What is a gesture line?

A gesture line is a line drawn as part of a gesture drawing. Gesture drawings are quickly drawn human or animal forms that capture movement or motion.

Gesture drawings are usually drawn quickly to preserve a brief moment in time. Artists sometimes prefer to draw gesture lines of models or subjects who are not posing for long periods of time. Some gesture drawings are done as a preliminary sketch to be used in a more detailed piece at a later time, while others may be presented as an end product. Drawing fast-paced gestures may also be used as a warm up before taking on a more detailed project.