Just like our negative space technique, I rolled my eyes every time Ms. Teague made us do pure contour drawings in high school. Nowadays, I can’t get enough of it!
What is pure contour?
It’s drawing from looking only at your subject. You can’t look at your paper at all.
Why is pure contour so awesome?
Right brain comes out to play. You shift to a state of awareness that lets you see your subject in all its detailed glory. It’s that playful state where we don’t plan or analyze our work.
Level up that hand-eye coordination. - Practicing pure contour helps us find that rhythm when we draw that gives it energy and life. In all my most meaningful work, I remember having that flow that made the experience more fun.
Drawing experience vs. results - If you find yourself getting frustrated, stuck, lost, or unhappy with your art, do a couple of quick pure contour drawings at the start of your practice.
Warming up to draw - If you make this your 1-2 minute practice before your practice every day, you’ll notice a difference in how you draw. Here’s proof!
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Introvert Drawing Club to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.