viivakuvio

Viivakuvio is a term used in Finnish design and visual arts to describe patterns built from lines. It refers to motifs where the primary visual element is a line, such as stripes, grids, or cross-hatches. The concept is used across textiles, wallpaper, graphic design, and decorative arts.

Character and construction: Viivakuvio patterns vary by line type (straight, curved, wavy), orientation (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, radial), spacing, and line thickness. Repetition and symmetry often create rhythm and texture. Techniques borrowed from drawing, such as hatching and cross-hatching, are common forms of viivakuvio in shading or tonal variation. Optical effects can emerge from dense arrangements or alternating directions (op art).

Applications: In textiles, viivakuvio patterns appear as scarves, fabrics, and upholstery. In wallpaper and product packaging, line motifs provide a restrained decorative language. In graphic design and branding, they offer scalable, crisp visuals built from lines. In digital imaging, vector-based tiling allows seamless reproduction of viivakuvio across sizes.

See also: line pattern, stripe, hatching, cross-hatching, geometric pattern. Etymology: Derived from viiva (line) and kuvio (pattern, motif).