Line Artists

Albrecht Dürer

“Whatever was mortal in Albrecht Dürer lies beneath this mound.”     – Dürer’s epitaph.

Durer was renowned as one of the greatest Renaissance artists in northern Europe. He was a German artist, printmaker and theorist whose most famous pieces include:

Although his most recognised piece today is his Praying Hands:

Durer’s Praying Hands

He mostly painted pieces of religious meaning but he also wrote four books which focused on the drawing of people and how he applied mathematical equations for the proportioning of facial features. His work is very detailed and mostly uncoloured although he did paint a few watercolour landscapes. For his wood cuts he used cross hatching to shade and his hands are done by sketching on paper.



Neal Adams

Adams is an American comic book artist who is credited with defining the modern imagery of DC Comic’s Superman, Batman and the Green Arrow. He has worked on both DC and Marvel comics

Neal Adams



Mort Drucker

An American caricaturist as well as a comic artist most famous for his satirist artwork.



Charles Dana Gibson

“Charles Dana Gibson was an American graphic artist, best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century.” – Wikipedia

“Beauty and the Beasts”

Most notably in his pen work you can spot his use of cross-hatching for adding shadows. I find he uses it quite effectively as his lines follow the shape of his subject.


All four of these amazing artists are probably most recognised for their line work. Dürer would be the most detailed in his approach, followed by Adams, Drucker and then Gibson. I like all four but my favourite would be Charles Anna Gibson not the comic artist!? I love all that nerdy comic stuff and I’m huge fan of detail but Gibson’s style (I’m not mad for what he draws) is certainly the most appealing; it’s simple but really captures the shape of what he’s shading and I think his drawings are the most “solid”. There’s also so much character in his drawings!

Charles Dana Gibson



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