Contour Drawing Painting Tips - watercolor painting

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Contour drawing has been most helpful in teaching ourself to draw better. One of my friend, who is becoming a fine painter, says this method has helped him more than anything else he has learned about drawing. The line and characterof his drawing has improved greatly.

KEEP PEN OR PENCIL ON PAPER

The objective of contour drawing is to Keep the pen or pencil on the paper as much as possible without lifting it, all the while looking at subject you are attempting to draw. 

In true contour drawing you will never look at the paper, only at the subject. Exciting shapes can be achieved with this method and it prevents your work from getting tight, thus looking like a photograph.

DRAW SHAPES

Don't draw things, draw shapes. On a contour drawing, you can begin drawing anywhere but I generally begin with an eye. I do this more from habit than for any other reason and it seems to work best for me. When I begin, I think entirely about the shapes I see rather than the eye itself. 

After working out this area, I move on to other parts and use the eye I have just finished to judge the rest of the drawing for shapes, sizes, angles and proportions.

USING A PEN

Using a pen will give you clean lines and will eliminate the habit of reaching for the eraser. I some- times work with a Tombow pen that has a fine or very fine point.

The surface I work on determines which one I choose. For instance, if I'm working on vellum or some other smooth surface, I use a very fine point; if I'm working on a surface with more texture, I use a fine to medium point to get a heavier line.

Four Kinds of Contour Drawing

In the  first drawing of the pear and banana, I used only curved lines, not lifting the pen  from the paper and keeping my eye on the subject as much as possible.  In the second  drawing, with the same technique, I used only straight lines. Both drawings are boring because there is too much "sameness". In the third example, I used both curved and straight lines to get more variation into the drawing.

Finally, in the fourth drawing, I added some interior lines that develop shadow areas. I also connected the  drawing to the background with the use of  cast shadows.