Lines
BLIND contour drawing
The blind contour drawing exercise is a tool that can help beginning artists create their first drawings, as well as help experienced artists become reacquainted with the power of observation.
The method seems simple.
But it helps artists of all levels improve their observational skills by instructing them to look at the lines, shapes and patterns of objects and how they combine to form what we see.
The physical act of drawing consists mostly of developing hand-eye coordination. Anyone who can write legibly has the physical ability to record observations of a subject through drawing
What you'll need:
Paper
Pen or Pencil
An object to draw
When you're ready to start drawing:
Choose a subject to draw — still-life objects or the figure work well for this exercise.
Tape the paper to your drawing surface so it doesn’t shift as you draw.
Arrange yourself so you can see the object you will be drawing without seeing the paper.
Focus your eyes on some part of the object and begin moving your pencil to record what your eyes observe.
Do not look down at the paper as your draw. Rather, force yourself to concentrate on how the shapes, lines, and contours of the object relate to one another.
Try not to pick up your pencil!
Part 2 - contour drawing
Now repeat the same process, BUT this time you can look at what you're drawing a little bit. 90% of the time should be looking at the object you're drawing, and about 10% can be looking at the actual drawing. Again, focus on the outlines and not the small details.