Art · Unit 3

Lines and Shapes

The lines, shapes and patterns art is built from

Every picture, however complicated, is built from marks. Starting with the vocabulary of line and shape makes the rest of drawing far less mysterious.

The unit covers kinds of line and what each suggests, basic shapes, dots and marks, pattern, and how simple shapes combine into recognisable images.

This unit breaks down into 21 short steps and 128 questions, starting at difficulty 1 and building to 2. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 21
Questions: 128
Difficulty: 1-2

What this unit covers

Kinds of Lines
Basic Shapes
Patterns
Dots and Marks
Shapes Make Pictures

Where this fits

Early. Elements of Art formalises this material.

Where people slip

Outlines do not exist in what you see. A line drawn around an object is a convention for where one thing ends and another begins, which is why drawing edges you can actually see gives better results.

How the unit is structured

Lines and Shapes runs as 21 short steps that unlock in order. 15 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 1 and climb to 2 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 21 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 128 in the unit altogether.

Basic Shapes

Fill the blankLevel 1
1. An ____ looks like a stretched circle, a bit like an egg.
- ovalcorrect
- square
- star
- triangle
An oval is a rounded shape that is longer than it is wide.
Guess the numberLevel 1
2. How many sides does a rectangle have?
Answer: 4 sides
A rectangle has four sides: two long ones and two short ones.
Match the pairsLevel 1
3. Match each shape to how many corners it has.
Answer: Triangle = 3 corners; Square = 4 corners; Star = 5 points; Circle = No corners
Different shapes have different numbers of corners, and a circle has none.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
4. How many sides does a triangle have?
- 3correct
- 4
- 5
- 6
A triangle always has three straight sides.
Fact or fibLevel 2
5. A shape is flat, but a form is solid and takes up space.
Answer: True
A shape is flat and 2D, while a form, like a ball or a box, is solid and 3D.
Odd one outLevel 2
6. Which shape has NO straight sides?
- Circlecorrect
- Square
- Triangle
- Rectangle
A circle is one smooth round curve, while the others are made of straight sides.

Dots and Marks

Choose all that applyLevel 1
7. Which of these can make a dot on paper? Pick all that apply.
- A pencil tipcorrect
- A markercorrect
- A fingertip dipped in paintcorrect
- A ruler's straight edge
A pencil tip, a marker and a painted fingertip can all press a dot.
Fact or fibLevel 1
8. A dot is a long, wavy line.
Answer: False
A dot is a small round mark, not a long wavy line.
Fill the blankLevel 1
9. A short, straight little line mark is called a ____.
- dashcorrect
- dot
- circle
- curve
A dash is a small, quick straight mark.
Match the pairsLevel 1
10. Match each tool to the kind of mark it makes.
Answer: Pencil = Thin grey lines; Crayon = Thick waxy marks; Paintbrush = Smooth painted strokes; Marker = Bold dark lines
Different tools leave different marks on the paper.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
11. In art, the dots, lines and strokes an artist makes on paper are all called ____.
- markscorrect
- frames
- shadows
- corners
Marks are all the dots, lines and strokes we make with our tools.
Picture questionLevel 1
12. ⚫ What do we call this small round mark?
- Dotcorrect
- Line
- Square
- Star
A small round mark like this is called a dot.

Kinds of Lines

Fill the blankLevel 1
13. A line with sharp points that go up and down is a ____ line.
- zigzagcorrect
- straight
- wavy
- dotted
A zigzag line turns with sharp points, like the teeth of a saw.
Match the pairsLevel 1
14. Match each kind of line to something it looks like.
Answer: Wavy line = Waves in the sea; Zigzag line = A lightning bolt; Spiral line = A snail's shell; Straight line = A ruler's edge
We can spot different kinds of lines all around us in everyday things.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
15. A line that goes straight up and down is called a ____ line.
- verticalcorrect
- horizontal
- wavy
- zigzag
Vertical lines stand tall, going straight up and down.
Odd one outLevel 1
16. Which of these is NOT a straight line?
- Wavy linecorrect
- Vertical line
- Horizontal line
- Diagonal line
A wavy line bends and curves, so it is not straight.
Picture questionLevel 1
17. 〰️ What kind of line is this?
- Wavy linecorrect
- Straight line
- Zigzag line
- Dotted line
A wavy line curves up and down smoothly, like waves in the sea.
Fact or fibLevel 2
18. A diagonal line goes perfectly straight up and down.
Answer: False
That describes a vertical line, but a diagonal line is slanted, like a hill.

Patterns

Build the sentenceLevel 1
19. Build a sentence about a checkerboard pattern.
Answer: A checkerboard has a square pattern
A checkerboard repeats squares in two colours to make a pattern.
Choose all that applyLevel 1
20. Where might you see a pattern? Pick all that apply.
- On wallpapercorrect
- On gift wrapcorrect
- On a striped shirtcorrect
- On a plain grey rock
Wallpaper, gift wrap and striped clothes often have repeating patterns.
Fact or fibLevel 1
21. Patterns can be found in nature, like on a butterfly's wings.
Answer: True
Nature is full of patterns, such as the matching marks on butterfly wings.
Fill the blankLevel 1
22. Round dots repeated all over cloth are called polka ____.
- dotscorrect
- lines
- stars
- stripes
Polka dots are a pattern of evenly spaced round dots.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
23. What is a pattern in art?
- Something that repeats over and overcorrect
- A single dot on a page
- One straight line
- A blank white space
A pattern is made when something repeats over and over.
Guess the numberLevel 2
24. In the pattern A B A B A B, how many times does the part A B repeat?
Answer: 3 times
A B A B A B is the pair A B written three times in a row.

Shapes Make Pictures

Choose all that applyLevel 1
25. Which of these are made mostly from round shapes? Pick all that apply.
- A wheelcorrect
- A ballcorrect
- A full mooncorrect
- A ladder
A wheel, a ball and a full moon are all built from round circle shapes.
Fill the blankLevel 1
26. You can draw a simple sun by putting lines around a ____.
- circlecorrect
- square
- triangle
- diamond
A circle makes the sun, and lines around it become the sunbeams.
Match the pairsLevel 1
27. Match each drawing to the shapes it is made from.
Answer: Ice cream cone = A triangle and a circle; Rocket = A rectangle and a triangle; Robot = Squares and rectangles; Caterpillar = A row of circles
Simple shapes join together to build fun little pictures.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
28. Which two shapes can make a simple drawing of a house?
- A square and a trianglecorrect
- Two circles
- A star and an oval
- Three straight lines
A square makes the walls and a triangle makes the roof.
Picture questionLevel 1
29. 🌳 A simple tree can be drawn from which two shapes?
- A circle and a rectanglecorrect
- Two squares
- A star and a triangle
- Three circles
A circle makes the leafy top and a rectangle makes the trunk.
Put in orderLevel 1
30. Put these steps in order to draw a simple house.
Answer: Draw a square for the walls -> Add a triangle for the roof -> Draw a door and windows -> Colour in the house
Start with the walls, add the roof, then the details, and colour it in.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Build the sentence
Choose all that apply
Fact or fib
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Picture question
Put in order
Sort into groups
Spell it
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Lines and Shapes

128 questions across 21 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

Read about Lines and Shapes

Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.

More units in Art

See all 18 units in Art →