Actual and implied lines
Actual lines are real marks made in a composition. Implied lines are lines that are suggested by changes in colour, tone and texture or by the edges of shapes.
This lithograph print of The Scream (Edvard Munch, 1895) is entirely made using actual lines.
Contour lines show the figure and its expression as well as outlining the bridge, the land, water and sky.
There is no tone or shading so actual lines are also used to show the texture of the wooden bridge and to suggest clouds, hills and waves.
Sand Dune by Plains Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa shows strong implied lines created by the horizon and the diagonal slope of the sand dune.
The combination of lines leads your eye from one edge of the photograph to the other and back again. It is a very simple composition, but the bold changes in colour and texture in each section of the photograph help to create a sense of the scale of this desert landscape.
