![]() If each line represents an equal point of elevation, then any change in elevation would lead to inconsistent line spacing, right? For example, several contour lines spaced close together would indicate steep terrain, while lines spaced far apart would indicate a gentler slope. They appear as hourglass shapes between two concentric circles.Ī quick glance at a topographic map will give you a general idea of the landscape. Identifying saddles can show you the quickest route through hilly areas. Saddle. A saddle is a low lying area between two higher points of elevation. Learning to identify common contour line formations will help you read topo maps quickly, and recognize the various terrain features they represent on a map. Contour lines, as we know them today, came into popular use in the mid-1800s along with the rise of resource extraction industries like mining and logging.Īfter reading contour lines on a map for a while, you’ll notice that a few distinct shapes pop again and again. It would be thousands of years before cartographers (map makers) could chart large areas of terrain with any real accuracy. The first known maps to include geographical features were found in Ancient Rome. Essentially, topographic maps represent the three-dimensional landscape of Earth within the two-dimensional space of a map. Topographic maps use a combination of colors, shading and contour lines to represent changes in elevation and terrain shape. A map with contour lines on it is called a topographic map. Topography is the study of geographical features on a landscape. Beyond backpacking and hiking, countless other professions use them - land surveyors, foresters, engineers, miners, geologists, hunters, to name a few. or lifesaving in a desperate survival situation. This information can be helpful when selecting a hiking route. If you trace the length of a line with your finger, each point you touch is the same height above sea level. If you were to walk the path of a contour line in real life, you would remain at the same elevation the whole hike, never traveling up or down.Ĭontour lines are critical to understanding the elevation profile of your terrain or a particular land formation. Put simply, contour lines mark points of equal elevation on a map. What are Contour Lines and Topographic Maps? Contour LinesĮver noticed those squiggly lines all over your hiking map? Other than the obvious trails and rivers, these squiggly lines are contour lines. What are Contour Lines and Topographic Maps?.You can find the how to’s and DIY videos on the internet. Contour lines can also be used to indicate reflections, a change in depth, or simply define shadows and highlights.Īs per the purpose of this blog, I have introduced you to a different drawing art technique i.e. You can use line weight in contour drawing to make one element jump out from the paper or another to sink into the background. Their drawings are actually quite simple lacking the shading or details which are found in realist drawing. It is used in a variety of styles of drawing to great effect contour drawing is used all the time by Cartoonists and illustrators and these are the best examples of contour in action. However, Contour drawing does not have to be that simplistic. In the mango example, you might add a little curve that indicates the indentation where the stem forms. ![]() This outline, or contour, describes the outermost edges of a form and so, you can quickly draw a mango.Ĭontour lines can also be used to depict dramatic changes of the plane within the form. For instance, when you think of drawing a mango, you will automatically begin by following the visible edges of the shape. It’s very likely that you’ve been drawing contour lines all along because it is the simplest form of art and yet many of us do not think of it as an art technique.Ĭontour drawing is the place where most beginners start because it is the most obvious. Essentially, it is the drawing of an outline of an object. By using contour alone and forgetting about shading and tonal values, we learn to recognize the pure and simple form of an object.Ī contour is a line which defines a form or edge. This is one of the first ways that we learn how to draw. ‘Contour’ is a French word meaning, “outline.” In the most basic form, an outline drawing is also called a pure contour. Contour drawing is an artistic technique used in the field of art in which the artist sketches the contour of a subject by drawing lines that result in a drawing that is essentially an outline. In this InkFused post, get introduced to Contour drawing.
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