There are a couple of ways to approach drawing your image onto the paper and “Contour” line is one of them. By definition a contour line drawing is “a continuous line which defines a form or outside edge of the object”. Basically, it’s an outline and you probably draw like this all the time without realizing it. It is the simplest form of drawing , but a very important skill to develop for a beginning artist. Being able to draw well, or realistically, is much less about talent as it is about learning to see. If you can write legibly, you can draw. Contour drawing practice increases the power of observation!
There are challenges for yourself when contour drawing. Once started, you draw with a continuous line and never lift the pencil from the paper until finished. “Blind” contour is when you keep your eyes on the object at all times and NEVER look at the paper. These end up looking hilarious, but are excellent exercises in hand-eye communication. Not looking at the paper forces you to draw what you actually see, rather than what you “think” you see. The artist has to concentrate on how shapes, lines, and contours of the object relate to each other.
Give it a try. Gather your paper, pencil, and an object with an interesting shape. No erasers. Focus your eye at a starting point anywhere on the object. We’ll practice just the contour this first time, which means you can stop your pencil and look at your paper to see where you are before beginning again. Let your eye follow the outside edge of the object while you mimic that line with your pencil on the paper. One continuous line, never lift your pencil. So you’ll find you will need to trace over some lines to get to a new place on the drawing. When you’re finished check how accurate you are, and try again. This is a great exercise for a daily start to your day!
