom how artist above me feel... yet

[@pardeepinsan5646]

There is a lot to learn from your channel you inspired me. 😇

[@drdocks.t8188]

these were so helpful thank you Proko

[@PorValis]

You are my star Stan. Thank you for another insightful and informative video! I will try my best to draw longer everyday and use the information you taught me here and in your other incredible videos to my benefit. Thank you so much once again, its people like you that give artists a beacon to strive towards in a world where art is being challenged even more.

[@wedneskytheodore3368]

This serie is really woaaaaawwww! Thanks Proko.

[@artawhirler]

Thanks for doing this series!

[@Racheedean]

Proko, you changed my life ! We love you man !

[@JerryLecor]

My man proko is pumping out videos this year, love it

[@Slangnegativ]

Masterful timing, I had just decided that now was the time to start studying and learning to really draw. Much appreciated!

[@jomeson4081]

Finally a video and not a short. Thank you

[@thestellarelite]

So glad to see you back making these classic Proko videos. Digestible, super helpful, and silly lol. I started watching way back in 2016 when I wanted to get back to drawing/painting after a long break. Amazing to see how much your platform has grown!

[@vyacheslavklc5256]

Proko - Inspiration! Proko - Mastermind! 🥰🥰🥰

[@umatveg]

Fantastic video, I already draw but this makes me want to join your course. Great job

[@pixeltatoe]

Proko, thank you for these neverending free stuff 🙇🏽‍♀️

[@user-uo2lh3fj1i]

I’ve bin drawing from life and it’s really relaxing

[@al-mosheytidal1296]

What a value episode! Thanks Stan!

[@inlovewithhumans]

Great insightful perspective... Thanks for sharing the Knowledge God Bless

[@mariacavalcante7505]

seriously very good video It helped me a lot to control this issue of making lines thank you

[@ilovelemons4902]

I love the way Viktor Kalvachev is using crosshatching as well

[@seenuz1]

Really thoughtful tips👌

[@saintluttekazadi2078]

You are always the best. You are simple your explanations

[@illustrator-humayunchowdhury]

Really it's very impressive to me! Thanks a lot!❤❤

[@bluecomet6688]

Thank you Proko

[@niknaktabasco]

This guy can teach!

[@katzui_keen]

Insane video quality 🔥

[@mydrawingdiaries6339]

You are a great artist

[@anhquan8410]

Thanks for your advice, I'm still finding my own draw style

[@RenderdFat]

Hay Proko, I was wondering if you can do a video on drawing and sketching in a sketchbook with out a desk or a table? aka How to hold a sketch book and draw in it with out a surfice to rest it on? especially for small or extra large books. Thanks.

[@pattiepepper6217]

Chuck Jones - The Dot and The Line ❤

[@Starguru-rx5sc]

Ur channel is best for me to learn new things with exiting

[@asimian8500]

The Art Journey Of A Thousand Drawings *Begins With One Line*

[@paul329869]

1) John Kricfalusi 2)Vincent Waller 3)Jim Smith 4)Bob Camp 5)Bill Wray 6)And Many, Many, Many More! 8:06

[@nothomelessonyoutube]

I have made two drawings so far I like. One looks like I would have made it in elementary school, the other looks like I made it in high school. My next thanks to your channel will look like I made it in college. Slowly down and using rythem was a nice way to help a lot.

[@pedrodavila8927]

Excelent Proko

[@foxygamer9905]

Thank you for helping

[@shuvoDhar.5537]

Very helpful video ❤❤❤🔥🔥🔥

[@juanignaciomoreno5988]

Gerald Scarfe and Al Hirschfeld are also good examples.

[@RoddVeiler]

Pretty fun video❤❤

[@moma-b]

10:35 🤣 Thank you for this. 👌

[@joserosanes]

Salamat proko!

[@williambo5989]

hal foster my favorite line artist

[@user-zf9me5vd8i]

Wow that's great

[@Manojkumar-cn6jl]

Good explain sir 🙂

[@antonioblanco3086]

You're the best man

[@joaquimraphael4875]

Excelente .gratoo..

[@kaitlinwilliams2995]

I’m so confused help pls.. Are these videos in order? I draw a pear before practicing line work? Do I start with art fundamentals playlist or basics playlist?

[@chipsvlog4172]

amazing★

[@chungah_5537]

I've been looking through the portraiture course and I was wondering is the course on facial anatomy/expression still an Idea you'd consider? On another note, the way you teach is so simple yet so packed full of information, I just finished the anatomy course and I can't thank you enough for your structured lessons on the human form - I don't think I'd be at where I am with my technical ability, artistically without your guidance and assignments. You da best Stan. -Samuel

[@ProkoTV]

I'm going to have an in-depth course on the face but I'm not sure exactly when that will happen. Right now, most of my education energies are going into the ongoing Drawing Basics course. But I appreciate you being interested in that and will share here on KZbin when that course is coming out!

[@Matt-Hurin]

Alex Maleev, his Daredevil work is one of my personal favourites 🤘🏼

[@Bloothehedgehog]

Learning more here than I have in 3 years of college, like how to use cross contour lines to make form.

[@sebastienbadia]

Variety of lines is the most difficult thing for students to understand. But one day, something clicked and eyes are opened !!

[@fandeandreaarruti]

Free lessons on KZbin. Great.

[@Yiwuyao-lr2io]

Thanks for the great video, Proko. But I still got confused with lines. I can use contour lines and construction lines to draw a cube, without any shading, but I can't just use these two kinds of lines to draw a litlle bump on a skull, as well as any other organic volumn. I come up with the conclusion that without setting a light source or using cross contour lines, we can't express organic volumn. Please correct me if I'm wrong. 😵‍💫

[@disorient0871]

7:27 And last, But not least, My instructor Stan Prokopenko 🙃

[@ianhall7513]

I think sketchy and uncertain lines tend to stem from some level of aphantasia (like glen kean). Lots of searching and relying on the lines we put down to find the ones that make sense as opposed to the ones that sometimes we're expected to already see in our heads. I'm pretty sure I have some level of it and, as a result, I do a lot of searching to find my lines. It does get easier with practice thanks to muscle memory and breaking complex objects into their basic shapes. It just means I'm slower than I want to be.

[@danielpoot5705]

I DON'T actually have money to take the proko drawing basics course. Is it possible to sefl-learn all these?

[@updatepencildrawing]

Awesome

[@Hephaestvs]

Шикарный видос, Слав!) Стэн = Станислав, верно же?

[@Raz282]

Sir big fan

[@PeteLankston]

Moebius and Edward Gorey! :D

[@inlovewithhumans]

The caricature at tye end was hilarious 😂

[@carlosroo5460]

Bruce Timm, Frank Frazetta, Alex Ross, Kazuki Takahashi, Oda Eiichiro, Mashima Hiro, Tabata Yuki, Horikoshi Kohei, Stepehn Silver, Steve Huston, Lane Brown, Chris Legaspi-- I'll stop there.

[@lillowh6126]

I’d like to follow along to the basics course , but I’m in the middle of the figure drawing course . I mean maybe I could do both. Like do some of the basic projects on weekends or something. Thoughts ?

[@ProkoTV]

That's totally okay! The Basics course is set up to be useful for absolute beginners and intermediate students trying to brush up on their fundamentals. If you have the time where you'd be able to do both, you certainly can. Just make sure one doesn't suffer for you to participate in the other.

[@RachaelLongLastName]

Franklin Booth is my personal favourite

[@marciacarbo9047]

I’m Ataliah I love your work

[@VSPhotfries]

If he's not already mentioned: The artist Kentaro Miura. His work is an excellent example of how to use linework to express not only detail - grotesque, beautiful, and everything in between - but also MOTION, which very, very few can match. He's also an example of artistic growth, as in the beginning he was detailed and ambitious, but while certainly competent, hardly all that remarkable in pure skill, but by the end of his life he had become so good that each panel, no matter how small, was a shockingly detailed and vibrant masterpiece.

[@bhootiya_art]

Peter haan ❤️❤️

[@mimusops_elengi]

from 'the figure drawn when two points are connected' to this entire video. Lines are the same, I have grown up :)

[@jerseykertawidjaja2714]

Stan what kind of paper did you use to make that graphite behave like charcoal on newsprint?

[@user-jd5fn1uy3f]

What kind of drawing pencil are you using?

[@IverBG97]

The Goya drawing at 6:50 is amazing!! What's it called?

[@ProkoTV]

"Dancing Giant"

[@IverBG97]

@@ProkoTV Aaaah, thanks, man!!!

[@Trail_Gamerz_786]

I stan you Stan

[@pribadiramadhan1753]

Mr. Incredible while taping on a table : LINE IS LINE!!!!

[@skyhavender]

People say that when you draw you need to think big and relax and be loose with your lines. I just cant seem to relax because of you stan! 😠 It feels like every line is super important and you cant screw upp once because if you do its a failure. I cant stop using the Writing grip and i'm super tence. 😢 Overhand and all the others dont exist when i draw. I am so neevous and tense that i cant relax.

[@al-mosheytidal1296]

@7:48 KOPINSKI!

[@_phong.huynh_]

Came here from Instagram 🥰💕

[@noahrandolph379]

Is there a way to do payment plans on your class?

[@ProkoTV]

Currently, no. But that's something that we're hoping to have by the end of the year.

[@noahrandolph379]

@@ProkoTV cool that’ll help a lot of people I bet, including me

[@satyenbanerjee6810]

Beauty.

[@ArtsySIDDD]

Ahh.. chicken-scratch lines r my favourite!! 😌

[@darkchild130]

Same

[@koffeekage]

“Sometimes, a line is just a line” ~ Sigmund Freud.

[@hellowworld2239]

proko i need help what if i draw 14 hours a day from 6 30am to 10pm what should i do next should i break every boundry and go for 24 hours

[@ProkoTV]

Well, don't do that haha. You need sleep. Take breaks and do other things. Drawing often can help build up your skill at it. But you need to mix things up and have other hobbies so you have visual inspiration of what to draw too!

[@mr.v1442]

"Remarin" my fev artist with my fev lines

[@MillywiggZ]

Spec Ops: The Line

[@ronaldhonore6257]

Line is the most important. Its the creator of the shape.

[@kingyaqobi8285]

cool

[@DeerajGopalkrishna-yb3fs]

I wish I these stuff was thought me in school but now I realized somethings are, nt we should learn them by ourselves.

[@artfuldrawing]

By experimenting with different line techniques, you can add depth, texture, and expressiveness to your artwork

[@vnxrs]

what is this pencil 3:14

[@partingmist8550]

I like to argue about how 'lines' are actually really narrow shapes. Idea is touched on in vid by calling shape a property of line. Its a bit funny though since shapes have more dimensions than lines. Would it be better to conceptualize shape design to include these very narrow shapes?, or are these narrow shapes so distinct from the not-so-narrow-shapes that it really is better to think of them as something other than shapes?

[@vishtem33]

Outside of extremely constrained media types like pixel art or tiny thumbnails, I'd say that [thinking of line as a (painted shape) rather than a (drawn approximation of a infinitely precise vector)] is part of how to get from 'correct' to 'clean'. By which I mean it's a marginal payoff until you're already reliable with more basic things (big shapes and proportions). I'd say it's actually a definite problem to think that way routinely, if it's too early in your development, because it makes things more technical than you have developed the ability to deal constructively with. Proko's "lines express ideas" is a good framing because it pushes you away from narrow focus on technique.

[@bruhifysson9005]

Watching Proko praise line after watching Sinix

[@idobadjokes2830]

Needed to know the lines cause i cant get the ones that helps my drawing look good, i just went with the solid lines before and later needed to know how to properly make strokes

[@saulnores3477]

Francisco Solano Lopez was awesome at drawing lines.

[@daystyr]

I’ve watched almost all your videos I still can’t apply them well especially the circle ⭕️ drawing of head 😂😂. Can u give me further advice ??

[@daystyr]

@@Proko_1 pls how do I do that ??