Coastal Landscape
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a windswept shoreline with tangled branches and sparse grass. The ink lines are loose and uneven, like wind-blown strokes. A faded blue tint lingers behind the black, giving the scene a ghostly light. The artist used quick, sketchy marks to show movement—like waves or a storm. The paper’s brown color makes the dark lines stand out even more. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with lines.
