Drawing is the art and technique of depicting shapes and forms and representing an object or outlining a figure, plan, or sketch on a surface by means of lines. Color and shading may be included. A major fine art technique in itself, drawing is the basis of all pictorial representation, and an early step in most art activities. Though an integral part of most paintings, drawing is generally differentiated from painting by the dominance of line over mass. Drawings can be broken down into three different types: expressive, symbolic, and realistic.