“Line quality” is used to describe the character and aspects of the linear mark-making in a work of art. It is not a scale of good to bad or less to more skilled; instead it calls attention to the “hand feel” of the marks. It references the variation in width, smoothness, movement, briskness, depth, etc.

There are many types of lines: thick, thin, horizontal, vertical, zigzag, diagonal, curly, curved, spiral, etc. and are often very expressive. Lines are basic tools for artists—though some artists show their lines more than others.

By varying the line quality an artist can show form in a drawing with just the use of line. Line can also indicate shadow and form through the use of cross contour lines. Cross contour lines follow the contours of the object. Much like running your finger around the form of an object.

Shading is used traditionally in drawing for depicting a range of darkness by applying media more densely or with a darker shade for darker areas, and less densely or with a lighter shade for lighter areas. Light patterns, such as objects having light and shaded areas, help when creating the illusion of depth on paper.
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Gesture Drawing: Capture your Subjects in Action

• First observe the largest features of your subject and quickly note the overall movement or direction of the object. ...
• Limit the time you use for each gesture drawing. ...
• Ignore any lines you lay down which are not 'accurate'.

You may note that some of the samples above actually contain a smaller gesture drawing in the lower right corner of the larger dancers' based gesture drawings. It was a quicker look at the motion with even less attention to detail, line, form or shading...values.

A gesture drawing is basically a quick drawing that captures the essential gesture of a subject in its most distilled form. Gesture is everywhere, embodied in every object, person, and place. It is action, emotion, movement, and expression all rolled together into one cohesive motion.

Understanding and applying gesture to your daily practice is a crucial step in your artistic development. Gesture drawing is a method of capturing figures in exaggerated poses. Some gesture drawings lean more towards realistic representations while others exaggerate like crazy.