DictionaryhatchParallel-line shading
noun / verb

hatch

Shading with closely spaced parallel lines.

The artist hatches the shadow with fine, closely spaced lines.

Etymology

The French verb concerns chopping. In drawing, the repeated small strokes became parallel shading lines, and hatch names making those lines.

More examples

  • A dense hatch gives the shaded area a darker tone.
  • Hatch the darker areas without crossing the lines.
  • She hatched the curtain's folds with short strokes.

Forms

hatch · hatches · hatched · hatching

Similar words

shade
Can use smooth tones rather than separate parallel lines.
crosshatch
Uses intersecting sets of lines rather than parallel lines alone.