Every drawing, every letter and every shape is made of a handful of basic line types. When kids trace characters, they practice all of them without realizing it. Naming the lines as you go turns tracing into a quiet lesson in the building blocks of art and handwriting.
The basic line types
Straight vertical lines
Up and down. Robot legs, door frames, the letter I. Occupational therapists often list vertical lines as one of the first pre-writing strokes kids learn.
Straight horizontal lines
Side to side. Robot shoulders, tabletops, the middle of an H.
Diagonal lines
Slanted. Triangle sides, roof lines, the letters A, V and X. Diagonals are usually harder for young kids than vertical and horizontal lines.
Curves
Smooth, bending lines. Animal backs, smiles, the letters C and S.
Circles
Closed curves. Eyes, wheels, heads, the letter O.
Zigzags
Sharp back-and-forth lines. Dinosaur spikes, lightning bolts, teeth.
Waves
Gentle up-and-down curves. Water, fish fins, curly hair.
Spirals
Curves that wind inward. Snail shells, curly tails, lollipops.
Characters that practice each line
- Straight lines and corners: robots. Trace Then Color: Cartoon Robots.
- Curves and waves: fish, octopus tentacles, seaweed. Trace Then Color: Fish, Sea Creatures and More.
- Zigzags: dinosaur spikes and teeth. Trace Then Color: Cartoon Dinosaurs.
- Circles: eyes, buttons, wheels, bubbles. Almost every character.
Naming the lines
While tracing, name what you see:
- "This is a straight line going down."
- "Now a curvy line, like a hill."
- "Zigzag, zigzag, like teeth!"
Naming lines builds vocabulary and helps kids notice them in other pictures.
Line hunt
Before tracing, hunt for each type of line on the page. Color a small key in the corner: a straight line in red, a curve in blue, a zigzag in green. Then find and trace them.
From lines to letters
Pre-writing strokes like vertical lines, horizontal lines, circles, crosses and diagonals are building blocks for letters. Tracing characters gives lots of practice with all of them. See tracing pictures vs tracing letters.
From lines to drawing
Artists think in lines. A cartoon character is simply the right lines in the right places. Noticing line types helps kids understand how to draw their own characters later. See from tracing to drawing.
Questions parents ask
Which lines are easiest for young kids?
Vertical lines and circles usually come first, then horizontal lines, crosses and diagonals.
My child struggles with diagonal lines. Is that normal?
Very normal. Diagonals are one of the harder pre-writing strokes and usually develop around ages 4 to 5.
Should I teach line names to a 3-year-old?
Sure, casually. Words like straight, curvy and zigzag are easy and fun.
About Kevin Coulston
Kevin Coulston is a cartoonist and member of the National Cartoonists Society who has written and illustrated more than 100 drawing, tracing and coloring books for kids, including the Trace Then Color series. Meet Kevin or browse all his books on FirstArtBooks.com.
