Hatching

This article is about an artistic technique used in Western art. For the Aboriginal Australian technique used on bark paintings, seeRarrk.For other uses, seeHatching (disambiguation).

Veronica

Albrecht Dürer,Veronica,engraving,1513. Example of hatching (e.g., background) and cross-hatching in many darker areas (visible if viewed at full size).

Detail ofVeronica

Hatching(French:hachure) is anartistic techniqueused to createtonalorshadingeffects bydrawing(or painting or scribing) closely spacedparallel lines.When lines are placed at an angle to one another, it is calledcross-hatching.Hatching is also sometimes used to encode colours inmonochromaticrepresentations of colour images, particularlyin heraldry.

Hatching is especially important in essentially linear media, such asdrawing,and many forms ofprintmaking,such asengraving,etchingandwoodcut.InWestern art,hatching originated in theMiddle Ages,and developed further into cross-hatching, especially in theold master printsof the fifteenth century.Master ESandMartin Schongauerin engraving andErhard ReuwichandMichael Wolgemutin woodcut were pioneers of both techniques, andAlbrecht Dürerin particular perfected the technique of crosshatching in both media.

Artists use the technique, varying the length, angle, closeness and other qualities of the lines, most commonly in drawing, linear painting and engraving.

Technique

The main concept is that the quantity, thickness and spacing of the lines will affect the brightness of the overall image and emphasize forms creating the illusion ofvolume.Hatching lines should always follow (i.e. wrap around) the form. By increasing quantity, thickness and closeness, a darker area will result.

An area of shading next to another area which has lines going in another direction is often used to createcontrast.

Line work can be used to represent colors, typically by using the same type of hatch to represent particulartones.For example, red might be made up of lightly spaced lines, whereas green could be made of two layers ofperpendiculardense lines, resulting in a realistic image.

Crosshatching is the technique of using line to shade and create value.

Variations

Linear hatching

Hatching in parallel lines. Normally the lines follow the direction of the described plane.

Crosshatching

Layers of hatching applied at different angles to create different textures and darker tones. At its simplest, a layer of linear hatching is laid over another layer at a 90° angle, to which further diagonal layers may be added. Other methods include layering arbitrary intersecting patches.Crosshatching in which layers intersect at slight angles can create a rippledmoiréeffect.

Contoured hatching

Hatching using curved lines to describe light and form of contours.

Representation of materials

Intechnical drawing,thesection liningmay indicate the material of a component part of an assembly. Many hatching patterns have been standardized by theAmerican National Standards Institute(ANSI) and theInternational Standards Organization(ISO), though there are many other predefined patterns that may be used. Thus, the hatching pattern of steel varies from that of aluminum, copper, etc. The patterns are not only for metals. Patterns for grass, gravel, brick, and others are frequently found on architectural drawings.

• 
  Cross sectionof a cam follower stud. Notice the double lines for thesteelpattern of the "outer race" component. Also, the commonly used pattern of diagonal lines and variations of it are shown.
• 
  A drawing from the 1960s. Partial hatching on the stone facade is used for clarity.

See also

• Dip pen
• Hatching (heraldry)
• Printmaking
• Stippling

References

Works cited

South, Helen (2009).The Everything Drawing Book.Everything Books.ISBN978-1-60550-446-9.

External links

• "hatching" article in ArtLex Art Dictionary