Lines
Definition of Lines
56. Taking any dot and drawing it out in any direction, or in a series or sequence of directions, it becomes a line. The line may be drawn in any tone, in any value, color or color-intensity. In order that the line may be seen, the tone of it must differ from the ground-tone upon which it is drawn. The line being distinctly visible, the question of tone need not be raised at this point of our discussion. We will study the line, first, as a line, not as an effect of light.
The line may be drawn long or short, broad or narrow. As the line increases in breadth, however, it becomes an area. We will disregard for the present all consideration of width-measures in the line and confine our attention to the possible changes of direction in it, and to possible changes in its length.
We can draw the line in one direction from beginning to end, in which case it will be straight. If, in drawing the line, we change its direction, we can do this abruptly, in which case the line becomes angular, or we can do it gradually, in which case it becomes curved. Lines may be straight, angular, or curved. They may have two of these characteristics or all three of them. The shapes of lines are of infinite variety.