The word “contour” means “outline.” Contour Drawing refers to drawing only the exterior lines of the object you’re looking at. You won’t find any shading in a contour drawing. For example, when drawing the contour of the flowers below, you only draw the outside shape of the flowers and vase. Don’t draw any of the shadows you see.

Contour drawing is a great exercise for training the eye. Remember – drawing is about seeing. You want to train your eyes to see the shapes and lines in objects so you can recreate those same shapes and lines on paper. The more you practice training your eyes to see the shapes and lines, the better you’ll be at drawing.

You might draw just the outer-most lines, as in this picture:

Or you might draw a few more of the interior lines:

One artist described the process of contour drawing this way:

Imagine there is a ladybug on the object you are drawing. The ladybug is walking all around the edges of the object. Move your pencil along the same path the ladybug would follow, paying attention to every dip or curve in the path.

IT’S YOUR TURN!

Find several objects around your home or classroom. Practice drawing the outlines of these objects. Remember, the more you practice, the better you get!