"Avoiding Monotony En Route"

St. Louis Central West End

Avoiding monotony en route is what Edgar Whitney used to insist upon.  A straight, uninterrupted line is boring and acts as a pointer.  Finding ways to disrupt that pathway is important.  It aids in forming more interesting shapes, and stopping the eye from travelling down a line with no variation.

You can see this in action on the rooflines of the buildings in this painting.  The shapes at the bottom of the buildings are also interrupted by the cast shadows.

Avoid monotony en route.  Look for ways to keep lines from becoming static.  If you have to, invent chimneys or other disruptions to keep the line from becoming boring.