Implied lines are one of the fundamental aspects of composition in any art form. These are extensively used to add emphasis , depth and aesthetic quality to the image , drawing , painting or any art form.
Implied line as the name suggests is not actual line drawn or seen in the frame but are perceived lines and hence the beauty depends on the way these lines are implemented by the artist and felt by the viewer.
what is an implied line ?
Implied line is a perceived line that is created by the viewer by connecting certain features or parts of the frame ( a picture or drawing) . An implied line is a feature or part of the composition that makes the brain feel that a line must exist.
Implied lines are often used to highlight or draw attention towards subject of the frame. Implied line or a leading line is a line in photograph that you feel is there because of the way the picture ( and its elements ) is composed.
What are implied lines in art forms such as drawing and photography ?
You will find examples of implied lines in all form of creative arts such as drawing , painting , photography , videography and so on.
In some cases these are also known as leading lines or even curves as these are not always straight.
What are Implied lines in drawing
Drawing is always associated with what is drawn on the paper by an artist using a pencil. Artist will generally draw an outline of any object that he wants to draw on the canvas. Drawing basic outline to define the shape of an object is basic principle of drawing.
However sometimes even though the actual outline is not drawn or is partially drawn and remaining part is still perceived by the viewer then it is considered as a perceived line.
In its most basic form if an artist starts to draw a line and lifts the pencil while continuing in the same direction as before and then starts drawing the same line again then the part where the pencil was in air is the implied line.
This part of the line is not actually on the paper but the viewer still feels that line.
Implied lines can be a powerful tool in drawing and has been used extensively by many great artists.
An implied line in case of drawing works best over short distances. One can even use light touches or dots , dashes for hinting the presence of a line without actually drawing one.
Implied line in photography
Horizontal and Vertical lines in a photograph manage to provide strong leads to the way we view a picture. You don’t have to draw certain lines in your image. The lines are formed by the way you frame your photograph i.e they are implied. These are also known as leading lines.
The art of arranging certain elements of the photograph to represent a line and draw viewers attention towards something in the photograph is known as implied line photography. Implied lines are not actual lines on a photograph they are implied by the viewers.
Photographers use implied lines to guide their compositions. These lines, as the name suggests, are not lines that are projected onto a photograph.
Here are some examples of implied or leading lines in photography.
