So, you’re curious about how to make minimalist line art. You might already be an artist interested in branching out into a new style of art.
Or perhaps you’re making your first attempts at making art. The minimalist look is an excellent starting point after that. Simple yet distinctive is minimalist art. But even with only a few lines, it can have a significant influence.
Additionally, it’s currently in high demand and style. Modern and contemporary homes are ideal settings for displaying minimalist artwork. It fits in places where traditional art might not.
However, minimalist art is much more complex than you may imagine. Behind the art, there is frequently a lot of careful planning and thought.
Additionally, minimalist art comes in a wide variety of forms. Consequently, there are a ton of alternatives for the artwork you produce.
Simple line drawings, simple sketches, and simple illustrations are all possible. Alternatively, you may try creating minimalist sculptures while working in three dimensions. Your imagination is the only restriction!
In this article, I’ll share some tips and ideas for how to make minimalist art. You can see some of my minimalist designs here for inspiration.
What is Minimalist Line Art?
Abstraction in the style of minimalism is currently very in vogue. However, it didn’t really take off until the 1960s in the USA.
The purpose of minimalist art is not to represent a particular thing or person in exact detail. Instead, the reality to which the observer responds is the work itself.
Minimalism is perhaps possibly the most abstract art style. Any indication of the artist’s self-expression is absent in minimalist art. The emphasis is instead solely on the art.
Negative space, repetition, and geometric shapes are all essential components of minimalist art. It’s also typical to have a limited or monochromatic color scheme.
In most renowned art galleries across the world, minimalist art may be found. Donald Judd, Frank Stella, and Sol LeWitt are a few of the most well-known minimalist painters.
How to Make Minimalist Art?
Now, you know a bit more about minimalist art. So, it’s time to create your own minimalist drawings and artwork.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you experiment with minimalist art:
Select Only the Essential Elements
You should take some time to consider what you want to make before getting started.
The simplicity of minimalist art can be misleading. But it requires a lot of thought.
The design should be reduced to its bare essentials. Consequently, it’s crucial to identify which components must remain first.
What aspects of your work are absolutely essential? And which ones could you do without sacrificing the purpose of the work you’re aiming to produce?
Take a simple portrait as an illustration. It might only be the basic outline of the face, with no extra features at all.
Think About the Message or Idea You Want to Convey
The simplicity of minimalist art may have a tremendous impact. But only if you do it correctly.
As a result, you should give considerable thought to the message you wish to convey to the audience.
Simplify Your Artwork
You’ve only just begun once you’ve selected how you want your artwork to appear.
The next step is to consider how to further simplify your design. Can you simplify a few elements or cut back a little more?
You may simply use one color for the region rather than drawing a sketch with gradations of shade. You’ll accomplish that minimalist style even though it won’t look as realistic.
You may also use line art or geometric shapes for this.
Additionally, you ought to go with a bold color scheme. A small number of colors are frequently used by minimalist artists. It can become difficult to focus if there are too many colors.
Additionally, by using fewer colors, each one will have a stronger meaning.
Therefore, take your time choosing colors. Instead, think about the emotions you want the spectator to experience.
Review the psychology of color. Consider using complementary hues as an example. If you want to create a particular look, you might also choose colors that are meant to clash.
Use Bold Blocks of Color
You can create a beautiful yet straightforward piece of art by using strong colors.
After selecting your colors, carefully consider where you want to use each one on your canvas.
As significant as the colors themselves can be is the contrast between your hues.
With digital software, filling in blank spaces with a single click is simple. Therefore, you might experiment with other pairings to see how it would turn out.
Bold, simple artwork will be produced using brilliant colors.
Go Monochrome
As an alternative, you might try utilizing black or white.
Minimalism frequently uses color schemes that are monochromatic. They reduce the art to its most basic elements.
Instead, the shapes and forms in your painting attract the spectator in. It might entice viewers to get a little closer.
Consider the White Space
Art that adheres to minimalism should never appear crowded or constrained. The white space, like in any minimalist design, will highlight your work.
Therefore, consider where you’ll use color (or lines). Make sure you have enough room around it after that.
Don’t fill in every tiny space. Give your basic art a chance to breathe.
The same holds true for 3D minimalist art. What’s not there matters just as much as what is. Perhaps the sculpture you made contains arches, holes, or voids.
Use Repetition
Reputation is a common feature in minimalist art. So, see if you can incorporate it into your own artwork.
You could have repeated geometric shapes or colors. You can get more ideas on how to use repetition from these famous minimalist artists.
Go for Clean Lines and Curved Shapes
Change the shapes you employ in your artwork as another technique to achieve minimalism.
That can entail using lines that are square, crisp, and clearly defined.
Alternately, you might choose to use curved shapes, which also have a minimalist appearance.
Your shapes should be regular and have distinguishable forms.
In contrast to abstract or realistic styles of art, minimalism uses a lot fewer organic shapes.
How to Draw a Minimalist Portrait?
You’ll need a reference image while designing a minimalist portrait. After that, you’ll add layers to the design to create the final product.
Minimalist portraits can be made by hand, but a tablet can also be used. Illustrator, Photoshop, or Procreate are the finest options to use.
The selection of your color scheme is the initial stage. Consider the individual’s complexion, hair, and clothing colors. To make it simple to find them later, choose the colors that are nearest to you and write them down.
Then, pay great attention to the person’s facial traits. Additionally, you want to consider their haircut and physique type. Don’t forget about any jewelry or eyeglasses they may be wearing.
You should create a distinct layer for each feature when developing them. Later, it is much simpler to make minor changes or modify the colors.
Start with the general shape of the face, and then gradually add the features and hair. Starting with the primary facial features and paying close attention to them is something I would advise.
Once your design is in line, you can begin to add color. Make sure the shapes are completely closed off with no gaps. Otherwise, you’ll unintentionally color the backdrop as well.
Then, if wanted, add any shadows or lighter regions. Consider where the light is coming from in the image while you complete this phase.
You can now finish off with any final touches. The eraser comes in helpful for cleaning up any smudges. Make sure there are no spaces where the background can be seen. Check your colors one last time to make sure everything looks genuine and true to life.
Your first minimalist portrait is now complete!
Try out Minimalist Line Art
A peculiar form of art that is both incredibly evocative and straightforward is minimalist line art.
It entails drawing with a single, precise line while keeping the pen stationary on the page.
Therefore, one of the simplest methods to begin creating minimalist art is with simple line drawings.
The process of making line drawing art is not as simple as it would seem. Before drawing the design, you must thoroughly consider it.
The line must be fluid and convey the essence of the object you are drawing. However, you are not required to include all the specifics.
If you’re drawing a face, for instance, you could just sketch the face’s outline. You don’t need to include all the details when drawing an eye or a nose.
Here is a useful activity you might perform if you’re unsure about which details to add. Set a fairly strict time limit for yourself, and try to complete the drawing of the face inside it. It can be a minute or even less. Even 30 seconds can be effective!
The face (or whatever your subject is) can then be reduced to its core components.
Line art can be produced manually or digitally, and both look fantastic. Perfect for showcasing in minimalist houses is line art.
On a white background, black lines are frequently used to create line art. It’s incredibly bold and attention-grabbing.
However, if you’d like, you can try out different color schemes. A restricted color scheme might also appear chic.
Final Thoughts
Minimalist artwork is a very bold and striking kind of art. And there are so many different ways to create minimalist art.
So, you can keep these tips and principles in mind. But don’t feel like you have to follow in anyone else’s footsteps.
You can experiment and create your own unique minimalist artwork. That could be anything from minimalist vector art to portraits or 3D sculptures!
Let me know how you get on with your first attempts at minimalist art in the comments below.