

Compare your drawing to the original image, then do another contour drawing for 2 minutes-less time, so you should be working more quickly-and compare it to your 5 minute drawing. Notice how they all have different perspectives and approaches-it’s so interesting to see how others approached the task!ĭo the contour drawing for 5 minutes as outlined above. Walk around to look at everyone’s drawings. If you did your drawing with friends or family members, try placing your contour drawings face-up around the room. What do you think? What was easy? What was difficult? What route did your eyes take to draw this image? Look at your drawing and compare it to the image you based it on. Take 5 minutes or so to create your first contour drawing (put a timer on your phone if it's easier), and then pencils down.

No peeking! Your hand will follow where your eyes go. Keep your focus on the artwork you’re inspired by, looking closely at the lines in the image. The two most important things to remember are: use one continuous line and no looking at your paper as you draw. Some famous artists who have used contour drawing include Alexander Calder, Egon Schiele, and many more.Īll you need is a pencil and some paper! Any size paper will do, but sometimes bigger is easier at first. It helps us to look closer at an image, and especially draws our attention to the lines within an image. Contour drawing uses one, continuous line to capture what you see.
