Contour Lines – A Classic Approach to Drawing

Delve inside yourself, as you use the creative process  to explore contour lines.

What is it?
Contour means outline; contour lines define the edges of a shape.   Making a contour drawing with a continuous line is a classic drawing exercise.   It’s a process which slows you down and helps improve your eye hand coordination.   A contour line drawing is an exercise, not a finished piece, though it can be used as a study for a more developed work of art.

Materials Needed:
Drawing paper
Graphite pencil, marker, or charcoal pencil or stick
Familiar objects to draw (i.e. fruit, favorite knic knacs, hat and purse,  books and backpack, etc)

Let’s Draw
You’ll be doing four drawings for this exercise.  Work slowly but take only a few minutes with each one.

Drawing one –
Place one object in front of you.  With your eyes fixed on the contours of the object, draw the contour very slowly using a steady, continuous line without lifting the drawing tool or looking at the paper. Trace the outer edge with your eyes as you draw with your pencil.  Don’t worry about what the final drawing looks like.  Don’t look at the paper until you are finished.

Drawing Two -
Move the object so you have a different view.  Again keep your eyes mainly fixed on the contours of the object as you create the contour drawing slowly, without lifting the drawing tool from the paper.  This time allow yourself to glance down at the paper a few times.  When you glance down at the paper stop drawing but never lift your pencil off of the paper. You are training your eye to be able to go back and forth from the object you are drawing to the paper while moving the pencil.

Drawing Three
1. Arrange three objects in a manner you find pleasing.
2.With your eyes fixed on the outline contour created by the group of objects, draw that contour very slowly with a steady, continuous line without lifting the drawing tool or looking at the paper.
3. Without taking your drawing tool off of the paper, find an internal line.  Now begin drawing the internal lines created by the group without looking at the paper.  Don’t look at the paper until you are finished. Remember this is an exercise which, with repetition, will improve your eye hand coordination.

Drawing Four
1.  Rearrange the objects to give a different perspective.  Repeat the instructions for Drawing Three, only this time allow yourself to look at the paper a few time.  Remember to stop drawing but don’t take your drawing tool off of the paper whenever you look at the paper.

Watch for my How to Draw a Still Life video coming soon.