Observational Drawing: Blind Contour Line Drawing Lesson By: Katie Hill 10/27/09

Line: The basic element of all design; Path made by a moving point. Line Type: Vertical, Horizontal, Zig Zag,, Broken, Straight, Curvy, Open, Closed, parallel, gesture, contour, etc.

Contour line: Strong, simple line that defines and describes the edges and surface ridges of a shape (Contour lines define the outside edges of shapes).

Gesture line: A quick, rough line, which captures shape, form, and movement. (Gesture drawings capture a basic shape of and object in little amounts of time.)

Blind Contour Line: A slow, careful process of Drawing by looking only at the subject, which is drawn, and not the paper.

Two Types of Seeing and Knowing : Left Brain Usage: verbal and rational brain; it thinks serially and reduces its thoughts to numbers, letters and words Right Brain Usage: nonverbal and intuitive brain; it thinks in patterns, or pictures, composed of ‘whole things,’ and does not comprehend reductions, either numbers, letters, or words. Most activities require usage of only one side, Drawing requires both (right) Artist: James Culleton

Learning to Draw: means learning how to make a mental shift from left to right brain. How Can we learn to consciously access our right brain when drawing? Artist: James Culleton

Technique: Blind Contour Drawing!!! many people draw what they THINK they see and not what they REALLY see (symbols of trees, hearts, etc. rather than observational drawing.) Increases eye – hand coordination while capturing an intricate outline of an object Trains artists to draw from observation, not memory Blind Contour Drawing is a way to improve observational drawing skills. It is tough and intimidating at first, but FUN! Artist: James Culleton

“While my eyes are on an object or person or building, I draw it, sometimes with such focus that I don’t even look down to see what I am drawing. This technique, known to everyone as blind contour drawing, is an effective hand-eye training tool, and artistic discipline.” ~ J. Culleton

J. Culleton: Flower Studies from Salt Spring Island 2008 J. Culleton: Tractor

BLIND CONTOUR DRAWING! Activity: Draw your non-dominant hand by using the Blind Contour Method. (“BLIND” = No Peeking at Your Paper AT ALL!) 1) Place your hand in front of you in any position 2) Pick up your pen and pick a point on the contour of your hand where your eyes can begin a slow journey around the contour 3)As your eyes begin to move, so should your hand (pretend they are one). Start drawing your hand SLOWLY, paying attention to every single detail and record them on your paper. 4)Remember, Don’t look at your paper or you will loose details! Artist: James Culleton

Expect to experience initial confusion and occasional frustration. It takes patience. Do you see the fine folds, wrinkles or grooves in your palm? Progress from bolder lines to finer lines as you sketch. Watch for the directions of the folds. For deeper lines, press your pencil harder on the paper. For finer lines, use a lighter touch Try not to lift your pen RELAX! GO SLOW, Pay attention to every curve, every move the edge of your hand makes TIP: Try not to let your eyes get ahead of the point where you are drawing- Imagine you are actually touching your hand with the tip of your pen. Don’t worry about what is happening on the paper You will be surprised at your result! The first one will look weird but with practice, you should be able to accurately record an image or object without erasing, loosing important details, or looking at your hand as it draws. you will come up with an unexpectedly beautiful drawing-definitely something you would not be able to create if you watch what you draw.

Works Cited ton ton