Drawing
Lesson #3: Contour Line Drawing
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In Lesson
1, we learned that everything you draw is just
a flat shape. In Lesson
2, we created depth with shading. In this lesson,
we will do an exercise that will help you develop your
ability to follow the exact contour of an object with
your eye.
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Supplies:
A charcoal pencil
A piece of white paper
Tape
A flat board or large book
A box about 3-5 inches high
(If
you do not own a charcoal pencil and would like to try this
with a regular pencil, you can do that also, but the line will
not be as dark.)
Objective: To train your EYE and your HAND to work together. This
is just an exercise - your finished work will probably not be something
to hang up in the living room! You are only practicing for the
REAL projects! (The "Sea Shell" project is a good follow-up
for this exercise!)
1. Tape the paper
to the board or book. One piece of tape on each side
is best. Prop it up against the box so that you will be drawing on a
slanted surface.
2. Position the
hand that you DON'T write or draw with in a relaxed
position on the table.
3. Starting at
the wrist, draw your hand using a single, continuous line.
* DRAW SLOWLY!
* Do not "sketch" or
correct your line.
* There may
be some moments when you must take your pencil
off of the page, but do this as LITTLE as possible.)
* Your eyes
should move back and forth from your hand to your
page often! Follow the fine details of the wrinkles of your hand
carefully!
* DON'T WORRY
about this drawing! This is an exercise, not a
museum piece. Over time, with enough practice, you will find
your contour line drawings becoming more and more correct.
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This is an exercise that should be repeated and can be done with many
subjects such as:
* a flower
* a baseball glove
* an old shoe or sneaker
* an oak or maple leaf
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