Reading Assignment 1: The Power Of Lines And Perspective

Reading Assignment #1; The Power of Lines and Perspective Considering myself an amateur artist and painter, I took this course with hopes of understanding the deep passion, subjectivity, and heart of making paintings. With the help of lectures and several readings, I have been exposed to a lot of great information and insight from several sources. Beyond this recent enlightenment however, I have also come to understand and appreciate the true dynamism and influence of straight lines in a painting. From straight lines for architecture to subtle lines for linear perspective, or from early Italian Renaissance paintings that involved light and physical objects to 19th Century painting in Europe that included scaling and symmetry, the power of lines is portrayed and emphasized everywhere. …show more content…
These two chapters touch upon the relationships between lines and perspective, comparison of size, and emotional attributes of lines. For example, in the image to the left, Shoki the Demon Queller exhibits the dichotomy and complexity of lines that convey different meanings; the sword includes thin, precise lines to emphasize sharpness and strength, while the fuzzier and more distressed lines of his beard and hair give a sense of texture and physical sensation (Ch 2 Pg 25). Further, the image on the right also manipulates line quality to develop the overlapping attribute, which ultimately creates depth; there are also many lines of different qualities, such as how the hair looks fuzzy and soft, while the wall appears smooth and solid (Ch 6 Pg 101). These simple artworks become much more symbolic and interesting all thanks to the manipulation of