Implied Lines

Imagine your mom takes a look around your room and says, "Hey, would you like me to teach you to use the vacuum?" or "Would you like some new storage boxes?" or "Are you starting a dirty sock collection?" 

What is your mom really saying?

She is implying that you need to clean your room.  She is suggesting that your room is very dirty and you have too many socks on your floor.

To imply also means to suggest.  Therefore, an implied line is a suggested line.  It may not physically appear in a work of art but the artist has arranged objects, shapes, colors, etc in the work of art to suggest to your eye that a line is there.  Sometimes artists use these lines to direct your eye to move through a work of art in a particular way.

For example...

Look at the painting below called The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault.  The artist has arranged the objects in the painting to move your eye through the painting to a particular area.  Can you tell what he wants you to look at?

The Raft of the Medusa was painted by Gericault in the early 1800's after a French Naval boat called the Medusa shipwrecked and stranded 147 men on a makeshift raft in the ocean for thirteen days.  Only 15 men survived and the incident was a great political scandal.  

Do you see the implied line in the painting?  It is drawing your eye to the flag the man is desperately waving to get the attention of a far-off ship.  Look below.  Can you see it now?

Artists use implied lines to create movement, add meaning, and make their works of art more interesting.  

Where do you see implied lines in the design below?