Contour Line Drawing

contour lines - Lines that surround and define the edges of a subject, giving it shape and volume.

When you draw lines curving around the surface, or contour, of an object, you give that object volume. You make that object appear to be 3-D.

You will be creating a variety of contour HAND drawings that overlap.

OVERLAP- When one thing lies over, partly covering something else. Depicting this is one of the most important means of conveying an illusion of depth.

HANDS!

Study your own hand…

Trace your hand with fingers openTrace your hand with fingers closed

Break the hand down into basic, simple shapes….

Check angles and proportions…

Look at the positive AND negative spaces…

Blind Contour Drawing- A blind contour drawing is a line drawing that is created without the use of constantly looking at the paper. Instead, one concentrates intensely on the item that he/she is drawing and tries to draw the many shifts of lines and tangents of lines seen. These types of drawings enhance one’s eye-hand coordination and create a better awareness of changes of form and space.

Continuous Line Drawing: A continuous line drawing is a type of drawing that includes continuous contact with the surface of a picture plane (the paper) that makes enclosed forms and shapes.

Modified Contour Line Drawing: • Done when the artist looks intently at EDGES of an object, but rarely looks at the paper while the pencil moves. • Very similar to a “blind” contour because the artist only looks at the drawing paper 10 % of the time, and the object they are drawing 90 % of the time.• Artist only looks at the paper to place their pencil when they start a new line. • Draw what you are ACTUALLY seeing not what you think the subject looks like, and to train your hand to copy your eye's movements.

Blind Contour

Vs.

Modified

Gesture Drawings• The act of creating a drawing or sketch with a loose grip and movement of the drawing tool used. • Often very expressive and allow one the freedom to loosen up and not worry about small details. • An ideal way to warm up before one starts to concentrate on a more intense drawing exercise. • Involves the artist drawing a series of poses in a short amount of time, often as little as 30 seconds, or as long as 2 minutes.

Sketchbook Practice: OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING

Blind Contour Drawing- Paper Plate Activity: Hands, Portraits

Blind Contour- Continuous Line Drawing- Paper Plate Activity

Continuous Line Drawing- No Plate

Modified Contour Drawing- No Plate

Gesture Drawings

Peter Max is an American illustrator and graphic artist, known for the use of psychedelic shapes and color palettes as well as spectrums in his work. At first, works in this style appeared on posters and were seen on the walls of college dorms all across America. Max then became fascinated with new printing techniques that allowed for four-color reproduction on product merchandise.

ASSIGNMENT: Students will create a variety of contour line drawings of their hands in different positions: AT LEAST 5. Students must overlap some of the hand drawings to create abstraction and new positive & negative spaces. Students will create a theme for their project that is original. Using colored pencils and markers, students will create patterns and textures within spaces of the hand drawings. Students must show growth in drawing skills.