Creating Amazing Hatch Line Art and Paintings

On teaching drawing as a beginner students learn how to shade correctly using hatch lines and cross hatch lines as well as stipelling. It is best to slow down the process of teaching about the three forms and go slow so that students can see the beauty in each of the three basic forms. This lesson covers the first form of hatch lines.

Students can use a #4H pencil or it I prefer a fine line 0.5 black drawing pen. I present several masterpieces of contour line drawings that can be found on the Meet The Masters image bank. I share with the students that they are trying to feel the surface of the portrait or landscape by using the hatch lines. They are created texture like a bark on a tree. Once their their hatch line drawing are complete then they can choose to go the next step and add color to the image using watercolor or mixed media. This lesson has great results because students learn to see the subject in different ways. It builds confidence and self-esteem in the students when they see what they did not realize they could produce in art class. Below are samples from the Meet The Masters image bank.