For most artists, a unique style and identity is the ‘holy grail’ that makes them stand apart from other artists. While artistic creativity can be expressed in various forms and shapes, American abstract artist Tyler Foust only uses one continuous line to make wonderful illustrations. His ongoing series of single line drawings features one non-intersecting line that creates interesting illusions that usually form conspicuous images or sometimes hidden images that you can only discern if you look closely.
Just like most artists, Foust’s unique style evolved over many years of work. His fascination with line art started when he was a kid. But his passion for line drawings later turned into a mere hobby rather than a profession as he grew up. During his time as a graduate student of Healthcare Administration, he continued making single line drawings as a way to keep his mind focused during long hours of school lectures. Before the lectures, Foust had to explain to his professors about his habit of making doodles during lectures so to keep his focus into the discussion. Hence, this unusual activity allowed him to pay more attention to the lectures rather than a distraction.
Artist Creates Stunning Single Line Drawings Using One Continuous, Non-Intersecting Line
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His hobby of making repetitive single line drawings involves some simple rules that he made himself. First, the illustration must be composed of one giant line that doesn’t intersect. Second, he must draw on ‘auto-pilot mode’ without any pre-determined subject in mind. This is to avoid his mind from engaging too much into the artwork so he could focus on the lectures. He would start from one end of the line and just trace along with his finger on the paper canvas. Lastly, he takes photos of his doodles after every lecture before throwing them in the trash.
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With a huge collection of single line drawings on his possession, he decided to share the pics on Instagram and Reddit for the world to see. The one thing he didn’t expect was that his collection of single line drawings would gain social media attention and receive significant positive reactions. Some people on the internet even offered to buy some of his pieces for hundreds of dollars. With overwhelming inquiries, Foust decided to sell his original pieces and prints on Etsy. Not long after, he was dubbed ‘Reddit’s most upvoted artist’ thanks to his eye-catching abstract illustrations with mesmerizing patterns created by only one line.
“With the more intricate pieces, I spend a lot of time mapping out where to move my line next. The most challenging aspect is trying not to cut off my line path. It is like playing Snake, but losing is a lot more frustrating.”, the artist explains.
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Follow the abstract artist on Instagram to keep updated with his most recent singe line drawings.