Please sharpen a pencil before we begin.

Contour
Drawing
ART ONE
A Jacobson Production
Drawing is the 'bones' of art. You have to be
able to walk before you can run.
(Dion Archibald)

Contour
Drawing
There is no one correct way to draw. People have always drawn,
doodled, and sketched out ideas. Everyone CAN draw---maybe
not with the skill of a master artist, but everyone can learn to
render images and by practicing can show great improvement.
By learning how to look at objects just a little differently and
by breaking them down into simple shapes, all people can
learn to draw.
Contour Line Video Demonstration

Where have I
heard the word
contour before?
contour
kntooor/
noun
1.
an outline, especially one
representing or bounding
the shape or form of
something.
A contour map is a map illustrated with contour lines, for example a topographic map,
which thus shows valleys and hills, and the steepness of slopes

What is a Contour
Line Drawing?
It is a detailed
outline drawing of
the edges of an
object.

Why should I Create a Contour

Line Drawing ?
Contour drawing is a great way
to practice and improve your
drawing technique whether you
are a beginner or already a
skilled artist

Far too often

we draw with
the left side
of the
brain--This is the
logical
/reasonable
side..its
not good at
drawing.

Why is the right side of the brain good

at drawing?

People who
draw with the
left side of the
brain tend to be
technique
oriented and
produce
mechanical
looking stiff
drawings.

Good
Quality
Contour Line
looks three
dimensional
and flowing.
Its a right
brain
activity

The contour line

process should be
done in one long
continuous line to
mimic the way that
the eye works.

When doing a contour drawing,

you are improving your eye-hand
coordination, an important skill in
both art and athletics.

How to Start to Use the Right Side of Your

Brain to Draw
Begin to draw
objects from real
life.
First grab the
object and by
turning the object
around to observe
it from all sides.
Take a good look at
the objects edges
and textures.
Trust your eyes.
Feel the edges
with your fingers.

How should
contour line
be drawn?

*Anything that has texture such as hair should be grouped

together when
creating a contour drawing.
This means all drawn lines should define the contours of the
object instead of trying to simulate texture.
*Use a lighter line to outline highlights and shadows - this will
help define where surfaces curve, bend or change in value and/or
color

Samples of contour line drawings

Why is this
NOT a
contour line
drawing?

Contour line
drawing are
just line
drawing and
have no value
or shading!

HOW DO I LEARN TO SEE

CONTOURS of OBJECTS?
To learn to see contour your
must learn to do a BLIND
CONTOUR DRAWING

Blind contour drawing is

a drawing exercise, where an
artist draws the contour of a
subject without looking at the
paper

Your first attempts to draw blind

contour will deflate and
embarrass you.
You are going to feel like you
cannot draw at all.

This is good for you.

Get over it.
Just try to do something new.

With Practice Blind Contour will

teach your left brain to relinquish
its control.
After about 20 drawings and a lot
of pouting.
You will have better hand to eye
coordination and drawing will be
easier.

This is what
blind
contour
looks like.

Its awkward and

quirky

And kind
of cool
looking.

How will
you start?
Video
blind contour line

Practice
Studies of our hands!

Demonstration