3) Line as Emotion

Different types of lines can depict various emotions.  Jagged lines can be seen as harsh and evil, curvy lines relaxed and safe, or straight lines stable and calm.

In Van Gogh's Starry Nights there is a lot of emotion and mostly conveyed through the types of lines he uses.  The swirling lines of the night sky are all rounded, making it seem majestic.  We feel guided by the lines drawing our eyes all around the painting as a whole.  The building in the small town at the bottom of the painting are largely composed of small straight lines, conveying a sense of stability and calm.  The tall cantered lines of the small steeple even make us feel somewhat safe.  The large black figure on the left has jagged, pointy tips with chunkier, darker lines.  This conveys a more ominous feeling, seeming dark and threatening.

5) Gesture Line

Gesture lines involve more of an implication of an object through freely moving lines.  The lines don't have to outline every edge, but rather imply that those edges are there.

Through this orientation of basic and hurried lines, we can pretty clearly see an older man with glasses, a beard, and a cowboy hat.  He doesn't have the depth, size, texture, or color that a real man would possess, but we still understand the shape that is being conveyed and the idea of the pose that is being expressed.

4) Contour Line

Contour lines are used to follow the edges of a certain form.

In this painting we see very precise and particular lines, describing the man's tousled hair and the bend and folds of his  clothing.  The lines are lighter and more spread out at the bottom, but closer together and darker toward the top around his head for more emphasis.