30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 10- Continuous Line Drawing

30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 9- Continuous Line Drawing

How did your upside down drawing go?  I hope you found out the happy surprise that most of us do when trying this exercise.  I believe that when the brain recognizes something, the visual processing centers shut down and your brain uses it's processing for other things. When we look at something upside down, our brains don't automatically quit looking, because they are not sure what they are seeing and stay engaged in order to figure it out.   Isn't it amazing how much better we do when we get out of the business of seeing what we "think" should be there, and actually just draw what we see? 

Today's Drawing Challenge is called Continuous line contour drawing.  The name basically says it all...it's a contour drawing which explores the edges of shapes using a continuous line.  

I'm going to ask you to do the same drawing again.  If you can't stand that idea, you have permission to do a different line drawing if you must.  However, this time I want you to leave your pen on the paper and not pick it up!  It's going to be the honor system, but try not to cheat.  Picasso was known for these kind of continuous line drawings and they remain some of his most recognizable images.  If you're lucky, maybe yours will become one of your favorites!  

Materials:  

Pen

Paper

Image (you can use one of these Picasso drawings)

Step 1- Look at your image closely and decide where you want to begin your line.  This will be a continuous line once you start, so remember to keep it moving and leave it on the paper if you stop.  If you go astray, back up your line and correct it from the point where you went astray.

Step 2- If there are shapes which are absolutely not connected you may leave a gap or an open edge. You may also pick up your pen to get to those shapes and THEN make a continuous line to form that shape.  (For example: this may be needed to form the eyes of the female portraits above.)

Keep drawing and tomorrow I'll see you with another challenge to keep you on the path toward 30 days of improving your Drawing Skills!!!

Here are a few examples of drawings from some of you who are participating in the challenge...keep the photos coming, it's so nice to keep in touch with what you are doing.  =)

Negative shapes- with additional detail (Wow!)

Toned ground Figure- Now THAT's a head of hair! =)

Day 8- Photo reference on Toned Ground . An Ambitious attempt to draw a Rembrandt- well done!

Day 7- Drawing on Toned ground- with additional color. Such nice shadows!

Photo Reference on Toned Ground- Day 8 Such expressive eyes!

Well done!  

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor

Art Lessons in all media

Myrtle Beach, SC

rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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30 Day Drawing Challenge- Day 2

30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 2- 

Continuous Contour Line Drawing

Finding Edges: How to determine what to draw first?  My initial step for almost every drawing is to look for edges.  One way to sensitize our eyes and see the edges is to really look for them.  Minding the edge of our shapes is what we will be taking care to do as we take our first few steps of this plunge into drawing...perhaps this guy should have had a few lessons of this sort before he stepped out!

Let's jump right in!

Day 2 Assignment: Continuous Contour Line Drawing

Part A:  Draw a Continuous line Contour drawing of an object you love.

How to Make a Continuous Line Contour Drawing:
A Continuous Line Contour drawing is simply an outline of the edges of your item done with a line that is continuous.  It makes sense right?  Avoid sketchy line work.  Make a confident line...even if it's wrong it the appearance of confidence will make it look artistic.

What to draw?  Maybe it's your cup of coffee in the morning.  Maybe it's a small item you have on the shelf.  Just make it something you have feelings about...preferably something with a little story. Choose your object, whether its your paint brush or your favorite pair of glasses, and draw the edges of it's contours using a continuous line. 

Be sure to draw it on a new sheet of paper (not on the back of your last drawing!!!)

This is my best hint for success:  Draw VERY SLOWLY.  Try to make your pen move at the same speed as your eyes. (yes I want you to use a pen again!) Don't get ahead of your pen with your eyes...keep looking at the place you are currently drawing.  When you stop looking at your object to look at your paper, be sure to STOP your pen.  All too often we quit looking, move ahead with our pens, and start making things up.  When I do this, invariably I make an inaccurate mark.  Only draw when you are looking at your object. Move around the edges and note where other edges intersect.   

Once you have chosen your object- Carefully and SLOWLY draw it in the top ½ of your piece of paper. (we will save the bottom half for part B)

Draw it with your eyes concentrated on the thing you are drawing and NOT looking as much at the drawing on your paper.  Make yourself look at the thing you draw 90% of the time and at your paper as little as possible.  Try not to pick up your pen.  If you make a wrong turn, then make another line that is more correct.  Those wrong turns will probably not be as obvious when the right lines come along.

I used a continuous line contour drawing in permanent pen as the foundation for this piece. If you look closely you'll see a line underneath the top of the right lens.  This is a line that was drawn at an incorrect angle as I was looking at my glasses.  When I realized the error, I just picked up my pen and drew a new line.  Do you see how unimportant the incorrect line is once the finished drawing is complete?  So don't be scared!  Mistakes are not fatal. 

Your drawing will not look perfect, but it will have character and be what I'd call Arty-farty.  A perfect drawing might be accurate, but can be dull.  Contour Drawings are never dull, often I find that Arty Farty renderings are more fun to look at.  The inaccuracies lend a sense of the artist's hand to the final product.

Part B:
Create an intersecting frame for your object.  Have the frame descend below the drawing and either write an explanation of what makes that object so important, or use a few words to help your object tell a story.  I decided to let my glasses illustrate the idea of the subject for this lesson.

If you want to add color, you can do so with watercolor or colored pencils.  (I did mine with watercolor). 

If you're enjoying this drawing challenge, be sure to subscribe to this blog!  You can share it to your Facebook friends if you want to encourage others to join us.  I'll see here tomorrow with another idea for you!

Let me hear from you! I read every comment and it means a lot to know you are out there reading.  Post your photos on my Facebook or instagram page with the #30daydrawingchallenge, #learntodraw and we can follow one another's progress...

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor

Art Lessons in all media

Myrtle Beach, SC

rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

"Like" my facebook page: Rebecca Zdybel- Artist

Join me on Google+ Rebecca Zdybel Google+