I often get compliments on my linework, which has made me want to talk about my process for some time now.
Because to me, as I draw it, none of these are actually distinct.
![Three pieces are included in this image. The first piece is another piece in the same bold, textured inkbrush style, of a figure shrouded in a bear's pelt. The next is a lineless, full colour piece of a black woman with white hair dressed in a bold, vibrant outfit. The last is a small line drawing of a dragon. The text reads as follows: And this [piece] has more similarity with my lineless work than it does with my older linework.](../images/markmaking/lineless.png)
Let's say for example, we are going to draw this eye
You could draw the sharp edges and angle changes and mark those with lines like so:
Or perhaps simplify things into just a few lines by using different lineweights to convey the edges:
But for me, when I look at this eye, I don't just see the edges and seek to draw those—I also see the overall contours of the subject's form, as well as identifying the darkest areas, and I simplify the shading down to just a few simple colours and shapes:
And then that's what I try to describe with the marks that I make.
But it's not just the shape and form I try to describe, but also the texture!
There's a variety of different kinds of mark I can make with my brush
And even more options if I combine it with other brushes
So, rather than drawing lines, I think instead of it as using marks to describe the subject and shapes of the piece.
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