Finding your natural voice: Drawing lines with expression

In this edition of the The Tap newsletter, I explore one of my favourite topics: how to draw lines with expression. As someone who embraces minimalism in drawing, I'm fascinated by how much emotion and depth can be packed into a single line or stroke.

When I ask someone to draw a line, they almost always try to draw a straight one. I'm always surprised by this: I think it reveals our training, our assumptions, and in some cases, our learned pressure to meet some invisible standard. I’ve been even more surprised when people say, with some level of embarrassment, "I can't really draw a straight line." Sometimes there's the more alarming and dismissive, "Hehe, I can't really draw," a rejection of the possibility that you could. How much have we been conditioned to seek perfection and fear disapproval of something that might otherwise be so simple?

Sometimes people ask, "What kind of line do you want to see?" I love this question: it's the approach we adopt as engineers, advertisers, problem-solvers. Define the boundaries. Give me a clear brief, and I’ll deliver exactly what you expect. Make this efficient, chop chop. In my experience it’s mostly adults who ask this question. ?

Young children, by contrast, readily volunteer and beam with pride when they produce that line, any line, using their imagination to fill in the details. What adults may see as an incomplete brief or a test of competence, they see as an invitation to create.

Moving away from perfection

So how do you find your voice? I think the first step is to let go of the idea of perfection. We're typically taught to draw things as we see them: an elephant is supposed to look like an elephant, a table like a table. But we're not talking about how to draw here, we're talking about how to draw in a way that's uniquely you.

I rarely think when I draw: I do what comes instinctively. (Possibly why my earthworms have been mistaken for snakes, and cows for pigs!)? In most cases, I've put pen to paper as an outlet for an emotion that's spilling over. When I look back on my work – even just the illustrations and not the full stories – I could go as far as to say they reflect my personality at that point in time.?

Take for example, an example of an elephant I drew 15 years ago and an elephant I’ve drawn in more recent years. Previously, there was a natural leaning to whimsy. I was just having a laugh (I also actually sold prints of these on t-shirts!). The recent drawing below this one reflects a move towards a more realistic depiction, a wanting to flesh out the details. Both tell different stories, both offer different kinds of energy.

Using lines to express emotion

Lines are powerful tools to reflect what you feel in that moment. Maybe today you'll draw a straight, rigid one; tomorrow you'll have swift, sweeping strokes to show movement; another day you might draw carefully, cautiously. If you're sitting in an office, your line may look different from what it might look like when you sit in a park. But just like everyone has a unique way of processing things, you have a unique way of drawing: a style that's just yours.

Exercise 1

Draw a line based on what you feel

It sounds simple enough. In terms of technique, you might think about thickness, direction, pressure, speed, continuity. But what if you draw how you feel? Draw a line based at different times in the week based on whether you are:

• Anxious
• Frustrated
• Excited
• Calm

In each case, draw the first line that comes naturally to you. No erasing, no second-guessing. There's no wrong way to do it! :)

At the end of the week, look at your sheet. Do the lines look different? Ask your friend or colleague or partner to try it, too. Do their drawings look like yours?

Exercise 2

Draw a water body

Draw a river, a lake, a pond, the sea. Here, you might have some decisions to make.

First, set the scene. The brief is intentionally open-ended—use that to your advantage. Flesh out at least five scenarios. Is someone swimming in there (a person, an otter, a crocodile)? Do you want to show a sunset over a beach? Or perhaps you have something else in mind. Your choices will guide your strokes. Rough lines for choppy waves, dashed ones for still waters, or maybe just a simple horizon line with a red sun. The canvas is all yours.

• Resource: To study decisions on landscapes and lines, I've really enjoyed John Porcellino's work (King Kat, The Lone Mountain).

Paying attention to body language

I’ve recently made the amusing observation that I tend to adjust my posture to match the character I'm drawing. When I draw an authoritative person, I square my shoulders, straighten my back, sit upright in my chair. When I’m drawing something sad, I notice that I hunch over my tablet, and slump in my chair.? Sometimes the drawings are far from being anatomically realistic like the one below but they work.

Body language and posture is key to expression, especially when you use more minimalistic drawings. Take for example the two drawings below. In the first one it looks like there’s a spring in the step of the character. Everything seems to be going okay, there’s something to look forward to: meeting someone in the park, perhaps, or going home to a nice meal.?But in the second one, there's less 'give' in the stroke. The lines are straighter, less fluid. The character is perhaps worried about something or has had a tough day.

• Resource: I was lucky to have spent lots of time as a child poring over the drawings in the book Rendering with Pen and Ink by Robert W. Gill which serves as a brilliant introduction to anatomy, among other things. Highly recommended.

Exercise 3

Draw to music

Music has a considerable influence in how we draw. Try this:

Play different genres of music and observe how they shape your lines, energy, and approach. Pick a simple subject, say, a dog (or a banana, why not) and draw it while listening to various styles. Does an upbeat, foot-tapping tune make your lines more playful and exaggerated? Does a slow piece bring out softer, more delicate strokes? Let the music guide your hand and see what happens.

• Resource: Lynda Barry's book Making Comics and her online workshops

I've found that my most meaningful work comes when I stop trying to draw what's "correct" and instead draw whatever feels natural, true to my feelings, perspective, and the energy and story I want to convey. I think the best way to find your unique style is to release the expectation of the outcome, allow yourself to be surprised. Draw lines that feel good to make, that communicate a story that only you can tell.

This newsletter is part of a new series focused on finding joy and freedom in storytelling. I'd love to hear your feedback on whether you found this useful! What would you like to see next?