Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Art Adventure: Blind Contour Drawing

This project is for kids who are a bit older. Everyone has a hard time doing their first blind contour. Not looking at what you are drawing, well, giving up control is hard!

Two reasons to do it: 1. the results are fun and you produce something really unique; 2. often when people draw they don't really look at what they are trying to draw. This forces you to really look at the person or object and draw what details you really see.

Great exercise for people of all ages and art skill level.

Blind Contour Drawings

Supplies:
  • paper
  • cardstock
  • pencil
  • chalk pastels

Start by poking a pencil through the center of a piece of cardstock. This will create a guard so your little artist cannot cheat and look at their picture.

Once the pencil is all fixed up, have your child start to draw anything they want, but something with details. We used faces.


Two rules: do NOT look at your paper (just keep your eyes on what you are drawing) and do NOT pick up your pencil.

The drawing is one continuous line.


Yes, things will look wonky. That's fine! The wonkier the better really.


The next part is to use the chalk pastels to add color. Use the lines as guides and just add color however you wish. Use fingers to blend the colors.


Gabe wailed about the injustices of not looking and not picking up his pencil at first, but once he finally just did it, he really enjoyed it.


Malachi, being four, didn't get it at all, but he loved the pastels.


However it comes out, it's a fun process to try.
 


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