Learn Blind Contour Drawing

“Draw what you really see, not what you think you see.” Sounds familiar? Well, every art student and artist would have come across this statement at least once during their lifetime.

Have you ever wonder why you cannot replicate a certain subject accurately on paper, even though the subject is readily available in front of you?

This is because we all have brains, and our brains are loaded with so much information that on some level, it already pre-determines how you will perceive the world.

The system reduce amount the information and improve brain processing speed, which is vital for human survival, but might not be so helpful for artists in rendering realistic looking pictures.

With enough practice, blind contour drawing can help you sharpen your visual sense and observation skill. You will be able to overcome the stereotypical ways of seeing a subject matter, while at the same time improve your hand-eye coordination.

Even if your art style is heavily leaned into cartoon as compared to realism, for example, this method can still help to improve your overall artistic ability. Furthermore, it is simple enough to be learned by almost anyone with decent eyesight, and can be a fun de-stressing activity that can be carried out anywhere you go.

Despite the name, you do not have to close your eyes while drawing. Start to learn blind contour drawing by focusing your sight and attention to an object, trace its line with your eyes, and draw it without as much as a glance at the paper while your pen moves.

Naturally, that second part is enough to send people into objections. “But how can I accurately draw something if I cannot see my progress?” they cried. And that is the point exactly. As the name suggest, you are suppose to draw the contours of an object while training your hand to follow your eyes.

The accuracy of the details does not matter much because the aim is not to produce a perfect drawing in the first place. Simply take your time to follow the outline of the object slowly with your eyes, while running the pen at the same pace.

Typically, blind contour drawings have an eccentric and almost abstract look to it, unlike normal drawings. And it is perfectly fine. You should have a good, critical look at the final product to make an estimate of how good your eye-to-hand coordination is. Having said that, it would not automatically mean that you coordination is bad just because the lines are quirky and sprawled all over the paper.

Have a few practice sessions daily so you can keep track of your progress. Better yet, compile all of your practices over a period of time, and see how much you have improved within that time.

You can vary your drawing sessions by picking unfamiliar objects as your practice target. This will make sure that you do not have a specific shape etched to your memory, thus improving your concentration.

If you prefer familiar, everyday objects, try to invert it or look at the object from a new perspective. Most importantly, make sure the object is interesting enough to hold your attention for a period of time, yet easy enough to practice on without over stressing yourself.

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