Basic Training
LESSON NINE
The Curve: A Natural Progression of the Line
The natural progression of the line is the curve, and just like the straight line, confidence is key. As you build your drawing skills, you must learn to strike a balance between speed and accuracy. Go too fast, and you’ll lose control. Go too slow, and the line can wobble or falter. The key is to discover a pace that feels natural to your arm - one that allows the line to flow smoothly while still landing where you intend it to.
You are training your muscles and your instincts. This takes time and repetition. You might not achieve invisible overlapping lines right away - or ever - and that’s perfectly fine.
Art is not about perfection. It is about communication.
The purpose of these exercises is not to become a machine, but to become more fluent in your visual language. When your line flows with clarity and intent, your viewer will feel it.
C-Curves are simple, arching curves that resemble the letter “C.” They may look straightforward, but they are incredibly expressive. The flow, direction, and weight of a C-curve can convey everything from the energy of a gesture to the weight of a body in motion. Even a subtle shift in where the curve’s pressure is placed can significantly affect the emotion or clarity of a line. In a figure drawing, for example, a C-curve can be used to suggest movement, balance, or the direction in which a body is turning.
A line is not just a boundary - it’s a story in motion.
These curve exercises are powerful tools for strengthening your line control. Most complex lines in drawing can be broken down into a combination of straight lines, C-curves, or S-curves. When you master these three core types, you gain control over the rhythm and expression of your work—and ultimately over how your lines communicate form, motion, and story.
Exercise Six
We will be using the same overlapping technique from Exercise Four to approach this drill. The goal is to build speed and accuracy together, so you can call on these lines instinctively, without hesitation, when telling a visual story.
For this exercise, you will trace a provided C-curve ten times, focusing on maintaining accuracy with each pass. Do your best to follow the example curve as closely as possible, paying particular attention to the target dots at either end of the line. The aim is to land your marks consistently on these points so that, with practice, your ten strokes merge into a single, confident line that appears almost seamless.
