tekning

Tekning is a term used in Norwegian and related Scandinavian languages to denote drawing, the act of making marks to represent forms, or the resulting image. In practice, tekning covers both artistic drawing and technical drawing, although in modern Norwegian the everyday word for drawing is typically tegning. The word is cognate with Swedish teckning and Danish tegning, and similar terms appear in related languages. In historical texts tekning can appear as an alternate spelling, especially in older manuscripts and teaching materials.

Artistic tekning refers to freehand drawing and sketching, including techniques such as contour drawing, gesture, shading, and perspective. It serves as a means of observation, ideation, and visual communication, and is used across fields from fine art to illustration and graphic design.

Technical tekning, often referred to as teknisk tegning in Norwegian, describes precise representations of objects, structures, or systems. It relies on standardized line work, scales, projections, and notation to convey dimensions and relationships for construction, manufacturing, or engineering. This form of drawing is taught as part of engineering, architecture, and industrial design curricula and typically uses dedicated tools and conventions.

Materials and methods span traditional media such as graphite pencils, ink, charcoal, and pen on paper, to drafting instruments like rulers, compasses, and T-squares, and increasingly digital drawing and vector-based software in contemporary practice.

In education and practice, tekning is regarded as a foundational skill for visual thinking, design, and technical communication. See also: tegning, teckning, drawing, sketch, technical drawing.