8) Naturalism

The Angelus, by Jean-Francois Millet, depicts a man and woman performing a traditional prayer ritual in a field. The idea of Naturalism involves creating scenes as they appear in real life. The artist painted his subjects as if they were going about their daily lives, without embellishing the appearance or style of the painting.

7) Lost and Found Contour

The extreme shadows in this painting hide some of the contour lines of the main figure. This technique emphasizes the light areas of the painting. The rest of the figure might not be visible, but its shape is still implied. Our mind automatically completes the lines in our heads.

6) Line as Value

The shadows created by the fence line in this photograph contrast starkly with the light grass. These dark and light areas form lines of contrasting values across the image.

5) Gesture Line

Each of these images incorporate gesture lines depicting the path of an object. Rather than merely defining the subject's location, these gesture lines convey motion and energy. They are representative of the space each object takes up.

4) Contour Line

The lines in Da Vinci's Study of a Horse form the outline of the figure he is trying to depict. These contour lines define the shapes that make up the horse. That is, the edges of muscles, feet, ears, etc.

3) Line as emotion

The lines creating and created by these dancers evoke certain emotions in the viewer, according to their form. The long, flowing and curving lines in the first image suggest grace and calm. The dancer appears serene and focused. In the second image, shorter, more abrupt lines add to the feeling of power and excitement. These dancers are apparently performing a dance of much more structure and intense emotion.

2) Line Direction

The obvious lines created by the railroad tracks in this image move in a certain direction. The viewer's eye is led along these lines from the foreground of the picture to the background.