>>5909545I've seen some suggestions for line weight like:
- Closer = Thicker, Further away = thinner, important for overlaps to clarify which is in front of which
- Shadowed area = thicker, area hit by light = thinner
- Outer edges of an object should be thicker than inner edges BUT do not make the outer edge uniformly thick or it will look like a flat sticker. Uniform lineweight always flattens. Use the above two rules to vary the outer edge while still keeping the inner edges generally thinner.
But you are free to break these rules to draw attention to certain areas or downplay areas or simply because it "feels right". Line weight is as personal as handwriting. Sometimes an artists line weight is mostly a result of the tool and surface they are using and their hand position as they draw.
For example if you draw with a piece of conte or charcoal pencil or stick or a similar medium you can switch between drawing with the point and with the side. Switching between these drastically changes your lineweight but most artists will almost instinctively change between them just because it "feels right". It might not make any sense when you study their drawings for why they are suddenly changing lineweight.
So study artists you think have good lineweight but you might not find consistent reasons for why they are using thin vs thick lines. Best thing is to draw a lot and master your medium to allow you to intuitively create your own lineweight style. If you are digital this means thoroughly exploring your softwares brush settings and creating your own custom brushes instead of relying on premade ones by other artists.
