HAND CONTOUR LINE DRAWING HOW TO

You could even consider having students lay down string on a surface to create a contour line drawing.ĥ. For example, using dry erase markers and whiteboards is a low-pressure way to practice many times.

You can create contour line drawings with pencil and paper or brainstorm some more unconventional tools to use. If your students have sketchbooks, try a timed contour line drawing to start class. They are low pressure, quick, and easy to explain. There is something so silly, innocent, and simple about a blind contour line drawing that students love.īlind contours are a perfect warm-up drawing. Your students will undoubtedly laugh upon revealing their blind contour drawing. If your students have limited supplies, check out what to do when you’ve only got a pencil and paper. The best part is that the most simple materials, a piece of paper and a pencil, are ideal. For example, if they are drawing a plant, start by drawing the pot and then add the details.Ĭreating blind contour drawings with students comes with a multitude of benefits.ĭrawing blind contours can be done with just about any art material. Remind students to try starting their drawing with the largest object first. During class time, draw blind contour drawings of students who volunteer as a special incentive. Start by drawing your face as a blind contour and model to your students how it’s okay to giggle at the outcome. Drawing blind contours of the face is a classic subject matter. This works great for virtual learning to help students keep their drawings hidden. You can also have students place their paper on a hard surface underneath a table edge to obscure the work in progress. This way, the paper plate hides the drawing paper’s surface, allowing the blind contour to stay hidden. To stop students from peeking at their paper as they draw, punch a hole in a paper plate and slide it over the students’ pencil bearing hand. Then, the transition to drawing a blind contour line drawing seems more manageable.

Start by having students draw an object from observation using a single contour line. Tricks for Creating Blind Contour Drawings: And let me tell you, it was an amazingly engaging lesson. I’ve done blind contour drawings with my artists many times before but only recently taught a blind contour lesson virtually. You can certainly create blind contour drawings with students during any art teaching model. And trust me, your students are going to love it! Taking away your student’s ability to look at their drawing opens up an entire world of challenges, openness, and play.

HAND CONTOUR LINE DRAWING HOW TO

Your students likely know how to draw single outlines it happens pretty naturally, but what happens when they cannot look at the paper as they draw? Drawing from observation without looking at your paper is when the “blind” part comes in. These outlines are referred to as contour lines.Ĭontour drawing, especially blind contour drawing, can be a magical and wonderful way to get back to the basics of drawing. As art teachers, we have all used these simple outlines to teach our students the basic skills of drawing. Students typically learn to draw by using simple outlines to signify the object they are representing. No matter how you are currently teaching, it’s helpful to return to the basics. You might even be teaching art in a hybrid version, ultimately testing your organizational skills. Perhaps you are teaching in person, trying your best to stay safely distanced and sanitizing materials for the millionth time. Maybe you’re teaching virtually, relying heavily on engagement through your screen with students. Finding engaging art lessons can be difficult in our current world of art education.

Hand contour line drawing