Welcome to the ARTventurous Academy!

I want to teach you how to teach your kids or students all about the fundamentals of art.

Today’s lesson: the element of line

LESSON 1

*Don’t miss the free resources inside the blog!*

Have we met yet?

*Abbey and son before an online art lesson*

Hey there! I’m Abbey Allen—art teacher, elementary teacher, online educator, and artist. I’m also a mom of two and was homeschooled.

I believe in flexible, creative learning. I also believe art is the perfect way to do just that.

Get to Know Me

line art lesson — *Share this image if you like this free art lesson!*

Let’s dive into this free art lesson!

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The Fundamentals of Art—and Why You Should Care

As a kid, I was mostly self-taught when it came to drawing sketching painting. Of all the different art topics, the ones I hated the most we’re honestly the ones all about the elements of art. It’s so funny because I love teaching elements of art now! That’s because I figured out ways to incorporate the elements of art into things that kids actually love.

The basic fundamentals of art can be divided into the elements of art and the principles of design.

Some people have different definitions of a couple of these some of them overlap, but I’m just gonna give you seven elements of art and seven principles of design.

These are the 14 that I based all of my classes and resources off.

Elements of Art:

1) line

2) texture

3) shape

4) color

5) value

6) space

7) form

Principles of Design:

1) contrast

2) emphasis

3) balance

4) pattern

5) movement

6) rhythm

7) unity

These fundamentals of art are the basis behind all works of art.

How to Teach the Element of Line

1) Play with line.

Play is the best way to introduce a new concept to kids imo.

Set up a bin, box, or table full of items with lines.

Prompt your kids or students to start thinking about the lines they see.

Do you see lines?

Are they curved or straight?

Are they short or long?

Let kids touch and play with items before continuing on.

2) Explain the element of line.

This is how I explain line in my art journals:

“Line is the foundation of art. A line starts at one point and connects to another. Lines make up every piece of art that exists.”

That’s it! This part doesn’t have to be fancy. Scroll down to download the Line Hunt for free. It has this definition in it, so use it as a reference.

3) Search for lines in nature.

Now your kids or students will be ready to search for lines around them. Nature is the best place to start! Get outside and hunt for different types of lines using the Line Hunt below.

4) Observe how artists use lines in artwork.

This is the most important connection point! If your kids or students can see how lines are used in art, they’ll be able to replicate it.

Flip through these slides to see artwork I’ve used as examples in my classes. I’ve also included prompts for you to use!

Download Free Lesson

5) Make your own!

At this point, your kids will be ready to make their own artwork. There are 2 ways you can go about this:

line art activity — *One of my favorite art activities from this journal*

PROCESS ART: Grab art supplies and let your kids create without instructions! You’ll be amazed to see how all the information they’ve learned about the element of line spills out in their artwork.

PRODUCT ART: If your kids or students are looking for more structure, try out a the activities in my Nature Art Journal! The first unit is alllll about the element of line.