One Line Art Project Ideas for Kids

Kids can turn any picture into an elegant one line drawing by using a simple tracing technique. This is a quick and mess free project that can be created at home or in the classroom.

Continuous Line Art Project for Kids

Creating this one line drawing will help build a child’s confidence. By using tracing paper, the child can more easily follow the design he or she wishes to make. We will be focusing on making one bold, solid line, without picking up our writing utensil. Using this method, kids are forced to focus on what matters in a drawing without getting intimidated by the details. They will then see how easy it is to draw quality art without any stress.

Related: Consider printing a free coloring page for younger kids to trace in this activity.

Supplies Needed

• A picture – consider the complexity of this image based on the skill level of the child. I recommend starting with a more simple design and have the child work up to something more complex. This will help build his or her confidence with a new method.
• Tracing Paper
• Sharpie – We need bold marker lines for this.
• Tape – Washi or Painters Tape is preferred
• Carbon Paper – You can make your own using a pencil or charcoal (I’ll show you how)
• Blunt Pencil or Ballpoint Pen – nothing with a sharp point
• White Paper

Directions to Make One Line Art

Step 1

Have the child tape the image to a flat surface. Then, tape the tracing paper on top of the image. We used the back of our tracing paper pad, but it can simply be taped to a table.

Tip: If you don’t have washi or painters tape on hand, simply stick your tape to your clothing a time or two to lessen the stickiness. This will prevent it from tearing your picture.

Step 2

Have the child use a marker to trace the image. The goal here is to only trace parts of the image that matter most AND to do so without picking up the marker. We are trying to connect all important features into this one line. Sometimes that means drawing a line onto our art where there isn’t one in the original image. And sometimes we have to backtrack over lines to get to another portion of the image. That’s ok, we’re learning!

When your child accidentally picks up his or her marker while drawing, encourage them to put it back exactly where they stopped. It’s more important that they complete the activity than stressing over not picking up their marker. It is, after all, a hard habit to break.

Step 3

Keeping the tape in tact, have the child carefully lift the tracing paper from the original image. Place a piece of white paper onto the table under your tracing paper. You will then sandwich carbon paper under the tracing paper. Apply tape, securing all pages to the flat surface.

What to do if you don’t have carbon paper?

Take a pencil or piece of charcoal and rub the back of the tracing paper. The child will want to completely cover the back side of the drawing. Lay the tracing paper back down, taping it in place, and continue onto step 4.

Step 4

Using a blunt pencil, or ballpoint pen, have the child apply pressure while retracing the image that was drawn onto the tracing paper. You may want to peek under the carbon paper to ensure its transferring the image onto the white paper. Be careful to not shift any of the pages during this step!

Step 5

Once the entire image has been traced, have the child carefully lift the tracing paper and carbon paper off of the white paper. Do this slowly, checking to ensure the entire image transferred.

When left with only the white paper, the child can return to his or her Sharpie and trace the transferred line to complete his or her artwork. Use an eraser to remove any leftover transfer smudges.

Finished One Line Art

Since this artwork was created on a piece of white paper, it can easily be placed in a frame, on the refrigerator, or displayed according to your preference.

Our Experience Making this one Line Art Project

Both my son and I challenged ourselves with this project. This is not the style of art we are accustomed to drawing but I love the finished product. My son picked a complex image of a tiger for his first drawing and ended up tracing many of the details, and that’s ok, too! He completed his drawing and is quite proud of it. He did complete another drawing using a marker and aimed for a more minimalistic approach. Overall, he preferred the tiger. This style may not be for everyone, but we had fun and learned something along the way. In my opinion, that’s all that matters in an art project.

One Line Art Variations

• For younger kids, consider using a coloring page (or similar) at first. A coloring page has already simplified a complex design. Also, it may be easier for the child to follow the bold lines.
• Kids may wish to add color to their completed drawings. This can easily be done with any supplies. Tip: Consider this when choosing a white paper for your final project as a heavier paper may be preferred.
• Older kids may want to add thicker lines to some areas of their drawing. A thicker, more bold line will give a feel of a shadow and add more depth to their work.

Other Easy Drawing Ideas from kids Activities Blog

• Consider shadow art for a fun outdoor tracing activity.
• We have many great how-to drawings, such as this free cat printable.
• Don’t forget to check out holiday tracing pages such as these for Halloween.
• One Line Art makes a great gift, here are some tips for framing kids’ art.
• Check out our assortment of coloring pages for adults that offer more complex designs, such as this tiger printable.

What image did your child use for his or her one line drawing? Were there any lessons that they learned along the way?