Expressive vs. Constructive Line: Drawing Emotions & Mark Making 
This engaging art resource introduces students to the power of line in visual communication by exploring the differences between expressive and constructive lines. Through iconic artist examples, guided practice, and creative exercises, students learn how lines can build structure—or express raw emotion.
 
What’s Inside:
Page 1: Artist Inspiration & Explanation
Features side-by-side examples from Vincent van Gogh (expressive line) and Wassily Kandinsky (constructive line)
Clear explanations of each line type and how they function in art
Page 2: Practice & Compare
Students draw examples of both expressive and constructive lines
Includes reflection prompts to help students compare how each type of line feels and functions
Page 3: Emotions Through Line
A list of emotions and how they might look as abstract lines (e.g., joy = bouncy curves, anger = jagged marks)
Space for students to draw 3–5 emotions using only lines
Page 4: Drawing Challenges
Students draw a dog two ways: once with expressive lines, once with constructive lines
Bonus prompt: draw a still life object using each type of line for contrast