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The expression on her face, then, had been the one he'd seen, hours later, on her sleeping face in a port side coffin, her upper lip like the line children draw to represent a bird in flight.

I'm reading Neuromancer and don't understand what "the line children draw to represent a bird in flight" is. Anyone familiar with the culture please explain to me.

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    Here is a drawing that should give you some idea of what he means, although the drawing I've linked to is much too sophisticated. I think it means a line with a downward cusp in the middle.
    – Peter Shor
    Dec 29, 2021 at 13:21
  • @PeterShor, in some elementary school art curricula, the "two circle arcs joined at a cusp" is a standard lesson about formulaic drawing of birds. There's also an associated formulaic drawing of clouds, etc. :) So, even if it's not natural, it is "standard". :)
    – paul garrett
    Dec 30, 2021 at 3:20
  • @PeterShor I think it's quite common. An image search for art children drawing scenery sometimes shows the mentioned bird drawing.
    – Andrew T.
    Dec 31, 2021 at 5:51

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It means this simple double curved line, which can be seen as the shape of an upper lip, or wings in flight.

lip shaped birds or bird shaped lips?

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