Children around the globe experiment with drawing from infancy. It’s their way of making sense of the physical world which eventually becomes a form of expression. Even for us adults, every doodle on a notebook during a boring office meeting represents our imagination and how we feel. Only, instead of crayons, we use a pen. But neither of us are expert artists.

There are more than 50 hill figures in the UK and 17 of them are of horses. One stands out pristinely despite being the oldest English hill figure dating back 3,000 years. The abstract stick figure horse near the village of Uffington in Oxfordshire measures 374 feet in length and can be seen from 20 miles away. It’s cut into the hill up to a meter deep and filled with crushed white chalk. As for its origin and purpose, researchers have many theories, but none are conclusive.

The Blombos Cave in South Africa is home to the earliest drawing made by a human and engraved stone tools from 100,000 years ago. They mark the beginning of human creativity, culture, and expression with the most basic element in art — lines.

Not surprisingly, line art is still relevant today, adding depth and sophistication in self-promotion and publicity messages. Though simple, they never fail to tell a complete story that’s loaded with emotions. Oftentimes, they’re also persuasive enough to change minds and set off mass shopping sprees.

Find out how 10 companies used line art creatively to represent their brand and move people into taking action.

The oldest tattooed human is Ötzi the Iceman, dating between 3370 and 3100 BC. Religious beliefs, status in society, and good luck were the major reasons for tattoos in ancient times. Later, it evolved into declarations of love and rites of passage.

The golden era of the 1970s saw tattoos become a global fashion statement. With time, it provoked a level of bias in society, where those with tattoos were perceived as incompetent.

The style and design of tattoos too evolved from animal prints and tribal motifs to watercolor tattoos and tiny tattoos. A style that has become prevalent in the 21st century is minimalist line art tattoos, sweeping through Pinterest and Instagram.

Digital art, CGI, and 4D cartoons are no strangers to us. Not quite childish and not really grown-up, these forms of entertainment stir the same excitement in us, as it does in our kids.

We quietly look forward to watching the next animated cartoon by Disney Pixar on the big screen. Mainly for the impressive technology, a moving storyline, and an engrossing 1.5-hour.

But Toy Story, Coco, and Finding Nemo, are not the only animated movies that have captured hearts worldwide. One of their predecessors did the same through more humble means.

Using one line art. Or more specifically, one line animation.

The timeless animation is La Linea, also known as The Line in English. Although many of our generation may not know it, La Linea has a cult classic status worldwide.

The question is, how could single line drawing produce such a significant entertainment piece? And how much did it influence popular culture? Keep reading as we answer these and other questions.