The Role of Dots in Art

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By definition, a dot is a distinct point made with a pointed instrument. Dots are designed by artists. They can be uniform or varied in shape.

  • Dots are the universal foundation of everything.
  • Artists combine dots to create images, textures, lines, and forms.
  • In art, drawing a dot is the foundation of everything that follows.

TRY IT:

Draw several dots on paper or digitally.
After drawing 40-50 dots come back and read further.

What do you see?
Can you see the faint design of a grid and/or even spacing?
Truly random dot placement is an art! To avoid a grid or dice-like appearance try varying dot spacing—some close together, some farther apart. We guide randomness to make it appear natural.

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Types of Dot Art

  • Pointillism – A technique where dots of any color form any image.
  • Stippling – Specifically using grey-scale dots to create shading and texture; often seen in ink or graphite drawing.
  • Pixel Art – Digital art made up of small squares or dots to create images.
  • Mosaic – Artwork made by arranging small, dot-like pieces of material, such as tiles or glass, to form an image.
  • Dot Painting – Often associated with Indigenous Australian art, where dots are used to form patterns and tell stories.

TRY IT:

Create an image with ink or graphite using ONLY dots (no tails, no lines, no arcs).
Submit for review if desired (small image suggested).

Further Research: Georges Seurat (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte), Ogden Nicholas Rood, Roy Litchenstein, Yayoi Kusama, Vincent van Gogh, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Antoni Guadi

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First Step to Becoming an Artist

If you're a new artist I encourage you to draw one dot and begin your journey. If you wish to go further draw another dot. You can do this digitally or by using tactile methods like pencils, pens, charcoal or paint. Now, connect the dots, and you have a line.

Why? We use this method to train our hands to create. We train our eyes to see and our hands to draw. We first learn techniques, rules, and methods only to forget them later. Our brains magically complete the work without thinking about every step eventaully!