EXAGGERATED CONTOURS

Exaggerated Contour Drawing exaggerated contours is the chance for the artist to use their own personal creativity and imagination. The artist intentionally promotes distortion, while other contour drawing ask you not to distort. In exaggerated contours you reduce or enlarge, add something non-existing, stretch parts out of shape, magnify part out of proportion, or merge items into a new object. It is important that whatever method you use to create your exaggerated contour, you must use a contour line for all of it.

Exaggerated Contour Addition The owl was completed in careful S & I contour lines with glasses and bow tie added.

Exaggerated Contour Stretching This boot is carefully contoured with the top stretched out of proportion to the rest of it.

Exaggerated Contour Magnification The head and shoulders are enlarged by magnification. The artist drew a magnifying glass, but you could just enlarge an area within a shape.

Exaggerated Contour Merging This student merged two items in our room into one object. She carefully contoured both items by careful observation.

CROSS CONTOURS

Cross Contour Cross contour teaches you to observe spatial changes that occur in an object. Cross contour describes horizontal and vertical sectional lines rather than details of the object. It teaches you to observe topographical surfaces of the object. You first outline the object in a contour line. Then you lightly outline the interior shapes (like S & I) in a contour line. Then you cross contour in one direction, following the contours of the object. Then finish by cross contouring in the other direction following the contours of the object. All lines are done in a contour line.

Notice that the lines are closer together on the outside of the shape to give a three-dimensional look. To make the inside appear further away the lines are closer still. All lines follow the curve of the object.

Notice the cross contour lines follow the shape or curves of the rabbit. The lines are closer together at the edges to accentuate its roundness.

The contours of the boot is carefully followed in this nice cross contour drawing.

Notice the lines start at the top of the iron and continue down to the base of it. You do not do each part in separate sections. You follow the shape of the iron in a continuous line from top to bottom. This drawing is left with cross contour line only in one direction to dramatically show the shape of the iron.

Harold Tovish Contour Drawing 1972 Pencil The cross-contours illustrate the dips and swells of the features. This technique can be used to describe the surface of any subject being interpreted.