# Hatching > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hatching > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hatching.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatching > Source revision: 1346384971 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Art technique of using closely-spaced parallel lines for shading This article is about an artistic technique used in Western art. For the Aboriginal Australian technique used on bark paintings, see [Rarrk](/source/Rarrk). For other uses, see [Hatching (disambiguation)](/source/Hatching_(disambiguation)). Detail of [Albrecht Dürer](/source/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer)'s *Veronica*, featuring hatching (e.g., background) and cross-hatching in many darker areas The full [engraving](/source/Engraving) **Hatching** ([French](/source/French_language): *hachure*) is an [artistic technique](/source/List_of_art_techniques) used to create [tonal](/source/Tint%2C_shade_and_tone) or [shading](/source/Shading) effects by [drawing](/source/Drawing), painting, or scribing closely spaced [parallel lines](/source/Parallel_lines). When lines are placed at an angle to one another, it is called **cross-hatching**. Hatching is also sometimes used to encode colours in [monochromatic](/source/Monochromatic) representations of colour images, particularly [in heraldry](/source/Hatching_(heraldry)). Hatching is especially important in essentially linear media, such as [drawing](/source/Drawing) and many forms of [printmaking](/source/Printmaking), such as [engraving](/source/Engraving), [etching](/source/Etching), and [woodcut](/source/Woodcut). In [Western art](/source/Western_art), hatching originated in the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages) and developed further into cross-hatching, especially in the [old master prints](/source/Old_master_print) of the fifteenth century. [Master ES](/source/Master_ES) and [Martin Schongauer](/source/Martin_Schongauer) in engraving and [Erhard Reuwich](/source/Erhard_Reuwich) and [Michael Wolgemut](/source/Michael_Wolgemut) in woodcut were pioneers of both techniques. [Albrecht Dürer](/source/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer) in particular perfected the technique of crosshatching in both media. Artists use the technique by varying the length, angle, closeness, and other qualities of the lines, most commonly in drawing, linear painting, and engraving. ## Technique The main concept is that the quantity, thickness and spacing of the lines will affect the brightness of the overall image and emphasize forms creating the illusion of [volume](/source/Volume). Optically, brighter (less hatched) areas appear closer and darker (more hatched) areas appear further away, thus the number, spacing, and thickness of hatch lines can create the illusion of depth and volume on a two-dimensional surface like drawing paper or a printed image. Hatching lines should always follow (i.e. wrap around) the form. By increasing quantity, thickness and closeness, a darker area will result. An area of shading next to another area which has lines going in another direction is often used to create [contrast](/source/Contrast_(vision)). Line work can be used to represent colors, typically by using the same type of hatch to represent particular [tones](/source/Tints_and_shades). For example, red might be made up of lightly spaced lines, whereas green could be made of two layers of [perpendicular](/source/Perpendicular) dense lines, resulting in a realistic image. Crosshatching is the technique of using line to shade and create value. ### Variations **Linear hatching** - Hatching in parallel lines. Normally the lines follow the direction of the described plane.[1] **Crosshatching** - Layers of hatching applied at different angles to create different textures and darker tones. At its simplest, a layer of linear hatching is laid over another layer at a 90° angle, to which further diagonal layers may be added. Other methods include layering arbitrary intersecting patches.[1] Crosshatching in which layers intersect at slight angles can create a rippled [moiré](/source/Moir%C3%A9_pattern) effect.[2] **Contoured hatching** - Hatching using curved lines to describe light and form of contours.[2] ## Representation of materials In [technical drawing](/source/Technical_drawing), the **section lining**[3] may indicate the material of a component part of an assembly. Many hatching patterns have been standardized by the [American National Standards Institute](/source/American_National_Standards_Institute) (ANSI) and the [International Standards Organization](/source/International_Standards_Organization) (ISO), though there are many other predefined patterns that may be used. Thus, the hatching pattern of steel varies from that of aluminum, copper, etc. The patterns are not only for metals. Patterns for grass, gravel, brick, and others are frequently found on architectural drawings. - [Cross section](/source/Cross_section_(geometry)) of a cam follower stud. Notice the double lines for the [steel](/source/Steel) pattern of the "outer race" component. Also, the commonly used pattern of diagonal lines and variations of it are shown. - A drawing from the 1960s. Partial hatching on the stone facade is used for clarity. ## See also - [Visual arts portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Visual_arts) - [Cartography](/source/Cartography): use of hatched and cross-hatched areas on maps - [Dip pen](/source/Dip_pen) - [Hatching (heraldry)](/source/Hatching_(heraldry)) - [Printmaking](/source/Printmaking) - [Stippling](/source/Stippling) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESouth2009132_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESouth2009132_1-1) [South 2009](#CITEREFSouth2009), p. 132. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESouth2009133_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESouth2009133_2-1) [South 2009](#CITEREFSouth2009), p. 133. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** American National Standard for Section Lining ANSI Y14.2M-1979 (R1987) ### Works cited South, Helen (2009). [*The Everything Drawing Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=XycC6WY0C5AC). Everything Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-60550-446-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-60550-446-9). ## External links - ["hatching" article in ArtLex Art Dictionary](https://web.archive.org/web/20160413065151/http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/H.html#anchor4980622) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hatching](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatching) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatching?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.